Italian Pork, Chicken and Chestnut Terrine – variations on an Autumn theme!
This is a very short follow up on the Autumn Pork and Chestnut Terrine blog from a few weeks ago which you can find here. This was largely the same recipe and so we will not repeat that here. The differences were simple and largely for visual appeal. Instead of confining the pancetta lardons to a layer in the middle of the terrine, these were mixed into the terrine mixture. Their place was taken by a thin layer of chicken breast. This had been cut off some chicken we were going to eat that evening. On top of the chicken layer we added a more substantial layer of the boiled chestnuts.
The final difference was that we bought enough pancetta slices this time to cover the whole terrine! In the UK if I buy pancetta it is usually cut a little thicker than we find in Italy. We therefore tend to stretch it and thin it a little by running the back of a knife along its length. There was no need to do that with the thinner pancetta.
We have also been asked what we would use instead of the Tuscan sausages when we cook this in the UK. The answer is quite simple in that these Tuscan sausages are just minced pork (a mixture of shoulder and belly usually) with a generous dose of salt and pepper. So in the UK minced pork bought from a butcher or pork minced at home. The only point to watch is that Italian pork tends to be more fatty than the pork we have become used to in the UK. It is this that gives it its special taste. So if you are trying to recreate this don’t stint on the pork fat. Indeed, if you get the chance (in the UK) add a little more!
As the sausages in Tuscany are already seasoned we have needed to add less salt and pepper to the overall mix. If using minced pork you will need to add more. If in doubt – fry a little of the mix off, let it cool well and taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Alter the overall amounts of the ingredients to suit the size of your terrine. If you keep the proportions similar to this you won’t go far wrong.
For the Original recipe: – Click here
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