Chef - David Everitt-Matthias
Ark of Taste Product - Gloucester Old Spot
Producer - Butt's Farm
"This is one of my favourite starters: a terrine of pig’s cheeks, cooked slowly in duck fat, and poached smoked ham hock, served with home-cured pork jowl – yum! The terrine has just a little jus to help it set when pressed and to keep it moist. This porcine lover’s delight is served with a pear purée, which helps cut the richness of the terrine, raw pear for texture and honeyed mustards seeds for a touch of heat." David Everitt-Matthias
Method:
Ham hock
– Soak the smoked ham hock overnight in cold water to remove excess salt.
– The next day, place it in a large saucepan with the vegetables and aromatics. Cover with water and bring to the boil, then skim and simmer for 3 1/2–4 hours, until the meat is coming easily away from the bone.
– Lift out the hock (strain the stock and keep for a soup or broth). Remove the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and picking off any bits of gristle and fat. Place in a container.
Celeriac
– Peel the celeriac and slice as finely as possible. Line a baking tray, about 52 x 32cm, with baking parchment. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then brush the baking parchment with a little of it.
– Season, then cover with overlapping slices of celeriac to form a rectangular sheet about 25 x 36cm in size. Brush with more butter and season.
– Place in an oven preheated to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and cook for 5 minutes.
– Turn the celeriac sheet over (this manoeuvre will need another baking tray lined with buttered parchment) and cook for a further 5 minutes.
– Remove from the oven and place a sheet of baking parchment on top of the celeriac. Set a baking tray of the same size on top and add a heavy weight. Cool, then place in the fridge to chill. When cold, remove from the trays and remove the paper. Cut into two equal rectangles, about 36 x 12cm, for the top and bottom of the terrine.
Pig’s cheeks
– Salt the pig’s cheeks with the salt and aromatics. Pack tighly in a bag or container and leave for 6 hours only.
– Remove the salt and herbs by quickly rinsing under cold water and dry well.
– In a heavy-based ovenproof pot or a highsided baking tray large enough to fit the cheeks, melt the duck fat over a low heat. Add the cheeks, which should be completely covered with fat. Cover with foil, then place in an oven preheated to 150°C/ Gas Mark 2 and simmer gently for 2–2 1/2 hours, until tender. To check, prick with a fork: there should be no resistance. Keep warm in the fat until needed.
Leeks
– Remove any damaged outer leaves from the leeks and trim the green end, then carefully trim the bottom, leaving the smallest amount of root intact.
– Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the leeks and cook for 3–4 minutes, until tender. Place on a tray and squeeze the excess water out of them. Keep warm.
Building the terrine
– The ham hock, pig’s cheeks and reduced stock should be warm, so reheat if necessary.
– Place a frame, about 36 x 12 x 4cm, on a tray and line with 2 layers of cling film, overlapping the sides of the frame.
– Carefully place one of the celeriac rectangles on the bottom of the frame and drizzle over a little of the reduced chicken stock.
– Neatly arrange the pigs’ cheeks next to each other, 3 across and 8 along, in a layer on the celeriac. Press down well with a board that fits inside the frame.
– Season and drizzle with chicken stock, then add the leeks, arranged top to tail along the length of the terrine. Press down well again. Drizzle with chicken stock and season.
– Evenly place a layer of smoked ham hock all over the leeks. Drizzle with the last bit of stock and season.
– Carefully lay the other rectangle of celeriac on top and press down well with the board.
– Bring the cling film up and over the terrine, and seal. Prick lightly with a fork and place the board on top. Place 2 heavy weights on the board and leave in the fridge overnight to set.
– About 40 minutes before serving, take the terrine from the fridge, to take the chill off it, and remove it from the frame. Remember to remove the clingfilm before serving!
Serves 12–14
For the ham hock
350g smoked ham hock
200g roughly chopped carrots
100g each roughly chopped onion, leek and celery
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
a sprig of thyme
10 white peppercorns
For the terrine
1 medium celeriac, about 700–800g
100g unsalted butter
24 pig’s cheeks, trimmed
salt and aromatics as for Confit of Duck Leg
Aromatics (black peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme)
750g duck fat
25 thin baby leeks
400g brown chicken stock (reduced to 100g)