The distinctive duck flavour of this terrine, heightened by the hint of orange, is complemented by the sweet leeks and beans. A small amount of duck fat is included, but there is much less than would be found in a traditional recipe. The terrine will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Duck terrine and ginger-plum salsa
Ingredients
300 g duck breast fillets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
400 g leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 orange, zest grateda few fresh bay leaves
50 g green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon brandy
salt and pepper
orange slices or segments to serve
Ginger–plum salsa
500 g ripe plums, stoned and finely chopped
1 piece preserved stem ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons orange juice
freshly grated nutmeg
Preparation
Remove the skin and fat from the duck breasts.
Reserve 30 g of the fat, and discard the rest and the skin.
Chop the meat.
Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a moderately low heat.
Stir in the leeks and garlic, then cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C.
Line the bottom of a 500 g loaf tin with baking paper.
Peel the zested orange, then cut half of it into slices; chop the other half and keep for the salsa.
Arrange the bay leaves and orange slices on the bottom of the tin.
Set aside.
Cook the beans in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes.
Drain and refresh under cold water.
Pat dry and set aside.
Place the duck meat, reserved duck fat, orange zest, thyme and brandy in a food processor and pulse until blended to a paste–like consistency.
Add the leeks and pulse again once or twice.
Season.
Carefully spoon half of the duck mixture into the tin.
Pack down and smooth the surface.
Arrange the beans in a single layer on top, laying them lengthwise.
Top with the remaining duck mixture and smooth the surface.
Cover with foil.
Place in a roasting pan and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the loaf tin.
Bake for 1½ hours or until the juices run clear when the terrine is pierced.
Remove the loaf tin from the roasting pan.
Place a piece of card, cut to fit, directly on top of the terrine and weight it down.
Leave until cold, then chill for at least 12 hours.
To make the salsa, put the plums into a bowl with the ginger, orange juice and nutmeg to taste.
Add the reserved chopped orange.
Invert the terrine.
Peel off the paper.
Allow to come to room temperature, then slice.
Serve with orange segments, salsa and toast.
Serves 8
Preparation: 20 minutes, plus cooling and at least 12 hours chilling,
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