Pressed Terrine of Rabbit, Prune and Pistachio

⏱ 840 min · Serves 10

A proper French charcuterie showpiece: rabbit legs slowly braised in white wine and thyme, hand-shredded and pressed overnight with Armagnac-soaked prunes, green pistachios and a savoury jelly. Slice it thin, serve with cornichons, grainy mustard and toasted sourdough, and watch the table go quiet.

Per serving: 372 kcal · 33.5g protein · 11.0g carbs · 21.5g fat

Ingredients

• 1 whole rabbit (about 1.3kg), jointed, or 4 rabbit legs plus 2 saddles
• 250g pork belly, skin removed, diced
• 150g smoked streaky bacon rashers (plus 10-12 extra for lining)
• 1 pig's trotter, split (or 4 leaves gelatine as backup)
• 1 onion, halved
• 1 carrot, halved
• 2 celery sticks
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns
• 400ml dry white wine
• 600ml chicken stock
• 150g soft pitted Agen prunes
• 4 tbsp Armagnac (or brandy)
• 80g shelled unsalted pistachios
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp finely chopped tarragon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• To serve: cornichons, grainy mustard, toasted sourdough

Method

1. Soak the prunes in the Armagnac with 2 tbsp warm water for at least 1 hour, turning occasionally.
2. Season the rabbit joints well. Put them in a heavy casserole with the diced pork belly, 150g bacon, split trotter, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, bay and peppercorns. Pour over the wine and stock so everything is just covered.
3. Bring gently to a bare simmer, cover, and cook at 150C/130C fan for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the rabbit falls from the bone. Leave to cool in the liquor for 30 minutes.
4. Lift out the meat. Strain the liquor into a wide pan, discard the vegetables and trotter, then boil hard to reduce to about 350ml of glossy, sticky stock. Taste and season assertively - it will be eaten cold. (If not using a trotter, soften 4 gelatine leaves in cold water and whisk into the hot reduced stock.)
5. Pick all the rabbit meat from the bones while warm, shredding into rustic strands. Chop the pork belly and cooked bacon finely and mix through. Stir in the parsley, tarragon, allspice, plenty of pepper and 200ml of the reduced stock.
6. Line a 1kg loaf tin with cling film, leaving a good overhang, then line neatly with the extra bacon rashers, slightly overlapping and hanging over the sides.
7. Layer a third of the meat into the tin, pressing firmly. Scatter over half the drained prunes (torn in half) and half the pistachios. Repeat, finishing with a final layer of meat. Pour over the remaining stock plus the Armagnac soaking liquid.
8. Fold the bacon over the top, then the cling film. Sit a matching tin or a board on top, weigh down with 2 tins of beans and chill for at least 8 hours, ideally 24.
9. Unmould, peel away the cling film and slice thickly with a long sharp knife dipped in hot water. Serve with cornichons, mustard and toast.