Rabbit and Pork Belly Terrine Remix with Cranberries

Recipe: Rabbit & Pork Belly Terrine with Roasted Pomegranate Cippolines & Grapes

Ingredients

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (1 small onion)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground juniper berries
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 cup Madeira, plus two teaspoons
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2- 2 1/2 pounds coarsely ground rabbit (include livers)*
2 slabs (about 1/2 pound) coarsley ground pork belly*
1 teaspoon-1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon-1/2 tablespoon ground pepper
1/3 cup (shelled) coarsely chopped pistachios
3 slices raw bacon
Terrine
Parchment Paper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚.
Soak cranberries in 2 tablespoons Madeira. Place onion, garlic, thyme, juniper berries, fennel and remaining Madeira in a heavy bottomed pan. Bring to a boil and cook until Madiera has been absorbed. Let cool.
Combine rabbit and pork belly. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and thoroughly combine. Fry a pinch in a sauté pan and taste. Add additional salt and pepper to mixture if desired. (I used 1/2 tablespoon of each.)
Coarsely chop cranberries. Thoroughly combine onion mixture with meat mixture, cranberries and pistachios; make sure pistachios and cranberries are well-distributed into the meat. Press meat mixture into a lightly oiled terrine. Place bacon lengthwise over meat mixture, trimming ends if necessary to fit terrine.Cut parchment to fit over terrine and press into mixture. Wrap tightly in foil and place in another baking dish, larger than the terrine, which is filled 3/4 with hot water.
Bake on center rack of oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 160˚-170˚, about 80-90 minutes.(Temping unfortunately causes a bit of flavorful juices to escape. If you’re confident your oven temperature is accurate, bake the terrine 80 minutes and you should be in fine shape.)
When cool enough to handle, remove foil and pour off excess fat. (The flavorful juices may be used later for a sauce or soup.) Remove pate from terrine and tightly cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate two days for flavors to combine. Slice and serve, at room temperature, with baguette slices or crostini; accompanied with cornichons, coarse mustards or Roasted Pomegranate Cippolines and Grapes (recipe follows).

*A reputable charcuterie or butcher can provide this for you (I purchased my mixture from Bob Sparrow in Kerrytown, giving him advance notice). I requested that two boned rabbits, their livers, and a couple of slabs of pork belly be put into the mincer. This worked out to be about 2 1/4 pounds of total meat.

Number of servings (yield): 1 terrine

Recipe: Roasted Pomegranate Cippolini and Grapes

Ingredients

3 cups washed, small, seedless red grapes, plus an additional small bunch of grapes for garnish, if desired
16 small cippolini onions, peeled (slice off root and stem ends, then dip in boiling water 30 seconds for easier peeling)
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses, divided
Grand Marnier, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚.
Line a cooking sheet with parchment paper, oiled foil or a silpat.
Coat grapes with 1/4 cup of molasses. Brush additional molasses over bunch of grapes, if using.
Roast on middle rack of oven until just shriveled but not collapsed, 20-35 minutes, depending on size. Remove from oven and reserve.
Coat cippolinis with remaining molasses and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Change paper or foil if burnt. Roast 10 minutes. Remove from oven and, with prongs, turn over. Continue roasting until onions are well-browned, just tender and caramelized, an additional 10-20 minutes, depending on size.
When onions are cool enough to handle, separate layers with fingers and cut larger onions in half.
Combine onions with grapes. If desired, pulse until a coarse texture in processor and season to taste with Grand Marnier. (This mixture may be made several days prior to serving.)