duck and pistachio pâté

Oh yes, I know, time flies and, before tonight, I haven’t found any to share any new recipe!

So, I will give you this gorgeous recipe for a duck terrine with pistachios and port. It made my week-end and the leftovers made my lunch today as, like any terrine should be, it gets better with time.

It’s an easy one to make!

 

1 duck magret or filet without the skin

2 peeled garlic cloves

1/4 + 1/4 tsp of dried thyme

120ml of red port (and a small glass for the cook!)

1kg of minced pork and veal (if you can mince it yourself, it’ll be even better)

15 thin slices of prosciutto crudo (raw Italian ham) 

100g minced pancetta (cut it with a good knife, not your meat grinder)

90g unsalted, peeled pistachios

salt and pepper

Marinate the duck magret/filet with half the port, 1 garlic clove cut in half, and 1/4 tsp of dried thyme. Leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Drain the duck and keep the marinade.

Preheat the oven at 180°C.

Mix the minced meat with 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 tsp of thyme, the other half of the port (and cheers to you!), the duck marinade, the minced pancetta, pistachios, salt and pepper.

To taste the seasoning, cook a small spoon of the mix, taste and correct the seasoning if necessary. Be aware that the pancetta is salty. Mix well.

Cover your terrine with the prosciutto crudo and leave some hanging out so you can fold it on top of your terrine.

Add half the mince meat and press well. Cut the duck so you can cover the whole length of the terrine on top of the meat. Add the other half of the mince meat and cover with the hanging ham.

Cover then put in a shallow dish with water (enough to get to mid high of the terrine).

Put in the oven and cook for about 1h30.

Leave to cool before putting in the fridge overnight then serve with another port glass, in front of a warm open fire, and surrounded by great and funny friends.

 

As I don’t think I’ll have time to come back before next year, I wish you all some delicious and appetizing parties for this end of 2012! And that 2013 will be lucky, savory, and shared!

 

 

small cakes with raspberries

Those little cakes are soft and sweet and can be made with frozen raspberries. Thaw them on paper towel well separated from one another so they keep their shape and some of the excess moisture is going away in the paper towel.

For the cakes:

125g semi-whole flour

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1 pinch of sea salt flakes

100g of butter

50g of muscovado or rapadura sugar

1 egg

1/4 tsp of vanilla extract or of 1/4 of grated vanilla pod

80g of sour cream

170g of raspberries

Turn on the oven at 180°C.

In a bowl, mix the flour with the salt and the baking soda.

In another bowl, whip the butter with the sugar until frothy then add the egg and the vanilla. Mix in the cream and the raspberries. Be careful not to break the fruits.

Add the flour mix without over mixing and pour into muffin tins.

You can use paper cups to ease from the mould and to make it pretty to serve.

Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

Leave to cool on a cooling rack.

The frosting:

120g of cream cheese at room temperature

50g of butter at room temperature

100g of muscovado or rapadura sugar

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract or of 1/2 of grated vanilla pod

Whisk all the ingredients to get a smooth cream.

Pour the cream on top of the cakes and decorate with raspberries.

It’s great if the cream cheese is a little salty as it balances the sweetness of the cakes.