August 2005

Rainbow Trout And Smoked Bacon Terrine

This is a recipe that I have used for both a starter and a summer lunch. Served with some salads and a great glass of wine makes a fantastic lunch.

First we started with the trout. This was nicely trimmed making sure that there are no scales left on the fish. This can be done by your fishmonger. It was lightly seasoned and then baked on a lined tray in a moderately hot oven for six minutes. It was cooked skin side up. When cooked it was left to cool. We also took some smoked streaky bacon. We made sure that it had all the rind removed. This was also cooked on a lined tray in the oven until slightly crispy and going golden in color. This was also left to cool. To go with these we also prepared some finally chopped chives and drained a small jar of soft green or pink peppercorns.

Next we turned our attention to the terrine mould. We used a proper terrine mould but any loaf tin can be used or even a small plastic tub or even a small cardboard box as long as it is clean and properly lined. We lined the inside of the mould with a layer of foil. We then gently rubbed a tiny smear of oil over this and then lined that with a layer or two of cling film. The oil helps the film to stick to the foil and stops it falling down all the time.

Now we must make the mousse part of the dish. We took some fresh cod and steamed it without skin until it was thoroughly cooked. We cooled it and then put it into a food processor. We then minced it very finely in the processor until smooth. Into this we added a small spoon of horseradish sauce, some salt and pepper and some double cream. The amount of cream needed will vary but the mousse should end up with a consistence like a light mash potato. You will need to know the volume of the cream you added as this affects the next step. You will need to soak some leaf gelatin in a little cold water. You will need six leaves per one pint of cream added. Therefore half a pint of cream will need three sheets of gelatin. Once the sheets are soft and floppy they can be placed into a small saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of white wine. This is then heated gently until all the gelatin has dissolved into the wine. Remove form the heat and cool for a minute.

Now we are ready to put the terrine together. First you need to add the wine and gelatin to the cod mousse. Then first we spooned some of the cod mix and spread it out to cover the bottom of the terrine. On top of that we put two trout fillets. These need to be firmly pushed down. Then another layer of the cod mix, then a light sprinkle of the chives and peppercorns. Then a layer of smoked bacon, cod mix, trout fillets, cod mix bacon and chives etc ending with a layer of the cod mix. When the terrine is full, cover the top with a layer of cling film and put into the fridge. This will take a while to chill and set so making this dish a day or so in advance is a must. That is it.

We served it as a starter here with a base of samphire, a type of seaweed, and garnished with a little prawn oil and a tomato rose. I hope you try this recipe and of course, enjoy it!

Paul Vincent, Head Chef.