Pork Paté out of the oven.

Patés and Terrines are not only very nice to eat but also convenient and can give a sense of occasion in Summer time as well as in Winter. However they can be enjoyed all year round...

It is a truth to be behold that I do like versatility in terms of food as well as convenience. By the way who did create the concept of time, hours, minutes and seconds? Who did say that time was precious? Who created hourly wages and so on? I have no answer for any of it, for me all I have is day and night but also living in a temperate climate the effect of the Seasons.

Now if conserving Meat and Fish is important, it is because we never know when the very very cold Winter will come, the extremelly hot Summer will be upon us, or a so windy Autumn or wet Spring will make us despair to have a good harvest or crop. I can just bring one example having lived in Cherbourg (Normandy) during the 1987 Storm, weather forecasting is still a bit of a gamble. The Cherry Tree by my bedroom window, its branches were spinning like a twirl. The following day, we learnt that there was no school today because the roof of the school didn't make it. 

1987 Hurricane Weather Warning.

That was a night to remember because we were not used to have such a storm, a hurricane in Normandy, Brittany, and the South of England. It caught us by surprise. Electricity was down and it was candle time until the regional grid could be fixed up. This is to say that to be prepared a little for any eventuality is somehow hard to do so but somewhat possible to some extent.

To return to poor Michael Fish, like the rest of us he didn't know what would hit us or the scale of it. Anyhow, I will brew a storm that under the Curing Meat page, I will speak about Fish and Patés and Terrines... The flesh of a Fish like Salmon is absolutly delicious conserved in the shape of a Terrine. Wrapped in smoked Salmon and smooth in the inside that can keep in a fridge but could be presented during the festive season, a Salmon Terrine is a treat to behold.

The making of a Salmon Terrine. Dill is a perfect Herb to go inside it.

 Beside that I consider the flesh of some Fish very Meaty. Salmon is one of them, Monkfish, Halibut, Turbot but also Tuna. Anyhow a Salmon Terrine is a show off Starter but it is delightful tasting wise. Let the guests help themselves to it to see how it does go done. I usually present the Salmon Terrine with Blinis, small ones and decorate the Terrine with a little Dill and thin slices of Lemon, Lime and or Oranges. 

Ingredients for a Salmon Terrine. 

The inside is like a lovely Mousse... to dig into and spread onto a Blini. Then make sure all your guests have a glass of Champagne. 

The Salmon Terrine is a Taste Stopper as well as a Show one once dished out. 

Salmon is a popular Fish for a Terrine, because it is easy to get your hands on Smoked fillets to wrap your Terrine to give it that touch of luxury. But also on plain fillets which are boneless, easy to roast and then to transform into a Mousse like texture which feels like velvet when mixed with Cream Cheese in your mouth. 

Salmon Fillets are relatevely easy to get hold of partly because of Fish Farming.

But as always, you can be creative, nothing must stop you to layer a Terrine. It is nice to cut into one and find hidden treasure inside: in Spring a layer of Cooked Aspargus tips. In Summer you can wrap the Salmon Terrine with Spinach instead and add a layer Roasted Red Peppers inside but also add a handful of Capers throughout the Terrine to give little pearls of saltiness to the palate to discover. In Autumn why not adding a layer of seasonal Mushrooms either Sautéed or Pickled. You could also do the trick of dispersing some sliced Gherkins in mix. But less is more in that case. I would advise for sharp little Gherkins rather than the bigger variety.

Girolle Mushrooms are dainty and can be cut in half for a lovely Terrine but also Pickled beforehand.

Then coming to Winter and the Festive Season why not create a layer which give texture like Roasted Chestnut, and another one made of Pickled Quail Eggs, and within the Salmon mix shavings of Truffle.

And of course Salmons are not the only Fish in the Sea and Rivers so you can mix it with other Fish to create a nice Terrine or Paté. In a sense you can be innovative. My only advice would be that any Fish are boneless before making the Terrine or the Paté.

Mackerel Fillets makes excellent Patés.

Now the Terrine, Fish or Meat, is a delicate affair and made to show, impress  and share with guests, speaking posh, while a Paté is like someone talking with liberty 'Patoi' to his/her Friends in France. It is a bit like Smart requirements to wear at a party and the Casual ones to wear at a picnic-do with Friends. So there is a slight difference. 

To be honest with you all I do enjoy a Terrine as much as a Paté. First they are easy to eat for me. Second I find both of them convenient, like very convenient. Turning on the side of the Paté but staying with the Fish, I do enjoy Salmon Paté which everyone tends to call Mousse, Mackerel Paté, and Trout Paté. If I eat on my own I dig my spoon within the Paté and spoonfeed myself like a child does having grabbed a pot of Jam or like Winnie the Pooh pawing his pot of Honey. Patés and Terrine are proteins I can eat that's all.

Paté of Salmon en Croute with a layer of sliced Chesnut Mushrooms and a of side Watercress, Leeks, and Peas

Now for the Fishy ones, my go to are the three mentionned above. I don't toast my Bread when I eat alone and I usually try to go for the soft Bread (Ciabatta) but when I am with someone or everyone I try to push myself to eat like a person which can eat without any problems which is not the case. But I will say this: a spread of Fish Paté upon Toasted Bread is simply delicious. It is so easy to do as well. You can serve it with a little Dill or Chive for a Picnic to make them look smarter as well.

Then there is the zone of the Meat Patés and Terrines. It would be hard for me to choose a favourite. However I tend to do again and again a Pork Terrine with dried Apricots and Pistachios. It is a recipe of James Martin, not mine. I just love the balance of it. Wrapped nicely, it is awesome.

It was quite daunting to wrap my first Pork Terrine. But it was a wrap and went in the oven.

If Minced Pork is seen as relatively a lesser expensive Meat than others, I think it stands like Chicken which is one of the most used. However nonetheless if you present a good Terrine, it usually goes very fast...

Now if you go to the wild side and have a Terrine which is made with the wild cousin of Pork, hence Wild Boar,  you can have a very delicious experience. First it is leaner and has a darker red Meat. You can combine it with Sausage Meat of your choice to prepare a Game Terrine. One thing I will say, you can elevate your Terrine a notch by adding Juniper Berries and a strong Alcohol like a very good Red Wine (Rioja springs to mind), Armagnac, or even Whiskey. You can use Lardons inside the  Game Terrine as well as Black Truffle slices. So everything is a little decadentely reminiscent of Autumn on that one but so yummy. You can decorate it with a Smoked Bacon Rashers wrap. Serve it on a bed of Red Chicory leaves and Rocket, surrounded by Blackeberries and Roasted Chestnut.

 Chestnuts, sliced, pickled or roasted are a nice addition to mark the colder days. 

One thing I adore on a Paté is that it can be decorated or let us say adorned by a jelly... Let us take the humble Chicken Liver Paté, if you have a Port glazed Jelly robe upon it, it can dress it to elevation. And give it a festive way away...

To make a Chicken Liver Paté you can either cook the Chicken livers in butter, Sautéed them, then do the blitzing as per say. But for a Parfait it is a raw Chicken Livers blitz then the cooking then the sieving until you have a very smooth consistency. A Cider and Apple Jelly on top gives this Parfait a tang which is most welcomed. But you can also settle with a simple Herby and Garlicky Butter covering of your Parfait.

Leftover of a Roast could be turned into a delicious Paté. 

With Leftovers of a good Roast you can do a Paté, a Chicken one, a Pork one, a mix and match one. It makes it for another day in a way but in a delightful way. You can make them coarse, you can make them fruity, nutty, peppery or spicy but also you can them smooth. You make the rules on those Patés and Terrines. Remember that you rule your roost on your own Patés.