This holiday, make life easy on yourself with no-fuss dishes such as my chestnut and cranberry terrine — a perfect starter to any festive meal!

MAKE IT AHEAD
In a previous post, I gave you my recipe for savory madeleines and promised to follow up with an easy starter which you can make in advance. Because let’s be honest, entertaining is not only about the food you prepare, but also about spending quality time at the table with friends and family. This delicious terrine can be made two days in advance and is utterly gorgeous with cornichons, sharp Dijon mustard, crisp radishes and crusty bread. 

REVOL’S COOKWARE
To make the terrine, I used the small rectangular terrine dish from Revol’s Belle Cuisine collection. The French cookware company which was founded in the Drôme in 1768, is known the world over for creating versatile pieces that make cooking easy and keep dishes healthy. Revol’s porcelain has a smooth, easy to clean surface and is made from natural mineral materials, which means you don’t have to worry about nasty chemicals or heavy metals seeping into your food. What I especially love about Revol is that their cookware looks so gorgeous on the table! And the black color of this terrine is so chic!

GUTSY FLAVORS
This terrine has some gutsy French flavors courtesy of a good shot of Armagnac and a dash of piment d’Espelette. Should you happen to have leftovers, it is fantastic as a quick lunch stuffed into baguette with a little mustard. Serve it with a juicy pinot noir from Bourgogne.

Chestnut & Cranberry Terrine

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

  • 150g thinly sliced Montenauer ham
  • 1 tbsp mild olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 200g cooked chestnuts, chopped
  • 225g ground pork
  • 200g ground beef
  • 1 ½ tbsp dried sage
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • Black pepper
  • ¾ tsp piment d’Espelette
  • 2 tbsps Armagnac
  • 2 tbsps single cream
  • 2 tbsps dried cranberries
  • 2 tbsps breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg

 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly grease a small terrine dish with a little olive oil (my Revol, which has a 600cl capacity and measures 19.5 x 9.5, did not need any greasing). Line with the ham, making sure the slices overlap and hang over the edges. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and gently sauté the onion, garlic and chestnuts for 10 minutes. In the meantime, bring a tea kettle of water to the boil. In a large bowl, mix the ground meat, sage, salt, pepper, piment d’Espelette, Armagnac, cream, cranberries, breadcrumbs, egg and onion/garlic/chestnut mixture. Pack into the lined terrine dish and place the lid on top. The lid will not fit snuggly, but that’s not a problem. Place the terrine in a baking dish (I placed mine in the Revol rectangular dish: 26 x 18.5) and pour hot water halfway up the side of the terrine. Carefully place in the oven and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Allow to cool before refrigerating. Keeps well for 3-5 days.