Difficulty: 4/5
This classic recipe requires a meat grinder (or mixer) and a porcelain terrine mold. As a seasoned home cook with professional guidance, I've perfected this terrine for rich flavor and perfect texture.
Start by completely deboning the rabbit. Place the flesh in one salad bowl and the bones and trimmings in another.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the bones, trimmings, calf's foot, 1 carrot, and 1 peeled, roughly chopped onion. Add 1 sprig of thyme and 1 bay leaf, cover with water, and simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, grind the rabbit meat, pork throat, and fatty bacon using a medium grinder disk.
Peel and coarsely chop the remaining onion, carrots, and celery stalk, then grind them too. Combine everything in a bowl, season generously with salt and pepper, and taste to ensure perfect balance.
Strain the rabbit stock through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing to extract all juices. Let it cool, then mix into the meat with the cognac.
Line the terrine mold completely with bacon bards, allowing them to overhang. Fill with the mixture, fold over the bacon, and top with 1 bay leaf and 1 thyme sprig.
Preheat oven to 200°C (th. 7/8). Place the terrine in a high-sided ovenproof dish with 500ml boiling water (bain-marie). Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a knife to the bottom for 10 seconds; it should feel very hot on your tongue.
Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for 12 hours. For serving, run a hot-water-dipped knife around edges and unmold onto a platter—or slice directly from the mold.
Pro Tip: Opt for a large 3kg rabbit; two small ones yield too many bones. Substitute pork throat with veal shoulder if needed.
Chef's Insight: I prepared this with a professional brigade cook—the deboning is toughest, so ask your butcher to handle it.
Adapted from Hubert's Favorite Recipes
