Paul Kavanagh’s Pork Terrine, Pear & Potato Relish

Some time ago I went to a lovely degustation dinner held by the Trippas White catering group. I have known Brien Trippas for years and the group had decided to showcase the winter menus and dining across their group of restaurants, accompanied by Philip Shaw and Margan Wines. Each course of the degustation was crafted around new winter menus from 360 Bar and Dining, Sydney Tower, Botanic Gardens Restaurant, The Pavilion, Queens Park Shed and Centennial Parklands Dining and was presented by each restaurant’s head chef. There are some luminaries in the group, with the roving degustation curated by Trippas White Group’s new group chef Nick Whitehouse.

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Well, I know it’s not officially winter now, but it sure feels like it. And I was finally able to coax a recipe from then head chef of Centennial Parklands, Paul Kavanagh. I love terrines because they are suitable all year round – and Paul drew on his Irish heritage for an unusual relish to go with the terrine.

Now these are chef quantities and I have tried to fill in some of the gaps to make it more home friendly.

Pork Terrine
Ingredients:
5 kilos smoked ham hock
chicken stock or water, to cover
3 sheets gelatine, softened in cold water
2 large brown onions, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
140 g seeded mustard
1 bunch fresh thyme, finely chopped

1. Place ham hock in a large pot and cover with chicken stock or water, or a combination of the two. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4 hours in stock, or until meat starts to fall off the bone. Remove from stock.
2. Strain stock and reduce it to 400mls. Stir gelatine sheets into reduced stock and set aside.
3. Remove skin from the ham hock and discard. Shred meat, removing any bones.
4. Saute onions, carrots and celery in some olive oil until soft but not brown. Add mustard, pulled pork and thyme. Add half the reduced stock and stir until combined, then remove from heat.
5. Lay out a double thickness of cling wrap, and lay meat mixture on top. Form into a log and spoon over remaining stock over the log. Roll the mixture into a round cylinder about 6cm in diameter and place in the freezer to set for at least two hours, then store in the fridge.
6. Slice into rounds to serve with Paul’s Pear and Potato relish.

Paul’s Pear & Potato Relish
Ingredients:
2 large pears
1 large red capsicum chopped without seeds
1 large brown onion chopped
8 jalapenos chopped
60 grams caster sugar
40 grams ground yellow mustard seeds
Pinch of salt
74mls apple cider vinegar
2 large desiree potatoes peeled

1. Part boil potatoes, cool and dice finely and set aside.
2. Place pears in boiling water for 15-20 mins, drain and cool. When cool, peel and core and chop roughly.
3. Place pears, onion, capsicum and jalapenos into food processor. Blend until finely chopped and place in pot with all other ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for up to one hour, checking not to burn, until relish has thickened.
4. While pear mixture is cooling,  add diced potatoes. Place in sterilized jars and store in the fridge.

These recipes come from Chef Paul Kavanagh.