Mini Terrine of Chicken and Scallion

Many years ago, I stumbled upon a video titled “Marco Cooks for Raymond Blanc.” It was a series documenting Marco Pierre White cooking for the great chefs (and I mean GREAT chefs) he trained under. My favourite was and still is the Raymond Blanc episode because it featured two of my favourite dishes - terrine of lobster and leeks as the starter and Pierre Koffmann’s pig’s trotter as the main. We’ll talk about the trotter another time, but the terrine is just simple, elegant, and well-balanced. Years ago, I attempted to make one, and it was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever made.

0:00 - Intro
0:33 - Preparing the Scallions
1:02 - Blanching the Scallions
1:30 - Preparing the Chicken Breast
2:20 - Preparing the Terrine Dish
2:37 - Making the Terrine
4:24 - Opening the Terrine Dish After 24 Hours
6:15 - Carving the Terrine
6:55 - Adding Hot Infused Scallion Oil
7:30 - Plating

I always thought the same principles could apply to scallions (you know I love scallions), as they both contain high amounts of pectin, a natural gelling agent, so I thought it would be fun to do a variation of the MPW classic with some Hainanese chicken rice ingredients - just perfectly cooked chicken breast and quickly blanched scallion whites.

I panicked the moment I started cooking as I very quickly realized 1 kilogram of scallion is nothing after being trimmed. Luckily, I had just enough for one chicken breast, thus the modified title of this video. If you want a full-sized terrine, I would recommend 3 kilograms of scallions and 2 chicken breasts.

As with my previous attempt, you need to adapt the pressing stage to whatever tools you have. I started with two cans, but quickly switched to three. I also cut out a piece of cardboard paper and wrapped it with foil to match the size of the terrine to help even out the pressing. Basically, you do whatever works for you to press the terrine with as much weight as evenly as possible. There is no elegant solution for what is probably one of the most elegant-looking end products.

I was surprised that the scallions were almost sturdier than leeks after cooking. If I were to do it again, I would probably poach them in chicken stock instead of water and cook them for a bit longer (but definitely not so long that they turn yellow and brown). This way, they’d pick up more flavours. But overall, I am extremely happy with the result. It’s so satisfying to make, and I really recommend that you try at least once.

*Ingredients*
Scallions - about 1 kg (use 3 kg if you want a full-size terrine)
1 chicken breast
Chicken stock or water
Vegetable oil
Salt

*Directions*
1. Cook the chicken breast with your desired method, making sure the core temperature does not go above 67°C (152.6°F). In my case, I cooked it sous vide at 61°C (141.8°F) for about an hour. Slice into thin strips.
2. Bring a pot of salted water or chicken stock to a boil. Trim off the green parts of the scallions, and blanch the white parts for about 5 minutes. Do not cover the lid to minimize the chance of the scallions turning brown or yellow. Strain and let them cool down slightly.
3. Line a terrine dish with more layers of cling film than you think you need. Add the scallions to the terrine dish, alternating sides with strips of chicken breast in between. Season each layer with salt.
4. When finished, wrap the top tightly with the loose ends of the cling film, then make a few incisions with a knife so that the liquid can escape.
5. Use whatever method you see fit to apply weight on top. I used three cans and a pizza stone. Leave it overnight in the fridge.
6. The next day, when ready to serve, very carefully turn the terrine dish upside down. Slowly remove the cling film and carve.
7. To make the scallion oil dressing, cut the white parts of a few scallions into large chunks, season with salt, and cook with some vegetable oil at medium heat for about 5 minutes.
8. To make the curled scallion garnish, slice the green part of a scallion into fine julienne. Soak them in ice water for about 10 minutes.

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