Liver Terrines: Choosing The Right Pâté For Your Dish

Liver terrines are a popular and easy-to-make dish that can be found in most grocery stores. Pureed poultry, pork, or veal livers are mixed with eggs, seasonings, and a panada—a binder made from starch and liquid—and then baked in a backfat or bacon-lined terrine. While most liver puree is easy to make in a food processor, a smoother finish can be achieved by forcing the liver through a drum sieve after pureeing.

A panada is a type of binder that is added to a forcemeat to enhance smoothness and aid emulsification. It is usually made from crustless white bread soaked in milk or a heavy bechamel and should not make up more than 20% of the total weight.

Panada as a binder

Panada is a type of binder used in forcemeats, which are the primary ingredients used to make pâtés, terrines, galantines, and sausages. A binder is a substance that is added to a forcemeat to enhance smoothness and aid emulsification.

A panada is a paste made from starch and liquid. It is usually a crustless white bread soaked in milk or a heavy bechamel. It can also be made from flour, bread, rice, or other starch products. A panada should not make up more than 20% of the total weight of the forcemeat.

When making a liver terrine, the uncooked forcemeat is fairly liquid, so a binder like panada is added to help the mixture hold together. Pureed poultry, pork, or veal livers are mixed with eggs, seasonings, and a panada of cream and bread, then baked in a backfat or bacon-lined terrine.

To make a smoother liver terrine, the livers can be forced through a drum sieve after pureeing them. This will help to remove any remaining lumps and create a more uniform texture.

In addition to panada, eggs or egg whites are also used as binding agents in forcemeats. If used with forcemeats that have a high ratio of liver or liquids, they can also add texture to the final product.

Panada for smoothness

Panada is a binder added to a forcemeat to enhance smoothness and aid emulsification. It is usually a crustless white bread soaked in milk or a heavy bechamel. It should not make up more than 20% of the total weight of the forcemeat.

When making a liver terrine, the uncooked forcemeat is fairly liquid, so a panada is added as a binding agent. Pureed poultry, pork, or veal livers are mixed with eggs, seasonings, and a panada of cream and bread, then baked in a backfat or bacon-lined terrine.

To make a smooth finished product, the livers are forced through a drum sieve after being pureed in a food processor. This extra step helps to remove any gristle or sinew that may detract from the smoothness.

When preparing a panada, it is important to keep the ingredients as cold as possible. This helps to set the emulsion and is also important for sanitation reasons. Temperatures below 40°F/4°C will keep the fats firm and provide a smoother texture. If the forcemeat gets too warm, the product will take on a loose structure and have a greasy appearance that will affect its overall quality.

To test the texture of the forcemeat, prepare a quenelle and poach it in salted water or stock. If the texture is rubbery, this can be corrected by adding more fat or cream. If the consistency is too loose, it can be firmed by adding egg whites or panada.

Panada for emulsification

Panada is a type of binder used in the emulsification process of creating forcemeats, which are the primary ingredient in pâtés, terrines, galantines, and sausages. Forcemeats are emulsified products, binding two ingredients that would not ordinarily combine. In the case of liver terrines, the emulsification process binds pureed poultry, pork, or veal livers with eggs, seasonings, and a panada of cream and bread.

A panada is a paste prepared from flour, bread, rice, or another starch product. It is added to forcemeats to enhance smoothness, aid emulsification, or both. It should not make up more than 20% of the total weight. A panada is typically a crustless white bread soaked in milk or a heavy bechamel.

To make a liver terrine, the dominant meat (in this case, liver) is pureed and mixed with eggs and seasonings. A panada of cream and bread is then added to the mixture to aid emulsification. The mixture is then baked in a backfat or bacon-lined terrine.

It is important to note that the livers should be forced through a drum sieve after pureeing to achieve a smoother finished product. Additionally, temperatures must be maintained below 4°C (40°F) during the emulsification process to keep the fats firm and provide a smoother texture.

Panada ratio

When making liver terrines, a panada is used as a binder in the forcemeat. A panada is a paste prepared from flour, bread, rice, or other starch products. It is added to the forcemeat to enhance smoothness, aid emulsification, or both. It should not make up more than 20% of the total weight. Typically, a panada is a crustless white bread soaked in milk or a heavy bechamel.

The ratio of panada to other ingredients is important for the flavour, structure, and mouthfeel of the final product. Most ratios use two parts lean meat to one part fat, but this can vary up to equal parts meat to fat, with binding agents used to absorb the extra fat. To maintain the proper taste and texture, use a maximum ratio of 4 parts meat to 1 part binding agents by weight.

In addition to a panada, eggs or egg whites are also used as binding agents in some types of forcemeats. If used with forcemeats that have a high ratio of liver or liquids, they also add texture.

Panada alternatives

Pureed poultry, pork or veal livers are mixed with eggs, seasonings and a panada of cream and bread to make liver terrines. However, there are alternatives to the panada of cream and bread.

A panada is a binder made of a starch and a liquid. For example, a country-style forcemeat pate may be made with a panada of a starch and a liquid to bind two grinds of meat together.

A panada is used to bind the ingredients of a terrine together. Therefore, an alternative binder could be used. For example, an egg is used as a binder in a terrine. Fresh breadcrumbs are also often added to absorb any fat or grease given off by the meats.

A terrine can also be made using pre-cooked paste of meat, fish or vegetable purees bound cold with gelatin or hot with eggs.

Frequently asked questions