Food and Drink: Recipe: Simply a terrific terrine

THE SERIES on pate recipes is seen out with terrine aux aromates from M Hughes of Washington, Tyne & Wear. It won, largely for novelty value, over Diana Bowden's pate maison - a good gutsy terrine employing pig's liver, pork belly and brandy. Mrs Hughes found her recipe in a book called French Cooking for Pleasure by Mary Reynolds. Mrs Hughes will receive a bottle of Alain Brumont's Pacherenc du Vic Bilh Octobre 1991, a late-picked Jurancon-style wine from Reid Wines, near Bristol.

Terrine aux Aromates

Serves 6

Ingredients: 1lb (450g) fresh spinach

1lb (450g) good, lean sausage meat

4oz (115g) cooked ham, finely diced

good whacking pinches each of chopped parsley, chervil, basil and marjoram

2oz (60g) onion, finely grated

1 clove garlic, crushed

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1 egg, lightly beaten

10 rashers mild streaky bacon or good strips of barding fat

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F/180C/gas 4. Set up bain-marie: a roasting pan one-third filled with water does the job. Steam spinach, press as dry as possible: this is adequately done by sandwiching it between two plates, pressing and draining off the water. Chop spinach. Mix thoroughly with remaining ingredients. Fry a small amount and taste. Adjust seasoning. Line terrine with bacon, fill with mixture and top with bacon. Cover terrine. Place in bain-marie (water should come halfway up the terrine) and cook for 1 hour. If too much water evaporates, top up with boiling (never cold) water.

Once cooked, drain off any excess water, and weight the meat. This compresses the pate as it cools, and can be done by placing the bottom of a similarly shaped terrine on top, or a small board. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Serve any time during the next few days.

Next week, the first of our recipes for summer fruits. New entries (stating source if not original) are welcome, addressed to: Emily Green, Recipe, Weekend Features, the Independent, 40 City Road, London EC1Y 2DB. Those whose recipes we publish will receive a bottle of Chateau Coutet 1983 Barsac, the first of a long line of great sauterne vintages in the Eighties, imported by Reid Wines.