Fish Terrine

24. February 2026

Fish terrine – a sophisticated starter for festive occasions

On holidays or special occasions, we deserve something extraordinary – a fish terrine is just the thing! Delicate, elegant and full of flavour, it is a highlight for any festive table. This recipe comes from the famous cookbook “Terrines, Pâtés and Jellies” (TIME LIFE Books) and impresses with its sophisticated combination of sole, salmon and a shiny jelly coating. Perfect as a starter or main course for fish lovers.

Ingredients for the Fish Terrine

Before you begin, here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe. The exact quantities are listed in the recipe card at the end of the article!

Sole fillets: ensure that the fishmonger debones the fillets for you.
Salmon: Since you are preparing the fish raw, sashimi quality is advantageous (sashimi quality).
Egg white and cream for the firmness of the fish mousse
Butter for greasing the tin
Spices: fleur de sel, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg and, optionally, a little cayenne pepper for a slightly spicy note
For the jelly coating: dessert wine; for the fish stock, choose a high-quality product or, better still, make your own; gelatine leaves.
Decoration: a little parsley
Garnish: Leaf salad

Preparation of the Fish Terrine

Preparation

For the fish terrine, prepare a baking dish that can hold four sole fillets. Grease the dish with butter to prevent the terrine from sticking. The fifth fillet will be added later. Store everything in the refrigerator.

Salmon Mousseline

Process the salmon in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle until smooth. Then season the mixture with fleur de sel, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg and a little cayenne pepper to taste. Now slowly mix in both egg whites without beating them until the consistency is smooth.

Then pass the purée through a fine sieve – this step is worthwhile as it ensures a particularly fine consistency. Cover the mixture and place it in the fridge for at least an hour to cool thoroughly.
After the resting time, carefully fold in the whipped cream with a spatula. You can then chill the finished mousseline for another 15 minutes to achieve the perfect consistency.

Filling the mould with fish and salmon mousseline

Place the prepared sole fillets in the buttered dish and fill with the salmon mousseline. Finally, place the fifth sole fillet on top as a cover and fold over the excess ends. Cover the dish with buttered baking paper and then seal with aluminium foil.

Baking the terrine

Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Prepare a bain-marie in which to cook the terrine for 50 minutes. After cooking, check whether the mixture is firm – if not, leave it in the oven a little longer. Once cooked, remove the foil and paper and wait until the terrine has cooled to a lukewarm temperature.

For turning out

Place a kitchen rack upside down on the mould and support everything. The terrine should drain well before you wrap it in cling film and store it in the fridge overnight.

Make jelly coating

The next day, you can serve the terrine on a decorative platter. For the jelly coating, soak gelatine leaves in cold water for four minutes, squeeze them out and dissolve them in boiled fish stock. Stir in two to three tablespoons of dessert wine and divide the liquid into three portions.

The first third is whipped in a metal bowl on ice until it reaches a syrupy consistency. The terrine is coated with this mixture and chilled for ten minutes. The second third is mixed with finely chopped parsley and also boiled down to a syrupy consistency. This layer is spread on the terrine and chilled for five minutes. The last part is processed as before and used to completely coat the terrine.

Before serving, you can garnish the terrine with chopped lettuce and chill until the jelly has set completely.

Et voilà – your fish terrine is ready to delight your guests! Enjoy your culinary masterpiece. Bon appétit, Vivi

Tips and variations: Refine the jelly coating as desired with dill, lemon zest or fine vegetable strips.
Instead of sole, you can also use other firm fish varieties such as plaice or cod.
How do I serve the fish terrine? Serve the terrine with a fresh sauce, e.g. a light dill vinaigrette.