Terrine and Charcuterie — The French Cold Plate
Charcuterie is the French craft of salting and curing meat; a terrine is a forcemeat pressed into an earthenware mould, cooked slowly and served cold. At Maison Vie, the terrine and charcuterie plate is served à la carte at 28 Tăng Bạt Hổ, Hai Bà Trưng, Hanoi. Ask your waiter for the day's composition and price.
The cooking of time
Last week we wrote about the soufflé — a dish that lives twelve minutes and then sinks. A terrine is its exact opposite. It takes days: the meat is salted, steeped in wine, coarsely ground, packed into a mould, cooked very slowly in a water bath, then pressed under a weight and left cold until the texture settles. It is only good once it has waited long enough.
That is not fussiness. Before refrigeration, France had to make a pig killed in winter last until summer. Salt, fat, smoke and time were the only four tools available. A whole trade grew around it — the charcutier, the maker of chair cuite, cooked meat — and when refrigeration arrived the techniques stayed, because meat treated this way turns out to be better, not merely longer-lasting.
Terrine, pâté, rillettes, charcuterie — four words people mix up
This is where almost everyone slips, menus included:
| Word | Literally | On the plate |
|---|---|---|
| Terrine | The earthenware mould | What is cooked in that mould, chilled and sliced |
| Pâté | The forcemeat itself | That same ground mixture — cooked in a terrine, it becomes a terrine |
| Pâté en croûte | Pâté in a crust | Baked in pastry; the slice shows meat and a line of jelly |
| Rillettes | Meat cooked in its own fat | Shredded to a spreadable, almost creamy paste |
| Charcuterie | The cured-meat trade | The whole family: jambon, saucisson, terrine, rillettes… |
In short: the terrine is the mould, the pâté is what goes in it, and charcuterie is the craft that produces all of it.
Why there is always something sharp alongside
A French cold plate almost never arrives alone. Beside it there are cornichons, pickled onions, Dijon mustard, sometimes an onion or fruit preserve. None of that is decoration.
Terrine and charcuterie are both rich in fat — fat is what carries the flavour and holds the texture together. But fat coats the tongue and dulls the palate after a few slices. A sharp note of acid, or the heat of mustard, scrubs the palate so the next mouthful lands as clearly as the first. It is the same reason a squeeze of lemon belongs on anything fried.
Which is why a cold plate suits a table of several people and a long sitting: nothing goes cold, there is no moment at which it must be eaten, and everyone sets their own pace.
The cold plate and the cheese plate
The French have two cold plates, one at each end of the meal. Charcuterie opens; mature cheese comes before the sweet course. At Maison Vie the Selection of mature French cheeses is 395,000đ, served with nuts and dried-fruit preserves — it is on the à la carte menu.
The charcuterie platter itself takes the combined approach. As in the photograph: a nut-crusted terrine sharing the plate with saucisson, salami, rolled cooked ham and thin slices of dry-cured ham, alongside a soft white-rind cheese, a blue and some hard cheeses, with green and black olives through it. What is on it changes with each batch, but the idea does not — one plate that both opens the meal and gives the table something to linger over together.
Ordering both across one meal is a very French way to eat, and the easiest way to stretch a table into the evening. If you would rather have the sequence built for you, the Menu Dégustation does that. Pan-seared foie gras — the closest relative of the terrine on the current menu — has an article of its own.
What to drink
The cold plate is one of the few dishes where rosé is not the safe choice but the right one.
| Wine | Region | Bottle |
|---|---|---|
| Gérard Bertrand « Gris Blanc » IGP | Pays d'Oc IGP, Languedoc | 1,400,000đ |
| Gustave Lorentz Riesling | Alsace AOC | 1,450,000đ |
| Louis Latour Bourgogne Pinot Noir | Bourgogne AOC | 2,100,000đ |
Our own list describes its rosés as "pale, dry, mineral — the Mediterranean in a glass", sharp enough to cut the fat without covering the meat. The Alsace Riesling is the regional answer: Alsace is home to a great deal of French charcuterie. And if you want red, choose a light, perfumed one rather than a heavy one — the Bourgogne Pinot Noir, in that same list's words, is "translucent, perfumed, silken". See the full wine list and our wine pairing guide.
Booking details
The terrine and charcuterie plate is served à la carte. What is on it changes with each batch the kitchen makes, so please ask your waiter, or call ahead, for the day's composition and its price. All menu prices exclude a 5% service charge and 10% VAT. As cured meats, these dishes generally contain salt and sulphites and sometimes milk — tell us about allergies in advance.
Maison Vie is open daily 11:00–14:00 and 17:30–22:00 at 28 Tăng Bạt Hổ, Hai Bà Trưng, Hanoi. The kitchen is led by Chef Joel F. Tisserand, with more than 40 years in French kitchens. Book on +84 904 150 383 or through our contact page; for larger groups or a room of your own, see private dining.
Frequently asked questions
What is charcuterie?
It is both a trade and a family of dishes: meat salted, cured or cooked and then served cold — jambon, saucisson, terrine, rillettes. The word comes from chair cuite, "cooked meat".
What is the difference between a terrine and a pâté?
Terrine is the name of the earthenware mould; pâté is the ground mixture that goes into it. Cook a pâté in a terrine, chill it and slice it, and you have a terrine. Two words for two different things, commonly used as if they were one.
Why is a cold plate always served with pickles and mustard?
Because terrine and charcuterie are rich in fat. Acidity and mustard heat scrub the palate between slices, so the last mouthful is as clear as the first — the same principle as lemon on anything fried.
What is on the Maison Vie cold plate, and what does it cost?
The composition changes with each batch the kitchen prepares, so no fixed recipe is printed. Ask your waiter at the table, or call +84 904 150 383 before you come, for the day's plate and its price.
Which wine goes with a cold plate?
A dry rosé is the classic answer, sharp enough to cut the fat. An Alsace Riesling is the regional one. If you prefer red, choose something light and perfumed such as a Bourgogne Pinot Noir rather than anything heavy.
How many people does a cold plate suit?
It is at its best for two or more and for a long sitting, because nothing goes cold and there is no moment at which it must be eaten. For a larger group needing its own room, see our private dining page.