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French · Burgundy

Jambon Perséllé de Bourgogne

Jambon Perséllé is Burgundy’s most iconic charcuterie—a shimmering terrine of hand-shredded ham suspended in a vivid green parsley-flecked aspic, traditionally served at Easter but present on every Burgundian charcutier’s counter year-round. The preparation is a masterclass in aspic technique and flavour extraction. A whole ham hock or shoulder (4-5kg) is first desalinated in cold water for 24-48 hours, then simmered for 3-4 hours with a calf’s foot (for gelatin), aromatic vegetables (onion, carrot, leek, celery), a bouquet garni, white wine (a full bottle of Aligoté), black peppercorns, and juniper berries. The cooked meat is removed, the broth strained and defatted, then reduced by one-third to concentrate both flavour and gelatin content. The critical test: a spoonful chilled on a cold plate should set to a firm jelly within 10 minutes. The ham is shredded by hand into rough, irregular pieces (never diced—the fibrous texture is essential), and a generous quantity of flat-leaf parsley is finely chopped. The assembly alternates layers of ham and parsley in a terrine mould, with the warm aspic ladled between each layer. White wine vinegar (2-3 tablespoons) and a splash of raw Aligoté are added to the final aspic for brightness. The terrine is refrigerated for 24 hours minimum to set completely. When unmoulded and sliced, the Jambon Perséllé presents a mosaic of pink ham shreds and bright green parsley suspended in crystal-clear, quivering aspic—one of French charcuterie’s most beautiful preparations. It is served in thick slices with Dijon mustard, cornichons, and crusty bread.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
ServesEight to ten portions
Total52 hours (including 24–48 h desalination and 24 h setting)
Sourced2of 19 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

4–5 kg
Ham hock or shoulder, bone-in
whole, uncooked
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
Calf's foot
split by the butcher
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
750 ml
Aligoté
one full bottle, for the broth
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
Onion
peeled, left whole
Your own market
2
Carrots
peeled
Your own market
1
Leek
trimmed and washed
Your own market
2 stalks
Celery
Your own market
1
Bouquet garni
bay, thyme, parsley stalks
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
Black peppercorns
whole
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
6
Juniper berries
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
Head of garlic
halved horizontally
Your own market
1 sprig
Tarragon
for the final top-layer aspic
Origin · FrancePurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
2 egg whites
Egg whites
for clarification
Your own market
For assembly
80 g
Flat-leaf parsley
leaves only, finely chopped
Your own market
30–45 ml
White wine vinegar
2–3 tablespoons, added to final aspic
Your own market
60 ml
Aligoté
raw splash, added to final aspic
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
To serve
Dijon mustard
Your own market
Cornichons
Origin · FranceLekker · Vancouver →
Crusty bread
Your own market

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

II

The Method

1
Submerge the ham hock or shoulder in a large vessel of cold water. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water at least twice daily. The meat is ready when the soaking water runs almost clear and the flesh has lost its sharp brine.
2
Drain the ham and place it in a large pot with the calf's foot, onion, carrots, leek, celery, garlic head, bouquet garni, peppercorns, and juniper berries. Pour over the full bottle of Aligoté and add enough cold water to cover by at least 5 cm. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer, skimming any grey foam that rises. Maintain a bare simmer for 3 to 4 hours. The ham is done when the meat yields without resistance to a skewer and begins to pull away from the bone.
3
Lift the ham and calf's foot from the broth. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a clean pot, discarding the solids. Allow the broth to cool briefly, then skim every trace of fat from the surface. A defatted broth is essential: any residual fat will cloud the finished aspic and coat the palate unpleasantly.
4
Clarify the defatted broth: whisk 2 egg whites until frothy, stir them into the cooled broth, and bring the liquid slowly to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stop stirring the moment a raft forms on the surface. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then ladle the broth through a muslin-lined sieve into a clean pot. The resulting liquid should be crystal-clear.
5
Reduce the clarified broth by one-third over a steady flame. To test the gelatin concentration — and this is where the dish lives or dies — spoon a small amount onto a chilled plate and refrigerate for 10 minutes. It must set to a firm, cleanly sliceable jelly that holds its shape without wobbling. If it remains soft, continue to reduce and retest. A broth that does not pass this test will produce an aspic that slumps when the terrine is unmoulded.
6
While the broth reduces, pull the ham meat from the bone by hand into rough, irregular shreds. The fibrous texture of hand-shredded meat is what allows the parsley and aspic to bond with each piece. Do not dice, slice, or use a food processor.
7
Stir the white wine vinegar and the splash of raw Aligoté into the warm, reduced aspic. The liquid should smell bright and lightly sharp, cutting through the richness of the meat stock.
8
Begin assembly. Ladle a thin layer of warm aspic into the base of a terrine mould and refrigerate until just set, enough to anchor the first layer. Lay in a stratum of shredded ham, scatter a generous layer of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley over it, and ladle warm aspic to cover. Repeat — ham, parsley, aspic — until the mould is filled, ending with a layer of aspic. For the final top layer, add a tarragon sprig to the remaining warm aspic, steep for 2 minutes, remove it, and ladle this aromatically distinct aspic as the finish. The terrine is assembled when all the ham and parsley are encased and the aspic reaches the rim.
9
Cover the terrine and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours. The aspic is fully set when it is firm to a gentle press at the centre and pulls cleanly from the mould sides.
10
To serve, run a thin knife around the interior of the mould, invert onto a board, and allow the terrine to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing. Cut into thick slices; the aspic should be quivering but hold its form, revealing a mosaic of pink ham shreds and bright green parsley in a clear jelly. Serve with Dijon mustard, cornichons, and crusty bread.
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — A bone-in, traditionally cured Burgundian ham hock from a heritage-breed pig, simmered with a fresh calf's foot for full natural gelatin; Aligoté from a named Burgundian domaine used both in the broth and the final aspic.
02
Estate — A well-sourced bone-in hock from a local butcher, a split calf's foot, and a sound commercially bottled Aligoté; aspic clarified with egg whites for a crystal finish.
03
Market — A butcher's bone-in ham hock without provenance specification; calf's foot from a standard supplier; a supermarket Aligoté or dry Chardonnay; aspic strained but not clarified.
04
House — A bone-in hock of any origin; gelatin supplemented with powdered gelatine if the natural set proves insufficient; a neutral dry white wine in place of Aligoté; aspic unrefined but adequately defatted.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Sight. Soaking water runs almost clear after 24–48 hours: desalination is complete.
◇Touch. Ham meat yields without resistance to a skewer and pulls away from the bone: the braise is finished.
◇Sight. Clarified broth passes through muslin and is crystal-clear: clarification has succeeded.
◇Touch. A spoonful of reduced broth sets to a firm, cleanly sliceable jelly on a cold plate within 10 minutes: the aspic will hold when sliced.
◇Smell. The final aspic smells bright and lightly sharp after the addition of vinegar and raw Aligoté: the acidity is sufficient to cut the richness.
◇Touch. After 24 hours of refrigeration, the centre of the terrine is firm to a gentle press and the aspic pulls cleanly from the mould sides: setting is complete.
◇Where it lives or dies. The gelatin concentration test — a spoonful of reduced broth chilled on a cold plate must set to a firm, cleanly sliceable jelly within ten minutes — is the single point on which the finished terrine stands or falls.
Pillar V
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The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Bushmills Malt 10 Year Old
Old Bushmills Distillery · County Antrim — Bushmills Distillery
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia

Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.

Without alcohol

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The whole pairing
Pillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance

The hands behind the plate.

Purely Artisan Foods
San Diego · Tarragon
→
Lekker
Vancouver · Cornichons
→
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