Charcuterie_ The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing - Michael Ruhlman [116]
This recipe uses late-summer vegetables, those used in a ratatouille, but you can include others if you wish. Shiitake mushrooms would work, as would portobellos; roasted red peppers would be dramatic; a layer of carrot would be a nice visual element as well. Green beans would add an interesting circular element to each slice, soft herbs a bright fresh flavor. You might blanch some chard or spinach or leeks to line the mold and make the exterior of the terrine more visually appealing especially if you chose to broil rather than grill the eggplant; distinct grill marks on the eggplant add to a handsome appearance. Whatever vegetables you use, be sure to cook them until they are tender and delicious. If they’re not delicious to eat by themselves, they’re not going to get better in the terrine.
Use a small traditional terrine mold for this recipe, not much wider than 3 inches/7.5 centimeters. A larger mold would result in an unwieldy terrine that’s difficult to slice neatly.
1 eggplant (1.5 pounds/675 grams), peeled and sliced lengthwise into 1⁄8-inch/0.25-centimeter slices
2 zucchini (about 1 pound/450 grams), sliced lengthwise into 1⁄8-inch/0.25-centimeter slices
2 yellow squash (about 1 pound/450 grams) sliced lengthwise into 1⁄8-inch/0.25-centimeter slices
1⁄2 cup/125 milliliters olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons/45 milliliters water
2 teaspoons/8 grams powdered gelatin
1⁄2 cup/125 milliliters balsamic vinaigrette (see page 285) or vinaigrette of your choice
2 green bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin strips (see page 130)
8 ounces/225 grams goat cheese, softened
3 All-Night Tomatoes (recipe follows; or substitute roasted red pepper or sun-dried tomatoes)
1. Heat the grill or preheat the broiler.
2. Toss the eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil, turning once, until tender. Transfer to a rack or plate to cool.
3. Put the water in a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over it, and allow to absorb the water (bloom). Then heat the bloomed gelatin over low heat until it is dissolved. Add it to the vinaigrette and keep the vinaigrette in a warm place.
4. Line a terrine mold (12 by 3 by 3 inches/30 by 7.5 by 7.5 centimeters) with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang on the two long sides to cover the filled terrine (moistening the mold first will help the plastic wrap adhere to the corners). Lay the eggplant slices crosswise in the mold so that the ends hang over the sides (they’ll be folded over to seal the terrine at the end). Brush them with vinaigrette. Repeat the process with the zucchini, then the yellow squash, allowing them to extend over the sides. Lay the strips of green pepper in the mold and brush with more vinaigrette. Gently press the softened goat cheese evenly into the mold. Lay the tomatoes on the goat cheese and brush with vinaigrette. Fold the eggplant-squash flaps over the top and brush with any remaining vinaigrette. Fold the plastic wrap over the top to seal and refrigerate overnight.
5. Remove the terrine from the refrigerator about half an hour before serving. To serve, open the top flaps of plastic and turn the terrine out onto a cutting board. Cut into 3⁄8-inch/0.75-centimeter slices.
Yield: 24 slices; 12 appetizer servings
All-Night Tomatoes
Tomatoes are composed mainly of water. Dehydrating tomatoes in a low oven greatly intensifies their flavor—tomato to the power of ten—yet they remain relatively tender, not dense and chewy like sun-dried tomatoes. Brian uses these tomatoes in the vegetable terrine, but they’d also be great in a salad, added to pasta, or as a garnish for chicken or fish. The recipe can be easily multiplied.
3 small Roma (plum) tomatoes
2 tablespoons/30 milliliters extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed
1. Cut the tomatoes lengthwise in half and remove the cores. Place