Ah, the terrine...such a mysterious being. Soooo, what constitutes something as being a terrine? Is it anything that's prepared in a terrine dish or does it have be prepared with aspic/gelatin, set, chilled then served as a sliceable mold? Well, when referring to the actual end-product, the later is correct, but to confuse you, technically both are right. To confuse you even more, you don't always have to use aspic/gelatin to create a terrine. Is your head spinning yet? Okay, so we have the quasi-answer to the original question, here's another, do all terrines have to consist of poultry liver? No, in fact I have an AMAZING recipe for a vegetarian terrine that is sure to wow the guests at your next dinner party. The grilled Mediterranean vegetable terrine is a fusion of beautiful flavors, smoky, sweet, spicy and salty...a great meatless option that makes a wonderful appetizer or main dish!
-3 large red bell peppers
-1 tablespoon olive oil (Savvy recommends Treasures of Tuscany)
-1 tablespoon of balsamic glaze (balsamic reduction)
-1 1/2 pounds (1 large or 2 medium) eggplants
-1 pound (3 medium) zucchini
-1 pound ripe tomatoes
-1 large red onion
-Coarse sea salt (to taste)
-Fresh cracked black pepper
-2 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin
-1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Start boiling water and add basil then set aside.
Line a terrine dish with plastic wrap, leaving enough over lap to seal the terrine after the pan has been filled.
Cut vegetables into large slices (peppers lengthwise and tomato/onion/eggplant/zucchini crossways)
Brush cut vegetables lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
Place on grill (charcoal, gas or grill pan) until tender with defined grill lines
Place the peppers lengthwise on the bottom of the plastic lined loaf pan, then stand any remaining slices upright along all the sides, allowing the strips to drape over the sides of the pan.
Set aside any leftover slices.
Layer the zucchini over the pepper in a basket weave pattern.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Layer the eggplant in the pan over the zucchini.
Next, add a layer of sliced tomatoes and onion; season lightly with salt and pepper.
Put the basil water in a small saucepan and place over medium heat just until the liquid begins to give off steam.
Add the gelatin, reduce the heat to low, and stir with a wooden spoon until the gelatin is completely dissolved and the mixture begins to thicken.
Pour over the vegetables in the loaf pan.
Fold the overhanging pepper strips over the top and add any that were reserved from the first step.
Close the plastic wrap over the pan and top with an additional layer of doubled plastic wrap to seal.
Put the loaf pan on a large plate and weigh the pan down with another loaf pan of the same size filled with water, bags of dried beans, or anything else sufficiently heavy, or with a brick.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow the basil aspic to form and the terrine to set.
To unmold, open the plastic wrap, put a serving plate upside down on top of the loaf pan, flip, and remove the plastic.
Cut into slices.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze
ENJOY!!!
