Recipe for an Aubergine and Roasted Red Pepper Terrine, with sliced eggplant, roasted red pepper, parsley, brie or mozzarella, in a fresh tomato sauce.
Even though my father doesn’t like aubergines in general, he loves this Jacques Pepin terrine and we’ve made it several times. At one point he even insisted on making it in the winter, so instead of serving it cold, we baked it and served it hot, which worked out great.
This Eggplant Terrine is a perfect dish for summer entertaining – layers of roasted eggplant, mozzarella cheese, peppers and parsley, chilled in a terrine dish and covered in a gazpacho-like sauce.
Aubergine and pepper terrine
Use high-quality, soft, fresh mozzarella (as packaged in water in the grocery store’s refrigerated section).
ingredients
- Terrine ingredients:
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3 large red peppers (about 1 1/2 pounds)
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2 large, firm eggplants (about 2 1/2 pounds)
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2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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1 1/2 cups loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
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3/4 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/8-inch slices, about 14 slices
- Raw Tomato Sauce:
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3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
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2 to 3 ripe tomatoes (1 1/4 pounds), each cut into 6 to 8 pieces
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1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
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2 tbsp red wine vinegar
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
method
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Blacken and peel red peppers:
Arrange the red peppers on a grill pan and place under a hot grill so their top surfaces are about 1/2 inch from the heat.
Roast for 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the peppers are blistered and black on all sides. (Alternatively, you can blacken the peppers directly over the open flame of a gas cooktop, holding them and twisting them with tongs.)
Place them in a bowl and cover the bowl with a plate. Let the peppers steam in their own residual heat in the bowl for 10 minutes. Then peel (the skin will fall off) and remove the seeds.
Note that Trader Joe’s makes an excellent bottled cooked red pepper that can be used as a shortcut to the step above.
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Grill eggplant:
Heat a grill or grill pan to very high. Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch slices and lay them flat on a large, flat surface such as a desk. B. a baking pan. Brush the slices on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Cover and cook the aubergine slices on the grill for 4 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and tender. If your grill doesn’t have a lid, make a tent-like lid out of aluminum foil and place it over the eggplants while they cook.
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Blanch parsley:
While the eggplants are grilling, soak the parsley by blanching it in boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds. Remove, cool under cold water, drain.
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Build Tureen:
Line a terrine dish (loaf pan) with cling film. Place a layer of aubergines on the bottom of the dish and top with about a third of the peppers, parsley and cheese.
Repeat, beginning and ending with a layer of eggplant, until all ingredients are used.
Cover with plastic wrap and press on the foil to compact the mixture. Refrigerate.
At this point, you can make the terrine ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.
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Prepare sauce:
Place the garlic and tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth. Press the mixture through a food grinder (equipped with a fine mesh strainer) over a bowl. Add remaining sauce ingredients. Mix well.
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Surcharge:
To serve, pour some of the sauce onto a large platter and unmold the terrine in the middle. Cut into slices and serve with the remaining sauce.
Adapted from Jacques Pepin’s Today’s Gourmet II: Light and Healthy Cooking for the ’90s.
