Eggplant And Red Pepper Terrine Recipes

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the sardines or salmon in a single layer on the pan. Season the fillets on both sides with salt and pepper and one quarter of the olive oil. Scatter half the sage, thyme, rosemary, and garlic over the fillets and slide the pan into the oven. Roast the sardines for 7 minutes, or until they're just cooked through. Remove the sardines from the baking pan, cool, and then chill in the refrigerator. Re-line the baking sheet with clean parchment paper and arrange the eggplant on the sheet. Season the eggplant slices with salt and pepper as well as the remaining oil and herbs. Bake the eggplant for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Cool and then transfer to the refrigerator to chill. Line an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing it to extend over the sides. The terrine will be built with the eggplant, peppers, sardines, and tomatoes in layers, starting with the eggplant. To begin, cut the eggplant slices to fit the terrine and lay a layer of eggplant over the bottom and up the sides of the terrine, allow the slices to overlap a little and overhang the edges. Top with peppers, then sardines, then tomatoes. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, finishing by folding the overhanging eggplant over the top of the terrine and leveling the top with an additional layer of eggplant slices. Cover the top with the plastic wrap that's hanging over the sides and press another piece of plastic wrap against the top for good measure. Cut a piece of corrugated cardboard to fit inside the top of the terrine and press it down firmly against the plastic wrap. Place a weight, such as a 1-pound can, on top of the cardboard, put the terrine on a parchment-lined tray (to catch any drips that result from the weighting), and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or overnight.
• To serve: If you have an electric knife, now's the time to use it, if not, choose a long thin serrated knife and work with a sawing motion. Remove the weight, the cardboard, and the sheet of plastic wrap. Carefully cut the loaf into slices, each no less than 1-inch thick (thinner slices will fall apart.) If you'd like, serve the terrine with a small green salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Steps:

• Prepare the red peppers. Arrange the red peppers on a broiling pan and place them under a hot broiler so that their upper surfaces are about 1/2 inch from the heat. Broil for 15 minutes, turning occassionally, until the peppers are blistered and black on all sides. (You can alternatively blacken the peppers directly over the open flame of a gas cook-top, holding them and turning them with tongs.) Place them in a brown paper or plastic bag and close the bag. Let the peppers steam in their own residual heat inside the bag for 10 minutes. Then peel them (the skin will slide 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 above step.
• Prepare the eggplants. Heat a grill or grill pan until very hot. Cut the eggplants into 1/2-inch slices and lay out flat on a large flat surface such as a baking pan. Brush the slices on both sides with the grapeseed or peanut oil, and sprinkle with salt. Cook the eggplant slices on the grill, covered, for 4 minutes on each side, until they are nicely browned and softened. If your grill does not have a lid, make a tentlike lid of aluminum foil and place it over the eggplant as it cooks.
• Prepare the parsley. While the eggplant is grilling, soften the parsley by blanching it in boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds. Remove, cool under cold water, drain.
• Build the terrine. Line a terrine mold (loaf pan) with plastic wrap. Arrange a layer of eggplant in the bottom of the mold and top it with about a third each of the red pepper pieces, parsley, and cheese. Repeat, beginning and ending with a layer of eggplant, until all the ingredients are used. Cover with plastic wrap and press on the wrap to compact the mixture. Refrigerate.
• At this point you can make the terrine in advance and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.
• Prepare the sauce. Place the garlic and tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth. Push the mixture through a food mill (fitted with a fine screen) over a bowl. Add the remainder of the sauce ingredients. Mix well.
• To serve, pour some of the sauce on a large platter and unmold the terrine in the center. Cut it into slices and serve with the remainder of the sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix red bell pepper, onion, and garlic in a large mixing bowl; season with basil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the pepper mixture; toss to coat the vegetables evenly.
• Brush eggplant slices with olive oil to coat thinly.
• Spread about 1/3 of the pepper mixture into the bottom of a square glass baking dish; top with a layer of about 1/3 of the eggplant. Repeat layering twice more. Top final layer with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is browned and the vegetables are bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Arrange the eggplant slices in one layer on baking sheets, brush both sides of the eggplant with the oil, and sprinkle them with salt to taste. Broil the eggplant in batches about 4 inches from the heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until it is golden and tender, and transfer it with a metal spatula to paper towels to drain.
• Line a loaf pan, 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches, with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang, and in it arrange the eggplant, the olive paste, the bell peppers, and the goat cheese in several layers, beginning and ending with the eggplant. Cover the eggplant with the plastic overhang, weight the terrine with a 3-to-4-pound weight (such as a loaf pan filled with canned goods), and chill it for 24 hours. (The terrine may be made 3 days in advance).
• Remove the weight, invert the terrine onto a cutting board, and discard the plastic wrap. Cut four 3/4-inch-thick slices from the terrine, pour about 2 tablespoons of the parsley sauce onto the center of each of 4 plates, tilting the plates to spread the sauce, and arrange a slice of the terrine on each plate. Garnish each serving with a parsley spring.
• To roast peppers:
• Using a long-handled fork char the peppers over an open flame, turning them, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the skins are blackened. (Or broil the peppers on the rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from the heat, turning them every 5 minutes, for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the skins are blistered and charred.) Transfer the peppers to a bowl and let them steam, covered until they are cool enough to handle. Keeping the peppers whole, peel them starting at the blossom end, cut off the tops, and discard the seeds and ribs. (Wear rubber gloves when handling chilies.)
• Parsley sauce:
• In a blender purée the parsley and the garlic with the vinegar, the water, the oil, and salt and pepper to taste until the sauce is smooth and strain it through a fine sieve set over a small bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Makes about 1/2 cup.