Vegetable Terrine
Ingredients
2 Chioggia beets
2 Golden beets
2 Shallots
2 C. dry white wine (omit)
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
10 black peppercorns
3 ¼ C. cold water
½ C. chopped mixed leaf herbs
reserve stems
1 bunch fresh chives
reserve bottom third
4 tsp gelatin (2 ¼-oz envelopes)
1 carrot slice thin
1 leek
⅓ C. green beans trimmed
⅓ C. wax beans, trimmed
¼ C. olive oil additional oil loaf pan
Himalayan Pink Crystal salt
Cracked black pepper
Preparation
Roast beets:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
Trim beets, leaving ¼ inch of stems intact. Wrap in 2 sheets patapar paper enclosing beets. Roast in a shallow baking pan until very tender, about 2 hours. Allow to cool. After 15 minutes, peel beets and cut into slices. Season with salt and pepper.
Make gelatin mixture while beets roast: Halve leeks lengthwise, then coarsely chop. Wash leeks in a bowl of water, agitating, then lift out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a 3-quart saucepan. Add carrots to leek along with sliced shallots, wine, salt, crushed peppercorns, and 3 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, 30 minutes.
Add herb stems, and coarse parts of chives and simmer 10 minutes.
Pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure or heatproof bowl, discarding solids. If stock measures more than 2 ½ cups, return to saucepan and boil until reduced to 2 ½ cups, about 10 to 15 minutes. If there is less, add water. Season. Stir gelatin into remaining 1/4 cup cold water and let stand 1 minute to soften, then add to hot stock, stirring until dissolved. Set aside.
Prepare Beans
Boil haricots verts and wax beans in separate batches in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling uncovered salted water until all is very tender, 6 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice in cold water to stop cooking. Drain in a colander and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Assemble Terrine
Very lightly oil terrine, then line long sides and bottom with a sheet of patapar paper, allowing at least 2 inches of overhang on each side. Pour about ¼ cup gelatin mixture into terrine and quick-chill in freezer until just set, about 10 minutes.
Lay one third of beans lengthwise over set gelatin layer. Sprinkle with one third of chopped herbs (including chives), then loosely top with half of beets, leaving some space between them (for gelatin to fill and hold vegetables together).
Repeat layering with half of remaining beans and herbs and beets. End with a third layer of beans and herbs. Stir remaining gelatin mixture again, then slowly pour in all but ¼ cup (reserve remainder at room temperature), pushing down vegetables if necessary to just cover with gelatin mixture. Chill, uncovered, until top is set, about 2 hours.
If reserved ¼ cup gelatin mixture has begun to set, heat until just liquefied but not hot, then pour over set terrine. Chill until firm, about 2 hours.
To serve
Run a thin knife along short sides (ends) of terrine, then invert terrine onto a cutting board, gently pulling on patapar paper overhang to help un-mold (discard patapar). Carefully cut terrine with a very sharp knife into 8 slices, transferring each slice to a plate as cut, using a metal spatula to hold outside of each slice steady. Drizzle oil (1/4 cup) around plates and sprinkle coarse Himalayan Pink Crystal salt and pepper over oil and terrine. Serve slices of the terrine garnished with vegetables and greens.
Note: Try not use red beets or they will dye everything red.
