Tricolor Vegetable Terrine with Red Pepper Sauce Recipe. White Vegetable Puree
You will create a sensation with this vegetable terrine!
It will make you look like a chef without too much hard work. You will like the freedom it gives you on party day, as you can make the vegetable terrine a day or two ahead of time and keep it chilled. Passover winner too! If you get ambitious, layer the vegetable terrine mixture in a dozen greased muffin tins and invert them at serving time.
Please do not be alarmed at the use of the plastic wrap in the mold. I use it to make the un-molding easy, it remains intact throughout the baking.
The vegetables I have listed in this vegetable terrine are a great selection, but feel free to play with other white vegetables (even fruit) that might appeal to you on shopping day: Cauliflower, pears, quince, rutabaga, Fennel etc… In any combination at all. All good.
White Vegetable Puree. Also Called Puree Blanche: By the way, if all you want is a delicious white vegetable puree, without the drama of a vegetable terrine, stop at the point where all the vegetable mixture is cooked and all liquids evaporate, add salt and white pepper to taste, and a good pinch nutmeg. For a richer texture, add just a little coconut milk or other dairy free milk, and cream the mixture with an immersion blender (this is what will do the best job).
Ingredients
- 3 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced
- 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut in large chunks
- 1 large turnips, peeled and cut in large chunks
- 2 large parsnips, peeled and cut in large chunks
- 1 medium celery root, peeled and cut in large chunks
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Pinch nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup flour (passover: potato starch)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed thoroughly dry
- 1/4 cup basil leaves, packed
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in warm water and squeezed thoroughly dry (Passover: 1/3 cup tomato paste)
Red pepper sauce
- 2 red peppers
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, packed
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Bottled hot sauce or cayenne to taste
- Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store refrigerated in a glass jar.
Instructions
Place the leeks, potatoes, turnips, parsnips and celery root, with water to barely cover, in a heavy pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. If you have any liquid left in the pot, reduce on a high flame. The mixture must be absolutely dry. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade. Add the oil, nutmeg, eggs, flour, salt and pepper, and process the whole mixture, in batches if necessary, until perfectly smooth.
Preheat the oven to 375*f.
Grease a 2-quart rectangular mold with straight sides, and line with plastic wrap, letting the excess overhang. Divide the mixture in thirds, and place in three bowls. Process one third in the food processor with the spinach and the basil until smooth. Pack tightly in the mold. Pack the second (white) third on top of the green layer in the mold. Process the last third with the sun-dried tomatoes until smooth (rinse and dry the bowl of the food processor first to get rid of the green batch), and pack tightly on top of the white layer in the mold. Fold the overhanging plastic on top of the mold. Bake for 1 hour or until the top is firm. Chill the mold. Serve alone or with red pepper sauce (recipe follows). Makes a dozen ample first course servings.
Can this recipe be frozen ?
Sonya Hmmmm I wouldn’t.
Also how much spinach should I use? I have a lot of differently sized boxes.
John Oooohhh you’re right! Just corrected it. Thanks so much, good catch:-))))
Thanks a bunch! This’ll be great for thanksgiving vegetarians
What is the yield of this recipe?
Johan I got that in too!
Plastic wrap in a 375′ oven? I think I will feel safer with parchment paper. Can you use flax-egg? I am going to use this as an alternative to my gefilte fish for my guests who are vegan. If the person who was going to try doing individual portions in muffin tins, I would love to know if you were successful!
Nina The plastic facilitates the unmolding, and slides right off after baking. Flax egg OK.
Is there any chance that freezing the vegetable terrine could work?
Evey I wouldn’t. The good news is, it keeps refrigerated and tightly wrapped for several days, which is all you need!
The top of mine set firm but underneath that it wasn’t set in 1 hour. I made certain it was all squeezed dry. What did I do wrong?
Rahel, What I can think of is: Your mixture too piled too high in a smaller mold. Pick a larger mold, that will make the layers less deep, and it will cook evenly and thoroughly. But still remember it will firm up as it cooks, so if it feels barely firm to the touch, it is probably cooked through.
thanks so much for your reply. i do not know why it was not clear to me, but you have clarified. i am not sure why plastic wrap doesn’t melt in the oven?
I have a few questions:
1. Does the potato, leek, parsnip, celery root mixture mix with the spinach & tomatoes?
2. Is the white layer the potato, leek, parsnip, celery root mixture without anything else?
3. If you use muffin tins to make individual terrines and want the red on the top, don’t you put the tomato layer in first?
4. I don’t understand the plastic liner. How can you put that in the loaf pan and then bake?
5. If you use the muffin pan, does it make 12? Are they hard to get out? Any suggestions?
Thanks so much for your help. This was the best terrine recipe I could find and am making for my sister-in-law’s 70th birthday.
Kathy, follow the instructions quite literally. You will see they are very clear. You have a cooked all-white mixture, which you divide in 3. One stays white, one gets red, one gets green.
If you grease the muffin molds are instructed they will be very easy to unmold. If you prefer a certain color to be on top, simply revert the mold. the plastic liner just helps unmold a larger mold more easily.
Nice choice for a party!
No it doesn’t. Mysteriously, that works!
Sorry, I hadn’t read carefully . Of course the plastic mold wouldn’t go in an oven. However, I’ve never put “plastic wrap” in a 375 degree oven~ will it not melt? Thank you again.
I would like to make this for Passover seder. For the “2-quart rectangular mold with straight sides,” would you use a metal or glass loaf pan, or a plastic jello-type mold? Thank you!
I have never seen a plastic jello mold that can go into an oven. Pyrex and metal are no problem!
Vegetables that are not peeled and garlic so won’t be using it for Pesach but after……?
You will love it! What other delicious stuff are you making? I sure hope it calms down somewhat and we can talk before the chagim
It was so delicious. I am definately putting it on my Pesah Menu. BTW, you are so kind to put together this email of suggestive dishes with their recipies
You are the best.
we just had this in class and it was SO good!!
This will be even better than at the demo, because you will have time to chill the mold completely. It will slice beautifully. I intend to make that for the Seders as well!