Fish and vegetable terrine

Recipe Categories : | Terrines | Fish | 

Ingredients :

• 2 shallots, chopped
• ½ cup fish stock or unsalted chicken stock
• 12 saffron threads
• 500g plaice fillets, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 2.5cm chunks
• 125g smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
• 2 egg whites
• 5 tspn chopped fresh tarragon
• cayenne pepper
• ½ cup half milk/half cream
• 16 French beans, trimmed
• 4 carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
• 12 large leaves of cos lettuce, washed
• 175g radicchio, washed and dried, or 2 bunches of watercress, stemmed washed and dried
• 6 tbsp vinaigrette
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preparation and Cooking Instructions

1. Put the shallots, stock and saffron into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool at room temperature.
2. Purée the plaice and smoked salmon in a food processor. Add the shallot mixture and purée again. With the motor running, add the egg whites, 2 tspn of the fresh tarragon and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Press the mixture through a medium sieve into a bowl. Set the bowl in a pan of ice. With a wooden spoon, incorporate the milk and cream into the fish mixture, 2 tbsp at a time. Refrigerate the mixture, covered, while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
3. Preheat the oven to 170°C
4. Pour enough water into a saucepan to fill it about 2.5cm deep. Set a vegetable steamer in the pan and bring the water to the boil. Put the beans into the steamer, cover the pan tightly, and steam the beans until they are tender - about 3 minutes. Remove the beans from the steamer, refresh them under cold running water, drain and set aside. Steam the carrots the same way until tender - about 6 minutes. Refresh and set aside.
5. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Blanch the lettuce leaves in the boiling water until they are limp - about 1 minute. Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. When the leaves are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to trim away the thickest part of each leaf's center rib.
6. Lightly oil a 1.25 liter ceramic or glass terrine. Line it with the lettuce leaves, overlapping them slightly. Allow the tips to overhang the sides; the tips will later be folded over to enclose the fish and vegetables.
7. Spread one quarter of the fish purée on the bottom of the terrine. Arrange half of the carrot quarters on top of the puree and parallel to the terrine's sides, leaving a 1cm border uncovered round the edge.
8. Spread one third of the remaining purée over the carrots, covering them entirely. Arrange the beans in a single layer in the terrine as done with the carrots. Spread half of the remaining fish over the beans; arrange another layer of carrots on top of the purée and finish the assembly with the remaining fish. Fold over the lettuce leaves to encase the layers. Rap the terrine sharply on the work surface to remove any air pockets.
9. Cover the terrine with foil. Using a skewer, poke two holes in the foil; set the terrine in a roasting pan filled halfway with boiling water. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the terrine for 1 hour.
10. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the terrine rest, still in the roasting pan, for 1 hour. Remove the terrine from the pan and refrigerate for 5 hours before serving.
11. To unmould, cover the terrine with a small cutting board and turn both over together; gently lift away the terrine dish. Slice the unmoulded terrine into 12 serving slices. Arrange the radicchio or watercress on individual plates; set a slice of terrine on each plate. Whisk together the vinaigrette, the remaining tarragon and the lemon juice. Drizzle a little of the dressing over each portion and serve at once.