Here's a dish that's worth the wait. TV Masterchef's Gregg Wallace explains: "I know there’s a lot of prep involved here, but the results are spectacular. This dish is just as deep in colour as it is in flavour."
Ingredients
Serves 6
2 large red peppers, quartered, cored and deseeded
2 large yellow peppers, quartered, cored and deseeded
1 large aubergine, sliced lengthways
6 tbsp olive oil
2 large courgettes, sliced lengthways
Vegetable oil, for greasing
400ml (14fl oz) tomato juice
2 tbsp powdered gelatine
Bunch of basil
Salt and black pepper
For the dressing:
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
Achieving the perfect results
- Cook the prepared peppers, skin-side up, under a hot grill until the skins have blackened. Transfer to a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to cool. Peel.
- Heat a griddle pan. Brush one side of the aubergine slices with olive oil and put them in the hot pan, oiled-side down.
- While cooking, brush the upper sides with oil. Cook on both sides until brown and soft.
- Do the same with the courgette slices.
- Lightly brush a 1.75 litre (3 pint) terrine dish with vegetable oil, then line it with clingfilm, leaving a little hanging over the edges.
- Pour half the tomato juice into a pan, sprinkle on the gelatine and dissolve over a very low heat, stirring to prevent lumps.
- Place a layer of red peppers in the base of terrine, then pour in enough of the tomato juice to cover.
- Continue layering the aubergine, courgettes and peppers, pouring gelatine juice over each layer and adding a couple of basil leaves on each layer. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with a layer of red peppers.
- Add the remaining tomato juice to the juice left in the pan and pour this over the terrine.
- Give the terrine a sharp tap to settle the juices. Cover and chill until set.
- To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar with some salt and pepper.
- When the terrine is set and chilled, turn it out of the dish carefully and peel off the cling film. Serve in thick slices with the dressing poured over.
This recipe is taken from Veg - the Greengrocer’s Cookbook by TV Masterchef's Gregg Wallace and published by Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1-84533-224-2. Price £20.