Eggplant TÉrrine Odessa Style Food

EGGPLANT AND RED PEPPER TERRINE

Steps:

• Blacken and peel 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 occasionally, 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 bowl and cover the bowl with a plate. Let the peppers steam in their own residual heat inside the bowl 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.
• Grill 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 olive 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 tent-like lid of aluminum foil and place it over the eggplant as it cooks.
• Blanch 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 down 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.
• Serve: To serve, pour some of the sauce on a large platter and un-mold the terrine in the center. Cut it into slices and serve with the remainder of the sauce. Adapted from Jacques Pepin's Today's Gourmet II: Light and Healthy Cooking for the '90s .

BRAISED GOCHUJANG CHICKEN WITH MISO EGGPLANT TERRINE

Steps:

• Salt the chicken thighs on all sides and let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature. Pat them dry, then sear in some oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat skin-side down until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat on the other side. Add broth, gochujang, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, 2 tablespoons mirin and half the ginger. Mix well. Reduce heat to low and cover the pot, leaving a small crack for steam to exit. Braise for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pulse the scallions, the remaining ginger and 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil in a food processor. Season to taste. Set aside.
• Whisk miso, egg, remaining 2 tablespoons mirin and 1 tablespoon sesame oil together in a shallow bowl. Spread panko on a sheet tray. Slice eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks. Dredge eggplants in miso batter, then panko. Arrange on another sheet tray. Continue this process until all the eggplant is done.
• Heat frying oil to 350 degrees F in a deep fryer or Dutch oven. Fry eggplant until the panko is golden brown and the eggplant is cooked through. Layer eggplant, tofu, then ginger-scallion sauce in a casserole dish. Repeat until eggplant is done.
• Remove the chicken from the pot. Julienne the Napa cabbage and add to the pot. Cook the cabbage on medium-high heat until wilted and sauce is reduced, about 5 minutes.
• Slice the eggplant terrine and place on plate. Spoon vegetables on plate, then add chicken on top. Spoon extra sauce and vegetables over the chicken and serve.

ODESSA EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• pierce eggplant with in several places and bake on sheet for 50 minutes (turn midway through baking).
• after done cooking, let cool for an hour and peel skin off, slice eggplant lengthwish in half.
• drain out fluid and slice cut eggplant into pieces.
• in food processor, combine eggplant pulp, tomato,garlic,oil,vinegar, salt and pepper.
• cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• serve and enjoy with pita bread triangles or coctail rye bread.
• delicious.

SIMPLE EGGPLANT PARM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Arrange the eggplant halves cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Using the tip of a knife, score the flesh of the eggplant, being careful not to cut all the way through. Rub them evenly with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with the salt. Roast until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the eggplant from the oven and divide the marinara evenly over the halves. Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Top the eggplant with the breadcrumb mixture and return to the oven until golden brown and bubbly, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and pepper flakes.

ROASTED TOMATO AND EGGPLANT TARTINE

Steps:

• For the tomatoes: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a wide, shallow bowl, toss tomato slices with olive oil, garlic and thyme. Spread on a baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• For the tapenade: Place olives and capers in blender or food processor and chop coarsely. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Puree until smooth; set aside.
• For assembly: Prepare grill for cooking or heat ridged grill pan over moderately high heat. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill, turning as necessary, until slightly charred and soft, about 3 to 4 minutes a side.
• Preheat a broiler. Spread thin layer of goat cheese on each slice of bread. Top each with an equal portion of eggplant, tapenade and roasted tomatoes. Sprinkle with grated Pecorino. Broil until cheese is melted and tartine is piping hot, about 5 minutes.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) - CHICKEN TERRINE

Steps:

• Mix the olive oil with the coriander.
• Slice the eggplants lengthwise in approx ½ inch thick slices.
• Brush only one side of the eggplant slices with the olive oil mixture, starting with the oiled side and preferably using a grill pan, sear the slices, pushing them down with a spatula, turn over and cook until they are colored and softened but still firm.
• Repeat with all the slices, then set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Finely chop the chicken breasts or let the food processor do this for you, it should be chopped, not a paste.
• Mix with all the other ingredients and seasonings.
• Line a one quart non-stick loaf tin with the eggplant slices, start on the bottom laying the slices lengthwise, then vertically up the sides so that you have 2 to 3 inches hanging over the sides.
• If you don't have a non-stick loaf tin, line first with parchment paper.
• Pour the chicken mixture into the loaf tin, even out and fold back the eggplant slices to cover.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes until firm, check half way to make sure it does not get too dark, otherwise cover with aluminum foil.
• Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the tin.
• The terrine can now be transferred to the fridge until ready to serve.
• Run a knife around the tin, turn the terrine out, cut in slices and serve with some sour cream.

EGGPLANT, ROASTED PEPPER, AND GOAT CHEESE TERRINE WITH PARSLEY SAUCE

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.

EGGPLANT TÉRRINE, ODESSA-STYLE

Steps:

• preparation Wash and slice eggplants without peeling. In a large colander, layer eggplant slices alternately with sprinkling them (sparingly) with coarse salt. Cover with a small plate and place something heavy on top. Set into the sink or a bowl to allow the eggplant's bitter juices to drain, for about an hour. Meanwhile, slice and prepare all other ingredients. In a large skillet, on "medium-high" heat, lightly sauté the onion slices, until barely golden, then add peppers and carrots. Finally add garlic. Saute the mixture "al dente", transfer to a bowl and set aside. Clean and re-heat skillet on "medium". Shake the colander gently to remove any leftover drippings. Do NOT rinse. Dredge squash, zucchini, and eggplant slices in flour, and fry "pancake-style" in batches in a small amount of olive oil, until golden, flipping over midway. Remove the cooked pieces to a plate or a bowl. You will need to add more olive oil to the skillet as you go, because the eggplant tends to absorb it quickly. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. In a greased deep casserole (lasagna-style pan works best), layer the vegetables, starting with a few spoonfuls of crushed tomatoes and a bay leaf, followed by eggplant slices, some carrot-onion-garlic mix, then squash slices, crushed tomatoes and a bit of the red wine. Add a couple of bay leaves. Continue layering, ending with crushed tomatoes and wine, season with ground pepper and top it off with one or two bay leaves. Cover and bake for an hour, then uncover, and bake another 30 minutes to an hour, until very tender and the juices are somewhat thickened, of uniform deep amber color. Remove and cool slightly. Serve hot or cold, with a side of fresh white bread and a glass of cab.