Zucchini Terrine
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Those who follow me on Twitter know that I've been going to wine tastings frequently lately. One of the tastings also included food pairings with the wines. The wines were good, but the food was what impressed and inspired me. One of the 9 courses served had this very "light" zucchini terrine as a side dish. What it was served with and what wine pairs with it you'll find out tomorrow.
Ideally it should be served the day it was made, without being refrigerated.
Ingredients
2 small young zucchini
a little Genovese pesto
a little finely grated Parmesan (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons oil
salt
How to prepare zucchini terrine
- Slice the zucchini thin, but not quite as thin as chips - they should have a few mm thickness. If you use the Borner slicer, set it to the medium thickness level.
* for a more dramatic effect you can use zucchini with dark green skin - Pour the oil over the zucchini and mix so the slices are well coated.
- Heat the grill pan for about 3-5 minutes over high heat (without adding any fat).
- Turn the heat to medium-low and place the zucchini slices in the pan. Grill for 1 minute on one side, then flip and leave for another minute. The zucchini should be only half-cooked, remaining "al dente". If you taste a slice you'll notice it's not fully cooked, but you'll also notice that the zucchini has started to become slightly sweet after being grilled.
* grill the zucchini in batches until you finish them all - Sprinkle salt over the zucchini. Taste one to make sure they're salted enough.
- Arrange the warm zucchini slices in a mold (round or square, as you prefer and have available; even a smaller loaf pan works). The zucchini layers should be as compact as possible, filling the gaps as much as you can. You can cut the zucchini slices to fit the mold more easily. Every third layer of zucchini should be brushed with a little pesto (use a brush and brush just a little, enough to give a subtle aroma) and each layer should be sprinkled with a little Parmesan. If you prefer, you can sprinkle only the seasoned Parmesan prepared according to this recipe and skip the pesto.
* the mold I used is 12cm diameter and 6cm height - When you've filled the mold or finished the zucchini, place plastic wrap over it and press gently with your hand to settle and compact the zucchini in the mold. Place another similar mold on top and then a weight (I used two cans) to press down the layers and help compact them. Place the mold on a plate as the zucchini juices may leak out. Let it sit like this for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate if serving the next day.
- Serve sliced, at room temperature or slightly warmed.
Grilled zucchini slices
Zucchini layered in mold, sprinkled with Parmesan
Covering with plastic wrap
Placing a weight on top
Unmolding
