Mediterranean style terrine

The vegetarian terrine recipe we bring you today is one of the most intense in flavour, and a fabulous option every day of the year. It is made up of layers of tomato sauce, mozzarella and fried eggplant , and is very easy to prepare: you just have to fry the ingredients in advance and in a very basic way, and form it in the ceramic terrine , in which you will finish cooking.

This eggplant terrine can be served as a first course, accompanied by a green salad or a little rice, or as a fabulous accompaniment to meat or fish.

Whether you serve it as a main dish or a side dish, it is a delicious recipe. Absolutely.

Le Creuset ceramic terrine

Ingredients

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 400gr of pear tomato*
• 4 medium eggplants
• 250 g buffalo mozzarella
• 40 g grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

*If you prefer and to speed up preparation, you can directly use 2 400 g cans of drained pear tomatoes.

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. If you use natural tomatoes, boil them in a pot for a couple of minutes to easily remove the peel, and drain them.
3. Finely chop the garlic and fry gently in a pan with three tablespoons of olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Once it starts to brown, add the drained tomatoes (prepared or canned) and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens.
4. Next, using a vegetable slicer or mandolin , slice the aubergines lengthwise into 1cm strips. In a non-stick frying pan, heat the remaining olive oil and brown the aubergine strips on both sides. When they are golden, set aside on kitchen paper to absorb any residual oil.
5. Next, use a knife to cut the mozzarella into half-centimeter-thick strips and prepare all the cooked ingredients to be layered.
6. Let's start preparing the terrine. First, cover the bottom of the Le Creuset ceramic terrine with a couple of strips of eggplant. Sprinkle a handful of grated Parmesan, then add a layer of shredded mozzarella and finish with a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce. Repeat the process until you have placed all the ingredients.
7. Once everything is in place, cover and place the terrine in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes.
8. Once cooked, remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack or wooden board, and allow to cool.

Grades

• It is perfect to serve hot or at room temperature.
• You can serve it with a salad (if you make it with aromatic herbs, such as chervil, coriander and tarragon and dress it with a vinaigrette, it will combine deliciously).
• If you serve it hot, it will easily fall apart as it is still very soft. Use a good spatula or spoon to serve it if necessary.