Versatile terrine dishes not bound by tradition

Spring brings with it changes … the mercury climbs, the flowers bloom and our menus lighten up as we select foods to match the warmer temps.

Why not change up our cooking techniques as well? Instead of braising, poaching or even grilling this weekend, try a terrine.

Technically speaking, "terrine" refers to a pan in which the dish is prepared. It's generally an earthenware, glass or metal mold that's long and narrow, kind of like a stretched-out loaf pan.

Terrine later came to refer to the French farmhouse dish of highly seasoned, coarsely ground meat that was cooked in the namesake pan.

Not bound by tradition, today's chefs create terrines using a variety of ingredients and even vary the vessel.

"As the industry moves along, there are still many things from the past that are important," says Troy Tornabeni, chef at the St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago. This 26-year-old chef isn't afraid to remind diners of the culinary invasion of the 1960s and '70s that brought many French preparations to American tables.

"I really like the classics, like venison, duck," Tornabeni says. "But I like to change them up, too -- curried shrimp, Mediterranean chicken, triple chocolate.

"There are so many versatile applications; terrines help widen your menu," he says.

In his newest book, "Terrine" (2008 Phaidon Press, $29.95), Stephane Reynaud presents more than 100 recipes using ingredients from anchovies to zucchini.

Yet he has a firm understanding of the terrines of the past.

"At the beginning, it was a meat dish, a lot of pork in the terrine," recalls Reynaud, author of 2007's award-winning "Pork & Sons" cookbook. "My grandfather was a butcher. Every day I had a terrine."

His favorite: rabbit and fruit. "I like the mix between the salt and sugar," he explains.

Some traditional French meat recipes call for adding gelatin to help hold the ingredients together. Many suburban cooks more familiar with gelatin in its Jell-O form can be intimidated by working with that ingredient. Yet you shouldn't associate all terrines with this sometimes slimy substance.

"You need gelatin if you're going to do a tomato aspic or a classic terrine and you need some extra binding," Tornabeni says. "If you have a lot of protein -- meat, eggs, cheese -- you don't need help binding."

Reynaud says slow cooking in a water bath (or bain marie) is key as well; the technique ensures even cooking and allows the ingredients to come together.

Weighting down the top of the terrine also compacts the ingredients to ensure successful unmolding. Tornabeni suggests placing soup cans or other such heavy items on top before cooking.

"That's very important. The pressure needs to be consistent so it binds well," Tornabeni says.

Reynaud recommends terrines for entertaining. There might be a little more prep involved up front, but the end result is beautiful and classic.

"You have to try it," Reynaud says. "I think it's a great meal when you have friends at home. You just need a little time to fix it and then you can have a terrine in your fridge that can keep for a month."

He echoes Tornabeni in his stance that terrines can be altered to reflect seasonal ingredients and personal tastes.

"You can have some vegetable terrines that are very nice for picnics," Reynaud says. "Or you can make individual terrines."

His book is full of terrines that fall outside the box, or loaf pan, if you will. Individual terrines can prepared in tall ramekins; long strips of vegetables can be used to wrap rustic, free-form terrines; or ingredients can be layered into heavy glasses or hinged jars.

"You can do what you want. Use your imagination," Reynaud says. "You just have to try it; fix one and put your own fingerprint on it."

Triple Chocolate Terrine With Berries

3 cups heavy cream, divided

2¾ cups whole milk, divided

6 ounces Mexican dark chocolate, cut into chunks

6 tablespoons (6 packets) powdered gelatin, divided

6 ounces white chocolate chips

6 ounces milk chocolate chips

Fresh berries for garnish

Line a terrine mold with aluminum foil allowing it to overlap on all four sides.

In a sauce pan, bring 1 cup milk and 1 cup cream to a simmer, and then slowly melt in the Mexican chocolate. Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons powdered gelatin and whisk until dissolved. allow to chill to just above room temperature. Pour mixture into prepared pan and place into refrigerator until set.

In a clean sauce pan, bring 1 cup cream and ¾ cup milk to a simmer, then slowly melt the white chocolate. Add 2 tablespoons powdered gelatin, whisk to dissolve, and allow to cool to just above room temperature. Pour over the gelatinized Mexican chocolate mixture, and refrigerate until set.

Heat the remaining cream and milk and slowly melt the milk chocolate; whisk in remaining gelatin and allow to cool until just above room temperature. Pour over the white chocolate mixture. Fold excess aluminum foil over the top and allow to set a minimum of 24 hours. Carefully remove the terrine onto a tray and carefully remove the tin foil.

To serve: Cut terrine into ¾-inch slices; plate with fresh berries.

Serves eight.

Chef Troy Tornabeni, St. Andrews Golf and Country Club, West Chicago

Summer Terrine

2¼ pounds small to medium zucchini

1 tablespoon coarse salt

5 tablespoons olive oil

4 eggs

Scant 1 cup heavy cream

1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped

Pinch of green aniseed

Pinch of ground cumin

Salt and pepper

Using a vegetable peeler, slice two zucchini lengthwise into thin strips, cutting as far as the core.

Bring a pan of water to a boil and stir in the salt. Add the zucchini strips and blanch for 15 seconds, then drain and refresh in iced water. Drain again.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the remaining zucchini in four lengthwise and remove the cores, then dice. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the diced zucchini and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until softened but not colored.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the cream, basil, aniseed and cumin, stir in half the diced zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining diced zucchini to the mixture.

Line a terrine with overlapping zucchini strips and add the zucchini mixture. Cover the terrine, put it into a roasting pan, pour in boiling water to come about halfway up the sides and bake for about 40 minutes, until the tip of the knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve the terrine warm or cold.

Serves six.

"Terrine" by Stéphane Reynaud (2007 Phaidon Press, $29.95)

Red, Green and Yellow Terrine

2 red bell peppers

2 green bell peppers

2 yellow bell peppers

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 fresh thyme sprig

1 bay leaf

Sea salt and peppercorns

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Put the peppers on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and roast, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the skins start to blacken and char. Using tongs, put the peppers into a plastic bag and tie the top. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the stems, skins and seeds and coarsely crush the flesh with a rolling pin.

Arrange alternate layers of the different color peppers, garlic, sea salt and peppercorns in a sterilized preserving jar. Add the thyme and bay leaf, cover, and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. You can preserve the terrine by covering the sterilized jar with boiling water and boiling for 1 hour.

Serves six.

"Terrine" by Stéphane Reynaud (2007 Phaidon Press, $29.95)

Strawberry and Fresh Mint Terrine

5¼ cups (21 ounces) strawberries

4 gelatin leaves or ¼ ounce (1 packet) plain gelatin

3 oranges

Juice of 1 pomelo (if unavailable, substitute ruby red grapefruit)

Scant ½ cup brown sugar

Pinch of Sichuan pepper

¼ teaspoon grated fresh root ginger

4 fresh mint sprigs, finely chopped

Rinse the strawberries and dry gently with a cloth, then hull and halve lengthwise.

Line a terrine with plastic wrap, allowing it to overhang the sides. Fill pan with the strawberries, placing the cut sides against the plastic wrap, without pressing down.

Pour a little water into a small bowl, add the gelatin and leave to soften for 5 minutes. Grate the zest of one orange. Squeeze the juice from all the oranges and pour into the pan. Add the pomelo or grapefruit juice, sugar, pepper, ginger and orange zest and bring to a boil.

Squeeze out the gelatin and add to the juice, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the mint. Pour the juice into the terrine to cover. Wrap the overhanging plastic wrap over the top to seal and leave to stand in a cool place for 12 hours. Turn out and remove the plastic wrap before serving.

Serves six.

"Terrine" by Stéphane Reynaud (2007 Phaidon Press, $29.95)

Chicken-Artichoke Terrine With Micro Greens and Preserved Lemon

Terrine

3 pounds ground chicken

5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

4 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed, sliced

6 sprigs fresh thyme, cleaned and chopped

3 ounces garlic, chopped

Salt and white pepper for seasoning

Salad

1 plum tomato

1 pound assorted micro greens, cleaned and roots removed

1 cippolini onion, peeled and julienned

½ piece preserved lemon, julienned (see note)

1 tablespoon basil-infused olive oil (see note)

For the terrine: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 1½-quart terrine pan with cooking spray and line with a single sheet of plastic wrap, making sure there is enough overhanging the sides so you can wrap it back over the top; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, goat cheese, artichoke, thyme and garlic until well-combined. To check seasoning for the chicken, form a small patty, sauté, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add the chicken mixture to the terrine and enclose mixture with plastic wrap making sure it is air-tight and cover with lid.

Place the terrine into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and pour enough hot water into the cake pan until it comes halfway up the side of the terrine (this is called a bain marie, and allows even cooking). Bake terrine for 1 hour or until an internal temperature of 160 degrees is achieved. Remove from oven, and allow to cool at room temperature. Place the terrine in refrigerator for at least 24 hours to allow it to set. Carefully slide the terrine out of the mold onto a tray and remove wrap and cut into ¾-inch slices.

For the salad: Wash and dry the plum tomato and cut into quarters; filet the quarters, removing and discarding the seedy part of the tomato. Cut the filleted tomato into fine strips.

To assemble the salad, layer the tomato strips, julienned cippolini onion and preserved lemon, and top with a pinch of micro green. Drizzle with basil oil. Top with slice of terrine.

Serves eight.

Cook's note: Look for basil-infused oil and preserved lemon at gourmet shops or online retailers.

Chef Troy Tornabeni, St. Andrew Golf and Country Club, West Chicago