Leek terrine with shiso & grape

The third Christmas episode and today we’re going to make the appetizer! It’s a leek terrine with a shiso & grape broth, a capper mayonnaise and toasted leek powder covered pommes soufflés.

The leek terrine

8	leeks
1	lemon
1	kombu sheet
150 g	vegetable broth
2 g	agar powder

The leek terrine is agar based, so it’s completely vegan or vegetarian. For this recipe we need quite a lot of leeks. I use 8 leeks, but if you want a thinner terrine or an even bigger you can easily adjust the quantity. Begin by trimming the bottom and then also cut off the green part. Save these for later, we use them for another recipe. Now place the bottom parts into a metal container and season well with salt. Also add the peel from the lemon and make sure it’s evenly spread. Then cover the leeks with the kombu sheet that’s I’ve just briefing rinsed under cold water. As a final step just add the vegetable broth and then cover the entire tray with aluminum foil. Insure that it’s completely tight and then bake it at 170 degrees Celsius for 70 minutes.

After that let it cool down for 5 minutes before removing the aluminum foil, kombu and lemon peels. Also remove the outer layer of the cooked leeks. This layer will be a bit dried out and it’s more though in texture. Set them aside for later. Now weigh 150 grams of the cooking liquid into a measuring jar and pour it into a big frying pan. If you don’t have enough liquid, just add more vegetable broth. Also add the agar powder and mix it well to dissolve the powder. Then lay the leeks next to each other in the broth. Cover the pan with a lid and start heating it on a medium heat. Move the pan every now and then to prevent the leeks from coloring on the bottom. You want to simmer everything for at least 3 minutes.

Meanwhile make your cutting board slightly wet with water and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. We make it wet so the wrap sticks better. Now normally I would do this on my worktop, but because it’s natural stone it’s going to remove all the heat from the leeks and I need as much time as possible before the agar starts to set. That’s why I roll this one on my cutting board. Once you have laid the wrap and the leeks have simmered for at least 3 minutes remove the lid and place the leeks in the middle of your cutting board. Make a nice stack and then roll it into a tight rouleaux. Try to give it as much pressure as possible without pressing all the liquid out of the leeks. Now make a knot on one side and use the other side to make the roll even tighter. Just be sure that there is no air trapped in the rouleaux. Then tighty up both sides and let the terrine set in ice water. We do this in ice water so it can float and no dent will form on the bottom. Let it set for at least 2 hours and add more ice when necessary.

Once it has cooled down and it’s all the way set we can portion it into the desired thickness. Do this with a long sharp knife and really try to let the knife do the work. Mine are around a centimeter thick and then you can make 14 slices out of the terrine. Keep them covered in your fridge for later.

The toasted leek powder

For this we need the green parts of the leeks we cut before. Begin by separating all the layers and wash them well in cold water. With leeks all the dirt is always at the top, that’s why I didn’t wash the bottoms. There’s no dirt or sand in them and this way they don’t dry out while cooking them. Then place the leek leaves on an oven tray and spread them. Now to add a proper toasty flavor toast them with a blowtorch. You can also do this on a barbeque or on a gas stove. Be sure to toast both sides, so turn them around in between. Once you’re happy with result dry them completely at 60 degrees Celsius for a couple of hours. Then transfer the dried leek into a blender and blend it till smooth. You’ll end up with a lovely powder that’s perfect for dusting, seasoning or even for adding it to a dough recipe for tartelettes. Keep it dry and covered for later.

The pommes souffles

Waxy potatoes

Potato starch

Egg white

Begin by slicing a waxy potato in thin slices on a mandolin. They need to be around a millimeter thin. Now place them in rows of two on your worktop and try to match the size. Dust a thin layer of potato starch on the top row. You can also use cornstarch, but I find that potato starch works better. Now brush the excess powder off. Then take some egg white and brush a thin layer on the bottom row. After that place the slices on top of each other with the egg white side facing the starch side. Now cut them with the desired cutter. It can be any size or shape. Then remove the trimmings and place the slices on a tray. While you’re making the pommes soufflé make sure you have some frying oil that’s 170 degrees Celsius ready. Then directly deep fry the potato rounds in small batches. Once they start to float baste them with the hot oil to make them souffle even more and to give them a nice even color. Start with a small amount and focus on the quality. Once you get the hang of it you can deep fry more at a time. I always say, practice makes perfect! Now season with salt and let them dry at 60 degrees Celsius for another hour to insure they won’t collapse. Making pommes soufflé might take some time, but it’s such a nice and beautiful crisp. You can keep them dry and covered for a couple of weeks.

The shiso and chive vinaigrette

The shiso grape base

500 g	cleaned grapes
80 g	ginger syrup
30 g	lime juice
3 g	salt
8	shiso green leaves

Start by cleaning enough grapes for 500 grams. Transfer them into a measuring jar and also add the ginger syrup, the lime juice, the salt and the shiso green leaves. Now blend it till smooth. Ensure you have a super strong blender for the best even result. When there are no more green pieces and the color is even pass the base through a fine sieve. Press it through using a ladle so you don’t waste a single drop. Keep it in your fridge so the base doesn’t chance color. The air bubbles will also float to the top leaving you with a lovely clear color. If you’re in a hurry you can always vacuum the bubbles out.

The chive oil

30 g	chives
150 g	neutral oil (I use sunflower oil or a grape-seed oil)

First cut the chives into more manageable pieces. Transfer them into a blender and also add the neutral oil. I use sunflower oil or a grape-seed oil. Then blend it till the temperature of the oil is 65 degrees Celsius. It will heat up from the friction. Once that’s done let it drain on a super fine sieve or a sieve that’s lined with a kitchen paper. Do this in your fridge so the color doesn’t turn brown. Just look at that color! Now to finish the vinaigrette mix 2 parts of the base with 1 part of the chive oil. Before serving you just need to give it a good mix. Keep it in your fridge for later.

The capper mayonnaise

30 g	cappers
35 g	capper liquid from a jar
40 g	egg yolk
25 g	sushi vinegar
2 g	salt
1	lemon peel
180 g	cold neutral oil (I use sunflower oil or a grape-seed oil)

First drain a jar of cappers. Keep both the liquid and cappers. Then measure the cappers in a blender and also add the capper liquid, the egg yolk, the sushi vinegar, the salt and the one lemon peel. Insure that the peel is very thin without the bitter white part. Now blend it till smooth. Once smooth add the cold neutral oil and blend it till fully emulsified. The friction will heat up the mayonnaise and that can result in splitting, that’s why the oil needs to be cold. Then transfer it into a piping bottle and keep it in your fridge for later.

Final prep & how to finish the dish

We only need to slice a couple of grapes. Just slice them in very thin slices and keep them in your fridge for later.

Then we can start to finish the dish. First dust some of the toasted leek powder on the pommes souffles and cover them all around with the powder. Set them aside for later. Now gently place the leek terrine on a plate and remove the plastic wrap. Don’t forget this, it can cause a nasty surprise. Then pipe a couple dots of the mayonnaise on the terrine and place 3 to 4 grape slices in between. Also add 3 of the toasted leek powder covered pommes souffles. Now as a final step just decorate the top with multiple salted herbs. I use samphire, sea fennel & ice leaves. Then I would serve the dish like this and finish it on the table with the delicious vinaigrette. Just be sure to give it a good mix before pouring it on the side.

The pairing

Last year I had the privilege of visiting the Rainoldi winery. An incredible family run winery, that’s now in it’s third generation. The winery is located in Valtellina in Northern Italy, a region that is quite narrow but stretches about 40 kilometers in length.

The harsh climate and steep sloped vineyards with their rocky soil make viticulture very difficult. Because of this mechanical work is impossible, so everything must be done by hand. Like I said I visited last year and the winery certainly produces the finest wines of this rugged region. I did a tour while they were harvesting and the passion that each single person has is incredible. To pair the leek terrine I choose this lovely sauvignon blanc.