Pressed Winter Vegetables
This is a showstopping way to get your five a day courtesy of father and son team Gilles and Nicolas Vérot, whose book French Charcuterie at Home will have you wowing your guests in no time
Pressed Winter Vegetables
- 6 cups (1l) water
- 14 oz 400 g small leeks
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
- 3 tsp salt
- 3 pinches freshly ground pepper
- 14 oz 400 g pumpkin
- 7 oz 200 g Brussels sprouts
- 10 oz 300 g white button mushrooms
- 3 gelatin sheets or 1 tsp powder
Trim the roots and green tops from the leeks, reserving the green tops. Coarsely chop the onion and cut the carrot into 6 pieces. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the green tops of the leeks, the onion, carrot, parsley, garlic, and the salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- While the broth cooks, peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds, and cut the flesh into ½ inch (1 cm) slices. Trim the Brussels sprouts and the mushrooms.
- Add the pumpkin, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and white part of the leeks to the pot. Simmer, removing each ingredient when it is fork-tender. Let the vegetables cool to room temperature.
- Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water until the sheets have softened. Strain 21/8 cups (500 ml) of the cooking broth, and in a separate saucepan, bring it to a boil. Taste the broth, adjust seasoning if necessary, and remove from heat.
- Remove the gelatin sheets from the water, squeezing out any extra moisture, and whisk them into the hot broth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Separate the mushroom caps and stems. Chop the stems. Halve the Brussels sprouts.
- Layer the bottom of a mould with the Brussels sprouts, then leeks, pumpkin and mushrooms. Pour in enough aspic to level it. Place the remaining Brussels sprouts with their rounded side facing the interior of the terrine and cover with aspic. Follow with the remaining pumpkin, then aspic, then the remaining leeks and more aspic. Position the mushroom caps with their rounded side facing outward, fill the gaps with chopped mushrooms, and pour aspic to cover.
- Allow the terrine to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Unmould carefully and serve.
Extracted from French Charcuterie at Home: Terrines, Rillettes, Saucisses & Patés en Croûte by father and son Gilles and Nicolas Vérot, Tra Publishing 2024. Photography David Japy
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