Garden beetroot terrine

Not yet rated

A beautiful vegetarian starter which can be made in advance, this terrine sees slices of beetroot set within a beetroot jelly. The sweet earthiness of the terrine is balanced with a creamy horseradish sorbet.

'Way back in 1994, to celebrate the autumn season, I had a recipe called Terrine of Beetroot and Wild Pigeon. This recipe is a modern version of it and the addition of horseradish sorbet adds all of the coolness and spice to the sweetness of the beetroot. I am lucky that the beetroot comes from the garden at Le Manoir. The two varieties I use are Golden, an 1806 heritage variety and Bull’s Blood, another 1793 British heritage variety. I find they give our guests the very best beetroot experience.'

Follow Raymond on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Recipe © Raymond Blanc.

First published in 2020

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Terrine

Horseradish sorbet

Baby beetroots

Horseradish crème fraiche

To serve

  • 4g of micro herbs

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Steam oven or steamer
  • Ice cream maker
  • 13x11x6cm terrine mould
  • Sous vide equipment (optional)

Method

1
The terrine and sorbet in this dish can be made a day in advance, which makes this recipe much easier – you then only have to cook and dress the baby beetroots then make the horseradish crème fraiche on the day you plan to serve
2
For the terrine, set up a large steamer or steam oven and vacuum pack the sliced beetroot (you could also very tightly wrap them in cling film). Steam for 1 hour until cooked and very soft, then chill
  • 400g of beetroot, large, peeled and sliced 0.5cm thick
3
Once chilled, unwrap the beetroot and trim the slices to fit into your 13x11x6cm terrine mould with a 0.5cm gap around the edge of the terrine, in a single flat layer. Repeat this process so you have a total of 4 layers, then set the layers aside on a tray ready to set with the jelly
4
To create the jelly, place a small dish or cup in the fridge for testing later. Add the beetroot juice, vinegars and seasoning to a large saucepan, then whisk in the agar agar and bring to the boil, whisking constantly for 2 minutes until dissolved
5
Remove from the heat and place a small sample of the jelly in the dish from the fridge, then return to the fridge or the freezer for a few minutes – if it has set and you are happy with the seasoning then you can start building the terrine. It is best to do this right away as the agar agar will continue to set to a firm texture
6
Pour the warm jelly into your terrine mould until it reaches ¾cm of the way up. Leave it until it begins to set, then add the first layer of beetroot slices. Pour another ¾cm of jelly on top, then another layer, and so on until all the layers are used up. Work quickly to ensure the jelly doesn’t completely set before you add the next layer, or the terrine will fall apart when you try to slice it. Finish it with a 5mm layer of jelly (reserving the remaining jelly in the fridge for later), then leave the terrine to set firm in the fridge (ideally overnight)
7
Make the sorbet a day in advance too. Add the sugar, water and liquid glucose to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to the boil. Once all the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • 140ml of water
  • 70g of liquid glucose
8
Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in the cooled syrup until smooth and silky. Churn in an ice cream machine until set, then taste and add a little more horseradish if you think it needs it. Reserve in the freezer until required
9
The next day, transfer the leftover jelly to a blender and blitz until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a piping bag and reserve in the fridge
10
Use a large flat fish slice to gently release the now firm terrine from the mould and turn it out. Cut into 1cm-thick slices and place on a tray covered with cling film, then cover with another layer of cling film and reserve in the fridge until needed
11
To cook the baby beetroots, divide them into their different colours and then vacuum seal them in separate bags (or wrap tightly in cling film) with a pinch of salt. Steam for 30-45 minutes, depending on their size, until a knife goes through them easily but they still hold their shape. Allow to cool
12
Ideally wearing gloves, peel the beetroots using your hands, focusing on one colour at a time. Place the different coloured beetroots into 3 separate containers and leave to cool completely
13
While the beetroots cool, blend the horseradish sauce until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Add the crème fraiche and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, then whisk until stiff. Transfer to a piping bag and reserve in the fridge
14
Once the beetroots have cooled, remove the larger ends to create a flat bottom, then cut each beetroot in half through the pointed end. Whisk the dressing ingredients together, then use this to dress the beetroots
15
To serve, use a palette knife to gently place a slice of terrine on the lower side of each plate. Arrange the baby beetroot neatly above the terrine, then pipe dots of the beetroot purée and horseradish crème fraiche in between the beetroots. Brush the terrine with a little of the beetroot purée to glaze, then top with a quenelle of the sorbet. Finish with micro herbs and serve
  • 4g of micro herbs
First published in 2020

A legend amongst legends, Raymond Blanc's impact on the UK's food scene over the past three decades is unmatched.

Get in touch

Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.

You may also like

Load more