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Ratatouille Terrine

A layered terrine of eggplant, roasted peppers, goat cheese, and olive tapenade, served with basil sauce.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Eggplant and basil match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 271 recipes. Both carry alpha-pinene, which smells pine, turpentine. The science ↓

Ratatouille Terrine

Ovenbroiler
Time24 hours

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the eggplant

  1. Preheat broiler.

  2. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on baking sheets; brush both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt to taste.

  3. Broil eggplant in batches until golden and tender, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

  4. Transfer eggplant to paper towels to drain.

Build and chill the terrine

  1. Line an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang.

  2. Layer eggplant, olive paste, bell peppers, and cheese in pan, beginning and ending with eggplant.

  3. Cover with plastic overhang and place a 3- to 4-lb. weight on top. Chill 24 hours.

Make the sauce and serve

  1. In a food processor or blender, combine basil, parsley, garlic, vinegar, oil, 2 tablespoons water, salt, and pepper to taste. Process until smooth.

  2. Remove weight, invert terrine onto cutting board, and discard plastic wrap.

  3. Cut terrine into 3/4-inch-thick slices.

  4. Pour a little basil sauce onto serving plates, tilting to spread sauce.

  5. Arrange terrine slices on sauce.

Roast the peppers

  1. Roast peppers under broiler, turning every 5 minutes until skins blister and char, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer peppers to paper bag, close and let steam until cool enough to handle. Use a small sharp knife to peel off charred skin; discard seeds and ribs.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

301Calories
8 gProtein
23 gFat
17 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Goat Cheese1 oz (28g)103
Eggplant1 cup cubed (82g)35
Red Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Olive1 large (4g)4
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Saucenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Eggplant + basiltop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together271 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

  2. Basil + parsleytop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,351 recipes

    Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).

  3. Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together34,122 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  4. Eggplant + olivetop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together943 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

  5. Eggplant + parsleytop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together328 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggplant
Forms the layers of the terrine and becomes tender and sliceable after broiling.
Goat cheese
Softens and binds the layers as it chills, adding creaminess and a tangy flavor.
Bell peppers
Add moisture and gentle sweetness, and their charred skins add smoky flavor.
Tapenade
Adds salty, savory depth from black olives between the vegetable layers.
Olive oil
Adds fat and moisture and helps the eggplant brown under the broiler.
Balsamic vinegar
Adds acidity that brightens the herb sauce and balances the rich cheese.

The step that matters

Weighting and chilling the terrine. The weight presses the layers together and the 24-hour chill lets the goat cheese firm up, so the slices hold their shape when cut.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (eggplant, olive, pepper, goat cheese, sauce, basil, parsley):

  1. Thymefits better
  2. Oreganofits better
  3. Marjoramfits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against eggplant, olive, pepper, goat cheese, sauce, basil, parsley. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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