Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos
You are here: Home / Recipes / Starters & light meals / Three-cheese terrine

Three-cheese terrine

by Jeanne Horak on January 26, 2008 6 Comments in Gluten-free, Starters & light meals

three-cheese-terrine

As I have told you all ad nauseam, I spent my Christmas skiing in Andorra.

No, I haven’t blogged it yet, nor have I blogged my first trip in March last year, which generally isn’t a big issue (because I have sworn off blog guilt his year!!).  But is it a bit of a pain when I want to refer to something I noticed during the week and I can’t just link to the previous post to give you background!

So I’ll have to fill you in manually…

The hotel we stay at is very much the norm in Andorra – a huge and not particularly character-filled building populated mainly by people like me on one week ski packages.  The accommodation is nearly always half-board by default and in many of the hotels, dinner is always a buffet.  Having grown up on Southern Sun hotel buffets as a child (we nearly always holidayed at their hotels), I don’t particularly mind buffets.  Some people seem to shudder at the very word and I know that buffet sometimes is shorthand for lazy or sloppy cooking, but a good buffet is a thing of beauty.  And I think our hotel is pretty good in the buffet department: the dishes are replaced often enopugh that nothing looks too mangled; there is a huge selection of dishes; and there isn’t too much obvious recycling of leftovers going on.

With one exception.  There was one section of the buffet, the end of the table bearing cold dishes and desserts, facing the grill, that seemed to be eternally reserved for a smorgasbord of inventive leftover uses.  And in particular, some chef in the recesses of the cavernous kitchen had a flair for terrines.  Leftover carrot salad?  Watch out for the creamy yellow carrot terrine tomorrow night.  Caprese left uneaten?  Spot the Mediterranean terrine.  Leftover roast?  Behold my lovely meat terrine, complete with hard-boiled egg in the centre!  Each plate of fanned terrine slices was a thing of beauty and I longed to tell him that his inventive frugality appealed to me immensely. And nobody who has mastered the art of the terrine ever needs to throw away any leftover food, it seems.

I wish I could say that I was as noble in my use of leftovers when making my dish for this months’ edition of Waiter There’s Something in My (the themed monthly cooking event hosted in rotation by me, Johanna and Andrew). Johanna was wavering between a choice of themes and finally went for terrines and I have to say, I was not exactly jumping for joy.  I have attempted terrines on two previous occasions:  my roasted pepper and ricotta terrine looked lovely but totally fell apart on slicing.  And my summer fruit and sparkling wine terrine didn’t even look that lovely!  I pictured jewel-like berries in a clear pink jelly, but got a nasty opaque pink jelly that tasted OK but looked vaguely medicinal and had the consistency of a squash ball.  Bah.

 

Cheese terrine

 

So this time I thought I’d keep it very very simple and make a terrine that seemed fairly flop-proof and preferably didn’t have layers that had to stick together through the onslaught of the knife.  I was having guests for lunch and although serving up a disappointing dish to my husband doesn’t faze him, I certainly didn’t want to present my kitchen calamity to guests! So I opted for adapting a recipe from stalwart Delia and I have to say, if you have any worries about your consumption of saturated fat, this one is NOT for you! Three cheeses, double cream and mayo – woo hoo, hear those arteries slamming shut!  It also calls for gelatine, which is not an ingredient I’m overly familiar with.  In the end, it was fairly simple to deal with according to the instructions, but I must say it did give me a fright once or twice by hardening up when I didn’t expect it to.  Don’t worry though – just return it to its hot water bath and it can be re-liquified.

The finished product was really delicious and didn’t taste nearly as rich as the ingredients suggested.  My only criticism would be that the pressure of the knife when slicing it flattened it a bit, so the slices ended up being long and thin, rather than square, but the taste was fabulous.  I served mine on a bed of rocket and accompanied by a spoonful of a wonderful butternut and chile jam that I brought back from South Africa (if it’s still available at Woolworths, those of you living in SA should rush out and get some – it’s the perfect partner for cheese!).

THREE CHEESE TERRINE (serves 8 as a starter)

Ingredients

100 g buffalo Mozzarella, drained
110 g Danish blue cheese (or substitute a blue of your choice)
250 g ricotta or Philadelphia cream cheese
11 g sachet of powdered gelatine (can use a vegetarian alternative)
75 ml mayonnaise (I used Hellmanns)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
150 ml double cream
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
salt and black pepper

Method

Lightly oil a 450g loaf tin (15 x 9.5 x 7 cm) with canola oil.  Line the tin with a large piece of clingfilm, big enough to cover all sides of the tin with enough hanging over the sides to fold over and cover the tin once the terrine has been poured in.

Sprinkle the gelatine powder into a cup or basin containing 2-3 tablespoons of water. Stir, and when the gelatine has soaked up the liquid, place the bowl or cup in a pan of barely simmering water and leave until the gelatine has dissolved completely and turned transparent. If you are unsure, dip a teaspoon in, turn it over and you will clearly see if there are any undissolved granules.

Prepare the cheeses.  Dice the Mozzarella and blue cheese into 5 mm cubes and mix.  Blend the ricotta, mayonnaise and lemon juice together until absolutely smooth. Whip up the double cream until it has thickened to the floppy peak stage – but don’t let it get to the stiff peak stage!

Add the ricotta to the dissolved gelatine (make sure it is still liquid before you attempt this!) and stir really well so as to distribute the gelatine evenly, then add the diced Mozzarella and blue cheese, spring onions, herbs and a good seasoning of salt and freshly milled black pepper.

Fold in the cream and turn the mixture into the prepared tin – work fast or the terrine will begin to set!  Make sure the mix is evenly distributed so that the terrine will have a flat base when it is turned out, then fold over the bits of clingfilm hanging over the sides so as to cover the terrine.  Chill in the fridge for several hours (preferably overnight) till firmly set.

To turn out the terrine, unwrap the clingflim from the top of the loaf tin and tug gently upwards to loosen the terrine.  Invert the loaf tin on to a serving plate and remove the tin while holding down the clingfilm – the terrine should slip out easily.  Serve the terrine in slices on a bed of rocket, preferably with a tangy preserve such as mostarda or chile jam.

As I mentioned, this post is my entry into this month’s WTSIM.  You still have until 31 January to get those terrines in and frankly, if I can make one, anyone can.  Check out Johanna’s post for details on how to enter.

More deliciousness for you!

  • Aubergine dengaku with miso and mozzarella from “Nikkei Cuisine”Aubergine dengaku with miso and mozzarella from “Nikkei Cuisine”
  • Margherita pizza grilled cheese sandwichesMargherita pizza grilled cheese sandwiches
  • White chocolate cheesecake with rhubarbWhite chocolate cheesecake with rhubarb
  • Of BLT sandwiches, bacon and blog birthdaysOf BLT sandwiches, bacon and blog birthdays

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« Keto cheese crisps with caraway and chile [GF]
Kalyn’s roasted green beans with almonds »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Kalyn says

    January 26, 2008 at 6:58 pm

    This has all the flavors I love!

    Reply
  2. johanna says

    January 28, 2008 at 9:35 am

    oh yes, bring on the cheese! this sounds delicious… i’d never have thought of a cheesy terrine, but that’s just what i love!
    i know the kind of food you’re talking about – recycled terrines, salads, quiches and soups are the restaurant manager’s best friend, i guess… and i am guilty of not being inventive enough with left-overs, too much lands in my bin (but then i read about a woman the other day who exclusively feeds off other people’s leftovers, and she would probably starve without me ;-))

    Reply
  3. Pim says

    January 28, 2008 at 10:25 am

    That doesn’t really work, you know, the swearing off blog guilt thing. They don’t take too well to being sworn off. They just hang around and poke their heads out once in a while to remind you they’re still there. 😉
    Nice try though.

    Reply
  4. ilingc says

    January 28, 2008 at 5:51 pm

    mmmm cheeeseeee….. !

    Reply
  5. bron says

    January 30, 2008 at 4:11 am

    If you want to make Bron smile….say CHEESEEEEE!! hehe
    Yummy Jeanne, looks great!

    Reply
  6. ejm says

    February 2, 2008 at 10:05 pm

    Oh brava!!! I’m afraid I didn’t get it together to make a tureen. I was going to and then, well…
    -Elizabeth
    P.S. Okay, I confess that the real reason I missed the deadline was because I was afraid to make a tureen. It just seemed destined for failure on my part.

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes
  • Cauliflower steak Welsh rarebit

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Oxtail and red wine potjie
Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Nigella's Bakewell slices & the Big Bakewell Taste-off
Roosterkoek - a South African braai essential
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
Jan Ellis pudding - a classic South African dessert

Featured on

Also available on

🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London! Every 🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London!

Everywhere you look, these long-legged floral supermodels are adding a splash of colour to parks and gardens and I just can’t get enough of them! It’s easy to see how they inspired a collective buying frenzy in 17th Century Holland, called “tulip fever”, but today there are less dramatic ways to enjoy them. Here are a couple of suggestions of where to see them at their best:

🌷 The ultimate tulipalooza is the annual opening of Keukenhof gardens outside Amsterdam where 7 million (!) bulbs burst into life each Spring. This year the gardens are open 24 March-15 May (click on the link in my bio for FAQs and my top tips for visitors)

🌷In London, Kew Gardens always has spectacular displays of tulips; but you can also see excellent and free tulips in most of the Royal Parks such as Regents Park. 

🌷The Hampton Court Palace tulip festival is on until 2 May and the Hever  Castle’s Tulip Celebrations until 24 April - both within easy reach of London.

🌷The Morges Fete de la Tulipe in Switzerland takes place every year against the spectacular backdrop of Lake Geneva - it is on until 8 May this year.

I spotted these spectacular red frilly parrot tulips beside St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday 🌹 Where is the best display of tulips that you have ever seen?
MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food restaurant in Wembley

Remember to save this post so you can find it later! 🔖

[Invited] If you thought Brick Lane and chicken tikka masala or madras were all there is to know about the food of the Indian subcontinent, think again! In the shadow of the Wembley arch,  @chefatulkochhar has opened his first casual dining restaurant,  showcasing the rustic, spicy, diverse street foods of India. 

Highlights when I visited included:
1. Carrot halwa
2. Papdi chaat
3. Chicken 65
4. Tandoori broccoli
5. Smoky aubergine chokha
6. A snap of all our mains - you can read all about these and more in the full review on my blog - click the link in my bio or go to:
 https://www.cooksister.com/2022/04/masalchi-atul-kochhar-indian-wembley.html

What is your favourite dish from the Indian subcontinent? Let me know in the comments 🌶🌶🌶
🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸 T 🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸

There is no season in London that I love more than cherry blossom season! From March through to April, trees in various parks and gardens in London put on an amazing display of delicate pink and white blossoms - and everything in the city seems a little more magical. This particular tree near St Pauls must be among London’s most photographed, and it’s not hard to see why 💕

Did you know that...

🌸cherry blossoms are Japan’s national flower and are known as Sakura 

🌸In 1910, Japan sent the USA some cherry trees as a goodwill gesture… and the Dept of Agriculture inspectors nearly caused an international incident by burning them as they were carrying insects and diseases! But in 1915 Japan sent more cherry trees that survived the inspectors, and these marked the start of cherry trees in the USA.

🌸 Peak blossom season is usually only two to three weeks in March/April but is hard to predict as the weather and the subspecies of tree influence the timing.

🌸The cherry blossom capital of the  world is Macon, Georgia with 300,000 - 350,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees.

🌸 There are over 200 different varieties of cherry blossom and some are purely ornamental (meaning they produce no cherries)

Where is your favourite place to see cherry blossoms in London or around the world? Let me know in the comments and happy blossom hunting! 🌸🍒🌸

#pinkpinkpink
Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day to those of you who don't speak Welsh! 

1 March is the Welsh national day  and what better way to celebrate than surrounded by daffodils -  the Welsh national flower!

Did you know that:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The English name "Wales" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning "foreigner" - but the country's Welsh name "Cymru" means "friends" in Welsh.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The  Welsh language Cymraeg is the oldest language in Britain, at about 4,000 years old!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 There are more castles per square mile in Wales than any other European country.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Mount Everest is named after George Everest, the Welsh surveyor who first mapped the peak on western maps.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The beautiful Menai bridge (spanning the Menai Strait between the Isle of Anglesey and mainland Wales) was the first suspension bridge in the world.

Have you ever visited Wales? What did you like most about it?
*NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, *NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, capers and dill. Pretty in pink 💕

[AD] Blood oranges are a small obsession of mine - from blood orange posset to blood orange and halloumi salad to blood orange & Cointreau upside down cake, I am always looking for new ways to make the most of their short season. Barbecuing them with salmon, capers and dill is a perfect match in terms of flavour as well as colour (or you can oven bake the salmon if it's not barbecue weather where you are!)

When @grahambeckuk asked me to suggest some recipes to match their wonderful Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV sparkling wine from South Africa, this was a pairing made in heaven, and wonderfully colour co-ordinated with their silver-pink bubbly. Get the full recipe and find out more about Graham Beck's sparkling wines, made using the same methods as Champagne, on my blog - link in my bio above. 

What do you like to do with blood oranges? I'd love to hear in the comments!
💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into 💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." - Lucille Ball

Whether you are celebrating with a partner, with friends, or by yourself today, I hope most of all that you love yourself, love your body, love your strengths, love your weaknesses, and love who you are (or are becoming). Because... you're worth it!

Are you doing anything celebratory today? Let me know in the comments 💘💘💘

(The beautiful street art is London Hearts by @akajimmyc)
📸: @girl_travelsworld
Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a p Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a picture of a Moorish palace, a castle or a cathedral? And that you can get to it from central London in under an hour?

This is Crossness Pumping Station @crossnesset , a Grade I listed heritage site and one of London's last remaining magnificent Victorian sewage (!) pumping stations in Abbey Wood near Rainham. 

Did you know that...

💩 You can visit the building on monthly open days - the next one is Sun 20 Feb. Book at www.crossness.org.uk

💩  It was only in 1856, after 3 major cholera outbreaks in 30 years and the Big Stink when the stench of London's sewage finally reached Parliament, that construction of an intercepting sewer system for the city was approved.  The system (parts of which are still in use today) was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, Chief Engineer of London's Board of Metropolitan Works at the time.

💩  At Crossness, all London's sewage from south of the river was was raised by 9-12 metres to large reservoirs so that gravity would cause it to flow further east and into the Thames estuary. (Yes, until the 1880s, raw sewage was simply pumped into the Thames!)

💩 The incoming liquid was raised by the four enormous steam driven pumps, built to Joseph Bazalgette's design. The pumps were named Victoria, Prince Consort, Albert Edward, and Alexandra. They are thought to be the largest remaining rotative beam engines in the world, with 52-ton flywheels and 47-ton beams. 

💩 The pumping station was decommissioned and abandoned in the 1950s but declared a listed building in 1970.  Although all 4 beam engines remain in place, they were so damaged that today (thanks to the efforts of the Crossness Engines Trust) only Prince Consort has been restored to working condition and can be seen in action on open days.

💩 The exuberant and colourful wrought ironwork inside is the amazing work of architect Charles Henry Driver. My favourite detail is the fact that the pillars in the central atrium are topped with stylised figs and senna pods... two of nature's greatest natural laxatives 🤣
*NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta ch *NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts

Ever noticed how you are affected by colours? 🌈

Maybe some colours make you agitated and some make you relaxed. Or maybe you find yourself inexplicably attracted to a particular colour (oh, hi teal and aqua!💙). On the basis that all colours have a wavelength, and that those outside the visible spectrum can affect us, it makes sense that the colours we see can affect our mood or even our physiology. Did you know for instance that exposure to red light can increase your blood pressure and heart rate? Are there any colours that you find yourself particularly attracted to or affected by?

The pretty colours of these roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts will be the first things that attract you to this dish - but it is the delicious combination of flavours and textures that will keep you coming back for more!

The recipe (and more about how colour affects us mentally and physically) is now live on my blog - click the live link in my profile and remember to like and bookmark this post to see more Cooksister in your Instagram feed ❤️
Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something.

Perspective is the one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has given us plenty of. It has certainly made us re-evaluate what is truly important, and also what we did and didn't enjoy about our lives  before the pandemic and its associated lockdowns. It made me appreciate how much happiness my house, my job, my friends, my own company and my running bring to my life (and how fortunate I am to have all these things). But it also brought home how much I enjoy and miss travel, the theatre, and the luxury of reataurant visits at the drop of a hat. I don't think words can describe my joy at sipping the first coffee purchased from a coffee shop in summer 2020 as lockdown eased. It's the little things...

One of the things I have enjoyed and will not miss as the world creeps back to normality is the absence of crowds in what is usually a crowded city. On the occasions that I have been in central London since the start of the pandemic, streets have been blissfully empty and it has felt as if I were discovering my city anew. This glorious perspective (hah!) of St Paul's Cathedral normally requires a long wait while a queue of tourists and "influencers" ahead of you pose for photos - but on this glorious day last Spring it was almost deserted. I will miss that...

Is there anything you will miss as Covid-19 restrictions start to be lifted?
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2022 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2022 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT