Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Terrine

2 long, large eggplants, about 2 1/2 lbs.

6 large red bell peppers, about 2 1/2 lbs.

6 T. extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Peel the eggplants and cut in half crosswise. Cut each half, lengthwise, into long slices about 1/8-inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and place in a colander. Place a pot full of water on top to weight down. Let drain in sink for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove core and seeds, then place peppers cut side down in a large shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 50 minutes, until sides are blistered and peppers are soft. Peel skins from peppers and discard. Reserve all juices from pan. Set aside.

Wash salt off eggplant slices and pat dry. In several batches, cook eggplant in the remaining oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon oil at a time and cook eggplant 2 minutes on each side. Add more oil to the pan and repeat until you've cooked all the eggplant.

Place reserved pepper juices in bottom of 9 x 5 x 3-inch glass loaf pan. Beginning with eggplant, make a layer to cover bottom, in slightly overlapping slices. Add an even layer of peppers, and repeat alternating layers until you've used up all the eggplant and peppers, ending with a layer of eggplant. Lower oven temperature to 350°F.

Bake terrine for 30 minutes. Press down firmly with spatula and bake 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven. Let cool. Cover terrine with plastic wrap and weight down. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. Unmold and cut into 8 slices.


Serve with any accumulated juices.