I happened across the most beautiful red cabbage, crisp, dark red-near purple, not too large, an ideal candidate for red cabbage puree. Why puree such a beautiful vegetable? I enjoy the sultry silkiness of braised cabbage, and a puree is a further extension of the texture I covet in cooked cabbage. Similarly, I enjoy a balance of sweet and sour with cabbage, and we were able to achieve that balance with pomegranate juice and tamarind, along with a splash of red wine and a sprinkling of sugar and salt. The cabbage was meltingly tender and purple throughout after a mere twenty minutes in the pressure cooker. I put the remaining juices and the cabbage in the blender and soon I had the flavors I wanted combined with a texture I only dreamed cabbage could have.
Coincidentally, we were also exploring chicken livers. We had just made a chicken liver mousse flavored with garam masala, smoked soy sauce, and Madeira. We had it set in a square Pyrex pan, our current favorite terrine mold. I wondered if we could set the cabbage puree on top of the chicken livers for a two-flavored terrine. Turns out we could. We blended the cabbage puree with some carrageenan, and after we hydrated it, we poured it on top of the chicken livers. The cabbage and the livers united in an even seam. (One of the benefits of using Pyrex is that we could see the layers from the outside.) Once the terrine rested overnight, we sliced it to see how the terrine had come together. The results are beautiful. The cabbage and the chicken livers have the same textures with completely different and still harmonious flavors. A sprinkling of coarse salt, a few grinds of pepper, and some crumbled pistachio cookies completed the dish.
I think we are pretty close with the results we yielded today. A few adjustments in the chicken liver recipe may allow a touch more functionality. For now, the terrine is ready to be served.
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