Recipe: Celeriac & Asparagus Terrine

Couldn't be simpler to make, and the flavour and texture of this dish are superb! Excellent as a cold starter, and certainly good enough to present at a dinner party - with the added advantage that it's made entirely in advance.

For 1 terrine, sufficient for eight slices:

Ingredients: 450g Celeriac; 100g Butter; 500 ml Cream; 4 Eggs; Seasoning; 5 Asparagus spears (sprue, ideally, or spears as slender as you can find).

Method:

1. Peel and finely dice the Celeriac, and sauté gently in melted Butter for ten minutes or so, until properly soft. Add Cream and cook for a further minute or so, until the Cream has thickened slightly. Allow to cool.

2. Cook the Asparagus spears in boiling salted water until just done (but still very much on the al dente side).

3. Liquidize the Celeriac/Cream mixture along with the Eggs; season to taste.

4. In a greased (or Trennwaxed) loaf tin or terrine mould, pour a quarter of the Celeriac mixture, then place two of the Asparagus spears on top; add another quarter of the mixture, and a single Asparagus spear; another quarter of mixture and the remaining two Asparagus spears, and finally finish off with the remaining Celeriac mixture.

5. Place the loaf tin or terrine mould in a bain marie and cook for twenty minutes in a 180 degree C oven, then remove from the oven and allow the terrine to cool down.

6. To serve, run a knife round the edge of the terrine and unmould onto a board or platter. Slice carefully with a very sharp knife. and accompany with a salad of endive or fennel.