Genoese Layered Seafood Terrine

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This showstopping Ligurian dome, traditionally served for Christmas Eve or Easter, stacks poached fish, shellfish, and jewel-toned vegetables between ribbons of herb-and-anchovy green sauce. It is pressed overnight and unmolded to reveal a beautiful cross-section of the sea.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 470 kcalCalories
• 26 gFat
• 5 gSaturated Fat
• 28 gCarbs
• 4 gFiber
• 4 gSugar
• 30 gProtein
• 780 mgSodium
• 820 mgPotassium
• 160 mgCalcium
• 4 mgIron
• 32 mgVitamin C
• 280 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the Green Sauce (Salsa Verde)

• 3 slices (~100 g) stale country bread, crusts removed, soaked and squeezed dry
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves plus 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 hard-boiled egg yolks
• 4 anchovy fillets in oil plus 2 tbsp capers, both drained
• 1 small garlic clove
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar plus the juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Seafood

• 1 lb (450 g) skinless white fish fillets such as cod or sea bass
• 12 oz (350 g) cleaned squid, bodies sliced into rings with tentacles intact
• 8 oz (225 g) large shell-on shrimp
• 1 lb (450 g) fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 1 lb (450 g) small lobster or 4 langoustines

For the Vegetables

• 1 lb (450 g) baby new potatoes
• 3 medium carrots, peeled
• 8 oz (225 g) green beans, trimmed
• 1 small head cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 1 small cooked beet, peeled and sliced
• Coarse salt for the boiling water

For Garnish and Assembly

• 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1 lemon, cut into thin wedges
• 12 pitted Taggiasca or Niçoise olives
• 8 additional anchovy fillets and 2 tbsp capers for decorating

Directions

1. Make the sauce: Pulse the squeezed bread, parsley, basil, egg yolks, anchovies, capers, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil, then the vinegar and lemon juice, until you have a thick, spoonable paste. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Cook the vegetables in four separate pots of heavily salted boiling water so each keeps its color: potatoes 15 minutes, carrots 12 minutes, green beans 6 minutes, cauliflower 8 minutes; drain, cool, and (for the carrots and beans) cut into neat pieces.
3. Cook the seafood one variety at a time: poach the white fish in lightly salted water with a bay leaf for 8 minutes, then flake; steam the mussels over medium heat 5 minutes until open, discarding any that stay shut; simmer the squid rings 2 minutes; boil the shrimp 3 minutes until pink, then peel (tails on); boil the lobster or langoustines 8 minutes, then shell and slice the meat.
4. Line a 2-quart dome-shaped mold or deep mixing bowl with plastic wrap, leaving generous overhang. Spread 1/4 inch of green sauce on the bottom.
5. Build the layers decoratively, alternating with thin layers of sauce: arrange lobster slices in a star on the bottom, then add bands of green beans, cauliflower, carrots, white fish, mussels, beets, potatoes, and finally shrimp, ending with a thick cap of green sauce on top.
6. Press the layers down firmly with your hands to compact them. Fold the plastic wrap over the top, set a flat plate on top weighted with a heavy can, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours (36 is better).
7. To serve, invert the mold onto a chilled platter, lift off the bowl, and peel away the plastic wrap to reveal the dome.
8. Decorate the dome with overlapping egg slices in a fan, tucking olives, anchovy fillets, capers, lemon wedges, and small herb leaves between them.
9. Slice with a sharp knife and serve cold, passing extra green sauce and crusty country bread alongside.

Cook’s Notes

• Start at least 24 to 36 hours ahead so the terrine sets firmly and the flavors fully meld.
• A deep mixing bowl works in place of a dome mold; just line it generously with plastic wrap for a clean release.
• Keep the vegetable bands in distinct colors (green, white, orange, deep red) so every slice shows the rainbow of the sea and the garden.
• Buy the freshest seafood you can; the dish is essentially uncooked once assembled, so quality is everything.
• Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; serve with an extra squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of good olive oil.

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