Tzimmes Terrine - meat, pareve

4 whole leeks
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 med. sweet potatoes, cut in large chunks
1/4 lb. rendered chicken fat or pareve margarine
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 cup cider
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 large onions
3 T. vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups water
6 large eggs
3 large Maine potatoes
12 oz. pitted prunes
16-20 pencil-thin asparagus spears

Up to 2 days before serving, cut the leeks open down the  center and clean the grit from them. Blanch and remove to  iced water. Dry very well.

In a 375F oven, bake the carrots and sweet potatoes with the chicken fat (or margarine), brown sugar, cider, salt  and pepper to taste, lemon juice and cinnamon until the vegetables are soft (about 1 hour). Puree the mixture.

Dice the onions and sweat them slowly in a covered heavy pan with 3 T. peanut oil, cooking slowly until the onions are translucent (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally. Puree and adjust the consistency by adding about a cup of  water until the mixture has reached the texture of whipped
cream.

When the carrot-and-sweet-potato mixture is cool, add 3 eggs and 1 cup of the onion puree. Set aside.

Boil the Maine potatoes and mash until smooth, loosening with the remaining onion mixture. Add salt and pepper to  taste. When cool, add the remaining 3 eggs and fold in well.

Heat the prunes in about 1 inch of water for about 5  minutes, drain and puree.

Cook the asparagus in boiling water for about 2 minutes  and then plunge into ice water. Dry.

For each terrine---this recipe makes two---grease a loaf  pan. Lay the dry leeks across the pan to line it, alternating tops and bottoms from one side to the other so that the ends overlap the top by about 2 inches.

Put in 1/4 of the sweet potato carrot mixture. Bury 3 to  5 asparagus spears in the sweet potato-carrot mixture. Atop  the layer of sweet potato mixture, spread a thin layer of prunes. Atop that, put half the white potato mixture.  Cover with 1/4 of the sweet potato carrot mixture, again  pushing in 3 to 5 asparagus spears. Repeat for the second  terrine.

Seal the terrine by folding the leeks over the top. Cover with foil and bake in a bain-marie (hot water bath) 1 hour at 375F.

Cool completely in the bain-marie outside the oven. Weight down with heavy cans or a brick and place in refrigerator for 1 day. Slice while chilled with a very sharp slicing knife, making sure to wipe knife after each slice and warm slightly
in the oven before serving.

"Jewish Holiday Kitchen" by Joan Nathan