Vegetarian pâté
This recipe comes via Rebecca Leffler's book Tres Green, Tres Clean, Tres Chic and also via David Lebovitz, who put me onto her book via his excellent blog. He has a recipe for this pâté, too, that's very similar. I recommend looking at his (the photos are better!) but you can use what I've adapted below. I worked with what I had on hand, and it made a brilliant pâté. It's very similar to a vegan one I used to make at my restaurant Gymnopedie, but my restaurant version was heavier on pecans and mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. The recipe below is a hybrid of the Gymnopedie one and David Lebovitz's version.
The aged port is optional, but it does give a brilliant flavour to the pâté. You could substitute brandy if you had that on hand. I haven't tried it with red wine, but a splash of that might well do the trick, too.
3/4 cups uncooked Puy lentils
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup toasted almonds
1 cup dried mixed mushrooms (my local supermarket has huge bags of these with the Japanese ingredients).
1 cup button mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 white onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 T lemon juice
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp dark miso paste
2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
1 T aged port (or similar)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
0. If you haven't already cooked your lentils, do so now with the stock and add the almonds and dried mushrooms to the pot too. Cover the pot with a lid. Once it comes to a simmer, set a timer for 20-22 minutes. Remove the lid when done so the mixture can cool off.
1. Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan on medium-low heat. Sauté the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions become translucent (5 to 6 minutes). Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and cooked through, which should take another 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
2. In a food processor, combine the cooked lentils, nuts, dried mushrooms, lemon juice, soy sauce, sage, port (if using), brown sugar, and cayenne. Scrape in the cooked mushroom mixture and process until completely smooth. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and add additional port or soy sauce, if it needs something extra.
3. Scrape the pâté into a small serving bowl and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.
3/4 cups uncooked Puy lentils
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup toasted almonds
1 cup dried mixed mushrooms (my local supermarket has huge bags of these with the Japanese ingredients).
1 cup button mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 white onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 T lemon juice
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp dark miso paste
2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
1 T aged port (or similar)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
0. If you haven't already cooked your lentils, do so now with the stock and add the almonds and dried mushrooms to the pot too. Cover the pot with a lid. Once it comes to a simmer, set a timer for 20-22 minutes. Remove the lid when done so the mixture can cool off.
1. Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan on medium-low heat. Sauté the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions become translucent (5 to 6 minutes). Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and cooked through, which should take another 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
2. In a food processor, combine the cooked lentils, nuts, dried mushrooms, lemon juice, soy sauce, sage, port (if using), brown sugar, and cayenne. Scrape in the cooked mushroom mixture and process until completely smooth. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and add additional port or soy sauce, if it needs something extra.
3. Scrape the pâté into a small serving bowl and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.