MUSHROOM PATE

This weeks recipe is a wonderful way of making use of all those different mushrooms that are now becoming available in the UK supermarkets - Mushroom Pate.

It is basically vegetarian in nature but for the true vegan the cream, eggs and butter may be substituted with extra breadcrumbs to bind and should be just chilled and not cooked in the oven. Whichever way you make it the Mushroom Pate is a wonderful dish that I am sure you will all enjoy.

Making Mushroom Pate initially looks long winded but as you read through the recipe you will see just how easy and quick it can be made.

Ingredients for Mushroom Pate

Vegetable broth	300		ml
Dried porcine mushrooms	200		ml
Extra virgin olive oil	100		ml
Chopped shallots	100		gm
Garlic cloves (crushed)	2		pc
Dry sherry	50		ml
Shiitake caps (sliced)	300		gm
Oyster mushroom caps (sliced)	300		gm
Cream	200		ml
Eggs	4		pc
Ground almonds (toasted)	50		ml
Chopped thyme	2		tsp
Chopped parsley	50		ml
Fresh breadcrumbs	50		gm
Lemon juice	1 1/2		tbs
Salt	2		tsp
Fresh ground pepper	1/2		tsp
Unsalted butter	2		tbs
Olive oil	1		tbs
Fresh oyster mushroom caps (quartered)	1		cup
Fresh shiitake mushroom caps (quartered)	1		cup
Whole almonds, toasted and chopped coarse	3/4		cup

Making Mushroom Pate

To make the mushroom pate

• Oil a 3 litre terrine, line with lightly oiled greaseproof paper. Preheat oven to 170ºC

• In a small saucepan bring broth to a boil and remove pan from heat. Soak porcine in hot broth 30 minutes, or until softened

• Remove porcine, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. Rinse porcine to remove any grit and pat dry. Chop porcine and put in a large bowl

• Strain reserved soaking liquid through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter or dampened paper towel into another small saucepan

• Simmer soaking liquid over moderate heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup and return to bowl with porcine, set aside

• In a large non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over a moderate heat cook shallot and garlic, stirring, until softened, add sherry

• Transfer shallot mixture to a blender.

• In the skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat and sauté shiitake and oyster mushrooms in batches

• Place all these ingredients into a blender, add cream, eggs and almonds to mixture in blender and purée about 1 minute, or until very smooth

• Add this purée to porcine mixture and stir in remaining pate ingredients until combined well. Pour mixture into terrine and cover with foil

• Place in a bain marie and bake in middle of oven for approximately 70 minutes

• Remove from oven and chill pate in the terrine, covered for at least 6 hours (preferably over night)

• Bring pate to room temperature before carefully un-moulding: run a thin knife around edge of terrine and dip terrine into a bowl of hot water for 5 - 10 seconds. Invert a large plate over terrine and invert pate onto plate

To make the mushroom pate topping

• In a large skillet heat butter and oil over moderately high heat until foam subsides and sauté mushrooms and almonds, stirring, until mushrooms are tender.

• Transfer mixture to a heatproof bowl and cool. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper, tossing to combine.

• Mound topping on top of pate

Chef's Tip for Mushroom Pate

Serve Mushroom Pate with a fresh tomato coulis and toast, melba toast, crackers, biscuits or a variety of breads.

When cooking with normal white button style mushrooms: soup, stuffings, etc try adding a few drops of angastura bitters to the final product when seasoning, you will be surprised how it enhances the flavour of the mushrooms!

Chef's terminology:
	lt	=	litres		tsp	=	teaspoon
	ml	=	millelitres		tbs	=	tablespoon
	kg	=	kilograms		sq	=	sufficient quantity (add to taste)
	gm	=	grams		pc	=	piece, meaning a whole one of

Enjoy your Mushroom Pate and bon appetit . . . . .

Recipe from professional
Chef Tallyrand