Mushroom And Sherry Pate With Homemade Melba Toast Food

MUSHROOM AND SHERRY PATE WITH HOMEMADE MELBA TOAST

Steps:

• Heat half the butter in a large sacuepan and, keeping the high heat, saute half the mushrooms quickly for 3-4 minutes, until just tender and lightly browned. If they begin to make liquid, the butter is not hot enough -- the mushrooms should be dry.
• Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with remaining butter and mushrooms.
• Remove 6 perfect mushroom slices and reserve for the garnish.
• Work the rest of the mushroom slices in a blender or food processor with the cream, sherry, and seasoning to taste.
• Spoon the pate mixture into 6 individual ramekins or pate dishes, level the tops, then press one of the reserved mushroom slices into the top of each.
• Cool, then chill the pates.
• MAKE MELBA TOAST:.
• Use the bread to make Melba toast. Toast the bread on both sides, then with a sharp knife cut through the bread to split each slice in half, making two thin pieces.
• Toast the uncooked sides under the broiler until crisp and brown -- the edges will curl up.
• Let the toast cool.
• The Melba toast will keep 2-3 days in an airtight tin.

PROPER MELBA TOAST

Steps:

• Toast the bread slices on both sides, under the grill or use a bread toaster.
• Cut off the crusts, lay the slices flat on a cutting board, put your hand on top of it, and using a serrated knife slide through the bread to split it, or hold it in your hand and cut through it rotating the slice of bread.
• If you want, cut these thin slices into a triangle.
• Do these above steps while the bread is still warm otherwise the bread will crumble or break.
• Then you toast the untoasted sides under the grill until golden.
• The sides will curl up; keep your eye on them because this will go very quick.
• This can be made well in advance and kept in a tin.

HERBED MELBA TOASTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl stir together the butter, the dill, the thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Roll each slice of bread as thin as possible with a rolling pin and trim and discard the crusts. Brush both sides of the bread with the butter mixture, cut each slice diagonally into 2 triangles, and bake the triangles on a baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven, turning them once, for 15 minutes, or until they are browned lightly and crisp. Let the toasts cool on the rack.