Porcini Mushroom Pate Food

TRUFFLED MUSHROOM PâTé

Steps:

• Put the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Leave to soak for 10 mins.
• Melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming and fry the shallots over a low heat for 10 mins or until softened and translucent. Add the chestnut mushrooms and fry for 8 mins. Drain (freeze the liquid for stock or risotto) and finely chop the porcini mushrooms, then add to the pan, frying for another 5 mins. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min. Set aside to cool for 20 mins.
• Tip the mushroom mixture into a food processor, along with the mascarpone, vinegar, parmesan and seasoning. Blitz until smooth while drizzling in the truffle oil. Divide between six ramekins.
• For the topping, melt the butter in a small pan. When the milk solids separate and sink to the bottom, pour the clarified butter into a jug. Mix with the truffle oil and pour over each ramekin. Sprinkle with the thyme and peppercorns. Chill for at least 5 hrs. Serve with cornichons and toast, if you like.

MUSHROOM PATé RECIPE

Steps:

• Soak the porcini in boiling water until softened, about 20 mins, then strain through a sieve.
• Melt a knob of butter in a pan and sauté the porcini for a few minutes, then set aside. Put the shallots and garlic in the same pan and cook until softened. Set aside.
• Now sauté the remaining mushrooms in batches, adding butter when needed until they are cooked. Put into a bowl and add all the remaining ingredients. Whizz in a processor with seasoning. Put into a pâté dish. Melt the 125g butter and pour over the top, leaving the milky solids in the pan. Arrange the herbs in the butter. Chill in the fridge; serve with toasts or crostini.

PORCINI MUSHROOM PATE

Steps:

• Place porcini, port and 1 cup water in saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
• Remove mushrooms and set them aside. Bring liquid to the boil again and boil again for a further five minutes or until reduced to 2/3 cup of liquid.
• Meanwhile finely chop the porcini mushrooms.
• Heat oil and butter in large fry pan. Add onion and fry over med heat 2-3 mintues. Add the garlic, reserved porcini and mixed mushrooms and thyme and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add ½ cup of the port liquid and the lemon juice and season well. Continue cooking until all the liquid has been absorbed, then set aside to cool. Once cool process til almost smooth. Place in serving dish and refrigerate for ½ hour.
• Once the pate has chilled, place the gelatine in small bowl of cold water to soften. Heat the reserved port liquid until warm. Squeeze excess water out of gelatine and add to the port. Stir over low heat until the gelatine is completely dissolved.
• Allow to cool before carefully pouring the port jelly over the pate.

MUSHROOM PASTE

Steps:

• Soak the dried porcini's in a bowl of warm water (just enough water to cover mushrooms). Then let sit for 20 minutes or until they are soft.
• Strain through a fine sieve reserving the liquid, squeezing out the juice and chop finely.
• In a large saucepan or sauté pan, heat the olive oil until warmed. Add the shallots and stir until fragrant, add the porcini and stir then the fresh herbs. Add the garlic and stir. Now add all the mushrooms and sauté until cooked adding salt. This takes a lot of time to cook completely.
• Deglaze pan by adding white wine then adding red wine vinegar and continue to cook until evaporated. Add the reserved porcini liquid and reduce until liquid has evaporated.
• Remove from heat, and pour into sterilized jars, (you can sterilize jars in the oven) let settle to get the air pockets out (knock the jar on the bench to help it along). Top with the extra oil making sure that the jar is full to the top. Seal jars while hot
• It should keep about 3 months in the fridge.
• Perfect to use on Bruschetta, in pasta sauces topped with a little grated Parmesan and basil, or tossed through warm potatoes, in risotto, or as a base for pizza. PS: If you are lazy you could probably food process the mushrooms but not to much, you want some texture.

EXOTIC MUSHROOM PâTé

Steps:

• Make the pâté:
• Butter loaf pan, then line bottom and sides with parchment paper and butter paper.
• Bring stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove pan from heat, add porcini, and let soak in hot stock until softened, about 30 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer porcini to a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press on porcini with back of a spoon to remove excess liquid, then add this to soaking liquid and reserve. Rinse porcini to remove any grit. Pat dry, chop, and put in a large bowl.
• Strain reserved soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or dampened paper towel into another small saucepan. Bring to a brisk simmer over moderate heat and simmer until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add to porcini.
• Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add sherry and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a blender. Heat 2 more tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add one third of shiitake and oyster mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cook remaining mushrooms in 2 batches, adding 2 more tablespoons butter to skillet for each batch. Add 2 cups sautéed mushrooms to shallot mixture in blender, and add remaining mushrooms to porcini mixture.
• Add cream, then eggs and almonds to blender and purée until mixture is very smooth, about 1 minute. Add purée to porcini mixture and stir in parsley, thyme, bread crumbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until well combined. Pour mixture into loaf pan and cover with foil.
• Put loaf pan in a larger baking pan and add enough boiling water to reach halfway up sides of loaf pan. Bake until set 1/2 inch from edges, about 50 minutes (pâté will not be completely set in center). Remove loaf pan from baking pan and let cool to room temperature on a rack. Refrigerate pâté in loaf pan, covered, for at least 6 hours. Bring pâté to room temperature before adding topping.
• While the pâté comes to room temperature, make the topping:
• Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add mushrooms and almonds and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid they give off has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool, then add parsley, salt, and pepper and toss to combine.
• To unmold pâté, run a thin knife between paper and edges of loaf pan. Invert a large plate over loaf pan and invert pâté onto plate (peel off paper). Mound topping on pâté, and spread on toasts and/or crackers.