Vegan Mushroom Walnut Pâté Food

CREAMY VEGAN MUSHROOM PâTé

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat, and fry the mushrooms for 15-20 mins until very soft, and any liquid that's been released has evaporated. Stir in the garlic, 1 tbsp thyme leaves, 1 tsp sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper, and cook for 3 mins more. Leave to cool slightly.
• Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor and blitz to a thick paste. Add 100ml soya cream, then blitz again until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as you go. You may need to add up to 50ml more cream. Season to taste, then spoon into a serving dish or bowl and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Drizzle over enough olive oil to coat the top of the pâté - it should be just enough to stop it drying out. Cover and chill for 2 hrs until firm. Will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hrs.
• To make the walnuts, put the sugar in a medium heavy-based frying pan with 1 tsp water, and stir to dissolve. Bring to a medium-high heat and bubble for 10 mins without stirring until the sugar has melted and turned into a golden caramel. Stir in the nuts, 2 tsp thyme leaves and a pinch of sea salt, then tip onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment and leave to cool. Once cool and set, bash or break into chunks.
• To serve, spread the pâté over the sourdough toast, then cut into bite-sized squares. Top with dollops of chutney and the candied walnuts.

VEGAN MUSHROOM & WALNUT PâTé

Steps:

• Toast the walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat. Keep a careful eye on them and shake the pan often as they can burn quickly. As soon as they start browning on the edges remove them from the heat. Remove the walnuts from the pan onto a heat-safe dish, or directly into your food processor if your food processor can handle hot food.
• Return the pan to the heat and add the olive oil. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions soften and turn translucent about 4 minutes. Add in all the remaining ingredients, the mushrooms, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms have cooked and reduced in size, another 5 - 8 minutes. If the mushrooms are sticking to the pan you can add a small splash of water to help release them. As the mushrooms cook they will release their own liquid.
• If your food processor can handle hot food, add the mushrooms to the food processor along with the walnuts. If not, just let the mushrooms and walnuts cool first. Pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until you reach a pâté texture. I like to leave mine with a bit of texture and colour variation. Press into a container for serving using a spatula to smooth it, and let it chill completely in the fridge before serving.

MUSHROOM & TARRAGON PâTé

Steps:

• Heat butter in a large frying pan. Add shallots, leek and garlic, then gently fry for 7 mins until softened.
• Increase the heat, add the chestnut and the shiitake mushrooms, then cook for 10 mins, stirring, until the juices have evaporated and the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the mustard and crème fraîche, then season well. Cook for a further 2 mins then stir in the chopped tarragon.
• Preheat the grill. Cut the French stick into diagonal slices, drizzle with a little olive oil, then grill until golden. Spoon the hot pâté on to the toasts, garnish with the extra tarragon, then serve with salad leaves.