Mushroom and sherry pate
This is a great appetizer if you have been caught unawares by an impromptu dinner gathering. It can be made both well in advance or an hour or so before - so it’s also easily portable. Using sweet woodland foraged mushrooms, mostly available at good markets in late summer and early autumn, this quick pâté makes the most of the delicate-tasting chanterelles and the more robust pied bleu and pied de mouton. If you’re in a huge rush, you can use half chestnut mushrooms and half dehydrated and drained mixed or porcini/cep mushrooms.
Author: Michael Hyams & Liz O’Keefe, The Mushroom Cookbook
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
- 25g butter
- 400g ceps, pied bleu, pied de mouton and/or chestnut mushrooms, chopped
- 100g yellow and grey chanterelles, roughly torn apart
- 50g golden chanterelles, roughly torn apart
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- leaves from 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1¼ tbsp very dry sherry
- sea salt and black pepper
- 50ml double cream
- zest of 1 lemon
- crusty bread, to serve
Method
- In a pan or frying pan, melt the butter and sweat the ceps, pied bleu, pied de mouton and/or chestnut mushrooms for 5 mins.
- Add all the chanterelles and sauté for 2 mins.
- Sprinkle in the sugar and thyme and splash in the sherry, then cook on a high heat while stirring for 2 mins, or until reduced.
- Allow the mixture to cool completely, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a food processor, blend the mixture until the desired texture is reached, then stir in the cream and lemon zest.
- Transfer to ramekins and chill for 15 mins.
- Serve with crusty bread.
