This delicious walnut and mushroom pate is a True Food Nutrition Christmas favourite! It's easy to make, everyone loves it, it's a popular starter on our Christmas dinner tables, makes a lovely addition to a Boxing Day buffet as well as being delicious served on a cracker with a festive drink.
Ingredients - serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
Pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
18 button mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried sage
2 tbsp cognac or sherry
400g can green lentils, drained & rinsed
150g walnuts, lightly toasted
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp beetroot puree or 1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp butter or dairy-free butter, melted
A handful of optional festive toppings such as chopped cranberries or pistachios
Method
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and cook over a gentle heat until the until the onion is translucent.
Add the garlic cloves to the pan and continue to fry until you can smell the garlic and then add the mushrooms.
Stir until everything is well cooked and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.
Add the herbs and either the cognac or the sherry (or both, we're not judging!) and continue to fry for a couple of minutes until the alcohol has begun to evaporate.
Leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes and then tip it into a food processor along with the lentils, walnuts and soy sauce.
Pulse the mixture until combined then add the beetroot or tomato puree.
Process until almost smooth, tasting as you go, adjusting the seasoning and adding an extra splash of cognac or sherry if needed. Lentils really soak up flavour so it's important that you keep on tasting!
Transfer the mixture to either an airtight jar or into 4 small jars or ramekins if making individual portions.
Pour over the melted butter or plant butter and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
FESTIVE TIP add some dried cranberries and/or chopped pistachios on top of the melted butter for a little festive colour,
The pate can be made a day or two before you need it and is actually tastier as the flavours develop.
This recipe is really easy to scale up which makes it ideal for a Christmas lunch starter or for the Boxing Day buffet table!
Recipe credit: original recipe by Bosh!
Photo credit: Amanda Serif
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