Ingredients:
Mushroom Pâté:
– 0.35 oz (10 g) dried porcini mushrooms (rehydrated in advance)
– 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, divided
– 1 large shallot, thickly sliced
– 2 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
– 5.3 oz (150 g) mushrooms (like chestnut or cremini), sliced
– 1½ tsp chopped rosemary leaves (or thyme leaves)
– 1½ tsp soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free)
– 3 tbsp (45 ml) marsala wine
– 1/3 cup (50 g) cashews, soaked in boiling water or scant ½ cup cooked chestnuts
– 2 tsp (12 g) red miso paste
– Scant ¼ tsp pepper and ¼ tsp flaky salt (adjust to taste)
– ¼ cup (55 g) vegan butter (such as Violife or Naturli) OR heaped ¼ tsp agar agar powder
Balsamic Jelly:
– ¼ tsp (0.6 g) agar agar powder
– 3 tbsp (45 ml) aged balsamic
– 3 tbsp (45 ml) porcini stock or water
– 2 tsp (10 ml) maple syrup or brown sugar
– 1 tsp (5 ml) soy sauce (or tamari if GF)
Instructions:
1. Rehydrate the porcini mushrooms by pouring ½ cup + 2 tbsp (150 ml) boiling water over them in a jug. Allow them to soak for at least an hour.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Sauté shallot and garlic until softened and slightly caramelized. Set aside.
3. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil and cook mushrooms until caramelized, adding rosemary leaves towards the end.
4. Turn off the heat. Return shallot and garlic to the pan, add soy sauce, marsala wine, drained cashews, red miso paste, black pepper, and a pinch of salt.
5. Add 1/3 cup + 4 tsp (100 ml) of the porcini stock, straining it through a paper towel-lined sieve to remove grit. Clean rehydrated porcini mushrooms under cold water and add them to the pan.
6. Simmer the mixture on low heat for 5 minutes. Allow it to cool, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning.
7. For the vegan butter version: add melted vegan butter to the blender and blend until smooth.
8. For the agar version: soak agar in ¼ cup (60 ml) water for 10 minutes. Simmer for 30 seconds, then add all agar agar jelly to the pâté and blend until smooth.
9. Transfer the mixture to a container slightly larger than 1½ cups and let it set. Vegan butter version takes a few hours (best overnight); agar version should set in about an hour.
BALSAMIC JELLY:
1. Soak agar agar in ¼ cup (60 ml) water for 10 minutes.
2. Place balsamic, porcini stock, maple syrup, soy sauce, and activated agar in a pot on low heat.
3. Bring to a simmer, stir frequently, simmer for 30 seconds, then let cool for 10 minutes.
ASSEMBLY:
1. Once lukewarm, pour balsamic jelly over the set pâté. Refrigerate until set (about 30 minutes).
2. Store this pâté in an airtight jar in the fridge; it keeps for about a week. The vegan butter version freezes well, but the agar version doesn’t retain its firmness after thawing.