Exotic mushroom pate pt 1

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup Chicken broth
1 cup Dried porcini mushrooms; (about 1 ounce)
1 Stick unsalted butter
¾ cup Minced shallot
2 Garlic cloves; minced
¼ cup Dry sherry
¾ pounds Fresh shiitake mushrooms; stems discarded and caps sliced thin (about 4 1/2 cups)
¾ pounds Fresh oyster mushrooms; stems discarded and caps sliced thin (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 cup Heavy cream
4 larges Eggs
¼ cup Whole almonds; toasted golden and ground fine
2 teaspoons Chopped fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves; (wash and dry before chopping)
⅓ cup Fine fresh bread crumbs
1½ tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 cup Fresh shiitake mushrooms; stems discarded and caps quartered
1 cup Fresh oyster mushrooms; stems discarded and caps quartered
¾ cup Whole almonds; toasted and chopped coarse
¼ cup Fresh flat leafed parsley leaves; washed and dried
Assorted toasts; and/or crackers

Directions

FOR MUSHROOM PATE

FOR MUSHROOM TOPPING

ACCOMPANIMENT

Make pate:

Butter a 2-quart terrine, 12 by 3 by 2¾-inches. Line terrine with waxed paper and butter paper.

In a small saucepan bring broth to a boil and remove pan from heat. Soak porcini in hot broth 30 minutes, or until softened. Remove porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. Rinse porcini to remove any grit and pat dry. Chop porcini and put in a large bowl. Strain reserved soaking liquid through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter or dampened paper towel into another small saucepan. Simmer soaking liquid over moderate heat until reduced to about ¼ cup and return to bowl with porcini.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoons butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and cook shallot and garlic, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add Sherry and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer shallot mixture to a blender. In skillet heat 2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and saute shiitake and oyster mushrooms in batches, stirring, about 2 minutes.

Add remaining ½ stick butter, cut into pieces, as necessary. Add 2 cups sauteed mushrooms to shallot mixture in blender and add remaining sauteed mushrooms to porcini mixture.

Add cream, eggs, and almonds to mixture in blender and puree about 1 minute, or until very smooth. Add puree to porcini mixture and stir in remaining pate ingredients until combined well.

Pour mixture into terrine and cover with foil. Put terrine in a large baking pan and add enough water to baking pan to reach halfway up sides of terrine. Bake pate in middle of oven 1 hour and 10 minutes. Pate will not be completely set in center. Remove terrine from baking pan and cool completely on a rack. Chill pate in terrine, covered, at least 6 hours and up to 5 days. Bring pate to room temperature before unmolding.

Make topping:

In a large skillet heat butter and oil over moderately high heat until foam subsides and saute mushrooms and almonds, stirring, until mushrooms are tender. Transfer mixture to a heatproof bowl and cool. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper, tossing to combine.

To unmold pate, run a thin knife around edge of terrine and dip terrine into a bowl of hot water 10 seconds. Invert on a large plate over terrine and invert pate onto plate. Mound topping on top of pate and serve with toasts and/or crackers.

continued in part 2

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