Silky mushroom pate with scallion-walnut topping

15 To 20

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 ounce Dried porcini mushrooms; about 1 cup
2 mediums Leeks; white parts only, chopped
1 pounds White mushrooms; thinly sliced
¼ pounds Shiitake or cremini mushrooms; thinly sliced, (up to 1/2)
6 tablespoons Butter; plus extra for the pan
1 large Garlic clove; minced
½ cup Walnuts
Salt and freshly milled pepper
2½ teaspoon Chopped thyme or 1 tablespoon chopped marjoram
3 Eggs
1 cup Cream
¼ cup Fine dry bread crumbs
1½ tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
1½ tablespoon Butter
⅓ cup Walnuts; chopped
2 bunches Scallions; including half of the greens, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons Chopped parsley
Salt and freshly milled pepper

Directions

SCALLION-WALNUT TOPPING

You will need a 6- to 8-cup terrine or a narrow (10- by 4-inch) bread pan.

Cover the dried porcini with 1½ cups warm water and set aside to soak.

Meanwhile, prepare the leeks and mushrooms. Butter the pan for the pate, then line it - including the ends - with parchment or wax paper and butter again. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Now, returning to the mushrooms, lift the porcini from the water, gently squeeze them dry, then chop them. Carefully decant the liquid into a small saucepan, leaving any sediment behind, bring to a boil, and simmer until only 2 tablespoons remain.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a wide skillet. Add the leeks, garlic, and walnuts and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a blender.

Melt 2 more tablespoons butter in the same skillet over fairly high heat.

When the butter foams, add three-quarters of the white mushrooms and a pinch of the thyme. Saute until they begin to color, after a few minutes.

Add these to the blender. Melt another 2 tablespoons butter and repeat with the remaining white mushrooms, shiitakes, and chopped porcini, plus another pinch of thyme. Set aside.

Add the eggs and cream to the blender, then puree until the mixture is completely smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and fold in the reserved sauteed mushrooms, remaining thyme, reduced mushroom water, bread crumbs, lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and several twists of the peppermill.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and cover the top tightly with aluminum foil. Set it in a baking pan and add hot water to come halfway up the sides. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. It should be browned on top and starting to pull away from the sides. Remove and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 6 hours, but allow it to return to room temperature before serving.

To serve, gently pull at the paper lining to ease the pate from the sides of the pan or run a hot knife along the edges. Set a platter over the pate, then invert. Ease the pan off the pate, then peel off the paper. Any rough-looking spots can be smoothed with a hot knife. Prepare the scallion-walnut topping and spoon it over the top just before serving.

Serve with crackers, thin toast, or fresh bread that has plenty of character. This pate will keep up to five days.

Scallion-Walnut Topping: Melt the butter in a medium skillet over fairly high heat. When foamy, add the walnuts and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to color a little, about 3 minutes. Add the scallions and parsley and cook until the scallions are bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Spoon this mixture over the pate just before serving.

Recipe is from _Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone_ by Deborah Madison.

Posted to EAT-L Digest by Felicia Pickering <MNHAN063@...> on Feb 22, 1998

Related recipes