Last weekend, I was guest chef for a beautiful holiday party in Chicago. In addition to serving Cashew Cheese, Golden Raisin & Onion Jam, Almond Crunch Kale Chips and Ginger Molasses Cookies, our lovely hostess, Shelley, served up Alia Dalal’s Mushroom Walnut Pate. After one bite, I knew I had to see if Alia would share this one on YumUniverse and she said “yes!” Mushroom Walnut Pate is delicious as a spread for veggies or crackers and you can make a sandwich out of it as well. Try it on sprouted grain bread with fresh arugula and slices of our Smoked Firm Cheese recipe found in the Dairy Freedom Guide.No matter how you serve it, you’ll be very happy—I ate my party leftovers plain with a spoon when I got home. No shame in that.
I asked Alia to share some of her tips for YU newbies and she says, “taste your food as you are cooking! It sounds very basic, but if I had to boil down my whole culinary school experience to one tip, it would be tasting as you go—and don’t underestimate the power of salt. For some reason, before I started cooking professionally, it never occurred to me to taste my dishes as I was cooking or taste my ingredients raw. But that’s the only way you’ll learn about cooking and be able to modify any dish so that it always turns out well. And once you taste an ingredient by itself, like say miso, you’ll be able to think of ten new ways to use it in your kitchen and you won’t even need a recipe.”
So take Brendan Brazier’s advice and share Alia’s recipe with the omnivores and herbivores at your holiday gatherings this week.
Makes: about 3 cups
Tools:
Large pot
Cookie sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper
Saute pan
Chef’s knife
Food processor
Mold or loaf pan
Plate
Ingredients:
1 cup Lentils de Puy (French green lentils)
3 cups vegetable stock, preferably unsalted (make your own)
1 teaspoon dried Herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 8-10 ounce package of cremini mushrooms (about 3 cups), thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry sherry (or 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar)*
2 teaspoons of salt
*Be sure to look for gluten-free if you have a sensitivity.
Let’s get started.
1. Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. Add them to a large pot with the vegetable stock and the Herbes de Provence and bay leaf. The stock should be about 2 inches above the lentils; add water if it’s not at that level. Bring up to a boil and then simmer until the lentils are fully cooked, about 45 minutes, adding water as necessary. The lentils will retain their shape, but will no longer be hard or gritty on the inside.
2. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 300F degrees. On a sheet tray, spread out the walnuts and toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally. They will be slightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
3. Heat up a large saute pan and add the oil. Saute the onion over medium-high heat with a pinch of salt until it is soft and golden brown. Then add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the sliced mushrooms with another pinch of salt and saute until they are brown and much of the liquid has evaporated. The whole mixture should be soft and look caramelized. Then add the dry sherry, using it to scrape off any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until most of the sherry has evaporated. Then remove from heat.
4. In the food processor, pulse the walnuts until finely ground. Then add the cooked lentils (drained from their water and with the bay leaf removed), the mushroom mixture and the 2 teaspoons of salt. Puree until smooth. Taste the mixture and add salt until it tastes perfect. Then add two extra pinches of salt. It will taste too salty warm, but once it cools, it will taste perfect again. The palate perceives salt differently in hot and cold food.
5. Spoon mixture into a loaf pan or mold and cover with plastic wrap. Then place a similarly-sized container on top and weigh it down to press the pate. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours. Invert on a plate to serve as an hors d’oeuvre or spread on bread for your sandwich.
Be sure to visit Urban Chickpea for more delicious recipes and to inquire about Alia’s services as a personal chef.
Twitter: @urbanchickpea
Facebook.com/urbanchickpea
Next month Alia’s launching an underground dining event called Seek that brings together her experiences in fine dining kitchens with her love of wholesome, plant-based food. Spread the word!
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2 Comments to “The Urban Chickpea’s Mushroom Walnut Pate”
Just made some similar mushroom walnut pate for a function at work and all the omnis were going craaazy over it! I pureed some leftover pate into a mushroom and roasted garlic soup and it was absolutely baller.
This is incredible, the taste has such depth. It’s really good on the injera.
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