Faux Gras

 

12 medium-sized (100g, about 1 cup) button mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted

1 small onion peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic peeled and minced

2 cups (400g) cooked green lentils

1 cup (140g) toasted walnuts or pecans

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced

2 tablespoons fresh sage or flat leaf parsley

optional: 2 teaspoons Cognac or brandy

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

1. Wipe the mushrooms clean. Slice off a bit of the stem end (the funky parts) and slice them. Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet or wide saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until theyʼre soft and cooked through, another 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. In a food processor, combine the cooked lentils, nuts, lemon juice, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, sage or parsley, Cognac (if using), brown sugar, and cayenne. Scrape in the cooked mushroom mixture and process until completely smooth. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and additional cognac, soy sauce, or lemon juice, if it needs balancing.

3. Scrape the pâté into a small serving bowl and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.

Serving: Serve the pâté with crackers, hearty bread, or small toasts. A nice accompaniment is shallot marmalade or just a few pickles alongside. Storage: The spread will keep for 4 days in the refrigerator. It can frozen for up to two months, well-wrapped.

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Christmas 2023 - from a post that Karen Anderson shared

(recipe credit goes to Alex Gauthier)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot

Pinch of salt

2 cloves garlic

18 button mushrooms (400 g)

2 tsp rosemary

2 tsp thyme

2 tsp sage

2 tbsp cognac

400g cooked lentils (start with 115 g dry lentils)

150g toasted walnuts

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp beetroot puree

dairy-free butter (optional)

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan.

Roughly chop the shallot and add to the pan. Add a pinch of salt and cook the onions until they are translucent.

Roughly chop the garlic cloves and add to the pan. Cook this off and add the chopped button mushrooms. Stir until everything is well cooked. Add the rosemary, thyme, sage and cognac.

Add the contents of the frying pan to a food processor along with the lentils, walnuts and soy sauce. Pulse the mixture until combined then add in the beetroot puree. Process until almost smooth, add an extra splash of cognac if needed.

Transfer the mixture to a jar, adding on a thin layer of dairy-free butter to the top (optional). Refrigerate for a few hours before serving. Best served with good quality bread.