A pâté or terrine of mushrooms and nuts wrapped in puff pastry has long been a favourite dish of mine. It’s wonderful for a special meal. 

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Ingredients

  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 250g/9 oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced roughly
  • 225g/8oz cashews, powdered in a food processor or coffee grinder
  • 225g/8oz ground almonds
  • 225g/8oz wholemeal breadcrumbs (stone-ground or very high fibre)
  • 2 tablespoons soya sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
  • 1 teaspoon yeast extract
  • 500g /1lb 2 oz puff pastry
  • Beaten egg or soya milk, for brushing

        Method

        1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
        2. In a large saucepan, fry the onions in the olive oil for 7 minutes, until tender, then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.
        3. Then tip the mixture into a food processor and blend to a purée.
        4. Put the ground cashew nuts and almonds into a bowl with the breadcrumbs, the mushroom purée, soya sauce, lemon juice, tarragon and yeast extract and mix well. It will be quite stiff. Season well with salt and pepper.
        5. Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured board to make a square about 38cm (15in) in size. Transfer the pastry to a baking sheet and heap the mushroom mixture in the centre, forming it into a loaf shape.
        6. Make diagonal cuts in the pastry about 1cm (½in) apart on each side of the mushroom mixture, then fold these up over the mushroom pâté to make a kind of plait effect. Tuck in the ends neatly, trim off any extra bits and brush with beaten egg or soya milk.
        7. Bake for 40 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

        For more great ‘Pies and Pastries’, click here.

        Recipe details

        Serves: 8

        Prep time: 0 hr

        20 mins

        Cook time: 0 hr

        55 mins

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