Many people I’ve met who have never tasted pâté tell me they don’t like it. Really? They’ve never tasted a pâté, but the very thought of it sends them to their dark place? How can this be when pâté is one of my favorite nibbles? I don’t care if it’s made with duck or goose livers (pâté de foie gras), chicken livers (like my French Chicken Liver Pâté recipe) or mushrooms and cooked lentils as featured in this incredible vegetarian pâté from David Lebovitz. (I made a couple of minor changes BTW, but this is fundamentally David’s recipe.)
All I know is that a truly delicious pâté is a joy and a delight! And when it can be inexpensive to prepare, low in calories, vegetarian, and damn delicious – all the better! I mean really folks, what’s not to like? It’s not cooked turnips for God’s sake!
So for our next JazzVox before concert meal, I’m going to prepare this pâté. And if I’m feeling magnanimous, I might tell our guests beforehand that no duck, goose, or chicken was harmed in the making of the pâté. But I’m old. I might just be feeling cantankerous that day, and leave my guests to wonder if a poor little critter lost its life just so I could prepare this treat for them.
But don’t worry too much for my guests. I’ll probably do the right thing and tell them the truth. So no prayers need be sent their way. On the other hand, I could use a tiny prayer or two sent on my behalf. Mr. C won’t be available to lend a hand during the concert. His hands will be otherwise occupied as piano accompanist for our wonderful guest vocal artist Jackie Ryan. So any help from a benevolent deity on the day of the concert couldn’t possibly hurt. Thank you in advance for your consideration in this matter.
And do try this amazing appetizer recipe for your next get-together. You just will not believe how delicious it is. (And yes, it does take time to prepare. But every single minute spent is well worth the effort.)
Word of advice: if someone offers you a taste of pâté de foie gras, say yes please. After all, foie gras isn’t considered a luxury food for nothing!
- 2 c. vegetable broth (I use 2 cups water and 1 slightly rounded teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)
- 1 c. dried lentils, rinsed and drained (I use Bob’s Red Mill “Heritage Beans” Lentils)
- 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 T. unsalted butter
- ½ med. yellow onion, diced
- 8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 c. toasted walnuts
- 2 T. fresh lemon juice
- 1 T. Tamari or soy sauce (I use organic GF Tamari)
- 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
- scant 1 T. roughly chopped fresh sage
- 1 T. chopped Italian parsley
- 1 T. good Cognac
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- scant 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Bring broth to boil in a small covered pan. Stir in the lentils, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until soft. Stir every once in a while. Remove from heat, uncover, and allow to cool before using.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add the onions, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent and the mushrooms begin to brown, 12-15 minutes. (Don’t rush this step. You want the onions and mushrooms to start caramelizing, but not for the onions to get dark brown, but still be crisp.) Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Remove pan from heat and allow contents to cool.
In a food processor, combine half of the cooked lentils, toasted walnuts, lemon juice, Tamari, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, Cognac, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Add the cooked mushroom mixture and process until completely smooth. Add the remaining cooked lentils, and whirl again until the pâté is perfectly smooth. Taste, and add additional salt, pepper, Cognac, Tamari soy sauce, or lemon juice as needed.
Scoop the pâté into a small serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours or up to 4 days. Serve with crackers, hearty bread, or toasted baguette slices. Cornichon pickles are a great accompaniment to the pâté.