Cooking the porcini mushrooms down to a glaze and then combining them with a 'roast hazelnut butter' produces a pate with a huge and complex depth of flavour. It's dairy and gluten free and is a hit with vegans and hardened carnivores alike. Serve with a fruity jelly like Crab apple or Rowan.
Serves 12-15 as a starter, is also excellent as a main dish with roasted vegetables
Equipment needed: food processor to make the hazelnut butter
Ingredients
1 x 25cm long terrine mould or similar/vessel to set the pate
100gm dried porcini mushrooms
200gm red wine
100gm water
5 medium banana shallots, 200gm, peeled and finely diced
4 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fruit jelly, like crabapple sloe or redcurrant
¼teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tin of coconut milk( 330ml)
2 teaspoons fine agar agar powder
500gms roasted skinned hazelnuts
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
Method
If you haven't bought the hazelnuts already skinned, pre-heat the oven to 170°C and roast the hazelnuts for 10-15 minutes or until dark brown, then cover with a damp tea towel and allow to cool. Rub the skins off (this takes time)
Nb you will never remove all of them! Get rid of the skins
Soak the porcini with the red wine and water for 25 minutes
In a medium sized saucepan heat the oil on a moderate heat and sauté the shallots for 4-5minutes until turning golden, add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more.
Add the rehydrated porcini with all the liquor, gently reduce and stir regularly until the liquid has thickened to a glaze. Simmer until most of the liquid has reduced and then stir the mushrooms are glazed.ie gold coated with a thick creamy sauce
Add the cayenne pepper, mustard and jelly, plus the coconut milk. Bring to the boil and simmer and stir for a few minutes until beginning to reduce, add the agar agar and simmer and whisk for 5 minutes until fully dissolved and incorporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile transfer the skinned hazelnuts to a food processor and blitz for approximately 5 minutes or until a smooth creamy butter.
Finally stir the hazelnuts into the porcini mix. Transfer to a lined terrine mould (or ramekins) and chill in fridge for 2 hours until set.
