BLOGS

It’s mushroom hunting season in Vancouver, so run for the forests people!  Everyone always asks me for the recipe that I serve on our mushroom foraging tour, so here it is.  And yes, the tours start in September if you want to learn how to forage for your own.

Foraging note: BC forests are full of Boletes which are the family that porcini (King Boletes) come from.  I find that the Admirable Boletes (Boletus mirabilis) are a great one to use in this recipe as well (more of a lemony flavour).  Just note that you must dry Boletes before using them in the recipe.  You can also find lovely lobster mushrooms and chanterelles in some stores and in BC forests for the recipe.  If you want to learn more about how to safely forage for mushrooms, come on a tour this Sept-Nov.

Note: this wild mushroom pate recipe can be made with any types of mushrooms that you like.  A good store bought combo is dried porcini, shiitakes and oyster mushrooms.  

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups veg stock (or chicken)
• 1 ounce (1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms (wild dried admirable boletes or morels are nice too)
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup minced leeks (5 ounces)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup Amontillado Sherry (medium dry)
• 3/4 pound chanterelles (shitaake if you don’t have chanterelles), slice thin
• 3/4 pound lobster mushrooms or oyster mushrooms thinly sliced (3.75 cups appox.)
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup full fat, plain yogurt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) whole pumpkin seeds, toasted, cooled and finely ground in a food processor
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (or cornmeal if you need a gluten free option)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions: 

Butter a loaf pan. Bring stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove pan from heat, add dried porcini, and let soak in hot stock until softened, about 30 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, transfer porcini to food processor and blend till smooth.

Bring the stock still in the pot to a brisk simmer over moderate heat and simmer until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add back into blended porcini and blend till mixed.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook the mushrooms and leeks: Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add sherry and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  Heat 2 more tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add one third of chanterelles and oyster mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cook remaining mushrooms in 2 batches, adding 2 more tablespoons butter to skillet for each batch. Take all the leek and cooked mushroom mixtures and blend together till smooth in your food processor.

Mix and final blend:  Add cream, yogurt, porcini mixture, mushroom mixture, parsley, thyme, eggs and hazelnuts to blender and purée until mixture is smooth.   Stir in bread crumbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until well combined. Pour mixture into loaf pan and cover with foil.

Put loaf pan in a larger baking pan and add enough boiling water to reach halfway up sides of loaf pan. Bake until set 1/2 inch from edges, about 50 minutes (pâté will not be completely set in center and will look wet). Remove loaf pan from baking pan and let cool to room temperature on a rack. Refrigerate pâté in loaf pan, covered, for at least 6 hours. Bring pâté to room temperature before serving.  Spread on toasts and/or crackers.

Chef’s note: The pâté can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 days or frozen for longer.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

Chef Robin