Pâté | The Camomile Lawn
True, he stayed out most days until after dark, but he always came back in time for tea at five and stayed in from then on to talk to her, if she would listen, to Max, if he was home, and tirelessly to Max's musical friends, who frequently stayed to supper, samples the pâtés, compotes and cooked meats with fresh vegetables with which Monika stuffed into the hampers.
The Camomile Lawn
Mary Wesley
My city may be on lockdown but I'm still going to do it in style. And by in style, I mean by eating an entire cheeseboard and drinking excess amounts of bubbly wine. This entries recipe comes from The Camomile Lawn, a beguiling look into the lives of closely connected individuals before and during WW2. I've had this book on my shelf for many months before I finally picked it up to read, and I'm quite glad I did. I've read it more than twice already now since the start of this year - working the characters words and expressions into my mind to think back on.
I'm sure that their meals during WW2 weren't exactly made up of enormous cheese boards covered in fruit and a range of (vegan) speciality cheeses, but oh well. It likely wasn't a mushroom based pâté either - and while I have faint memories of eating actual pate when young and not hating it - these days my tastes run much towards the non-animal based alternatives to classic foods such as these ones. The mushroom is fantastic in it - it has an almost meaty texture and flavour, especially when cooked with the rest of the delicious ingredients.
Pâté
Ingredients
300g oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
200g button mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp beef stock + extra if needed
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
20g walnuts, crushed
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
30ml tsp sherry
Sea salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a pan on medium heat - once melted add in the mushrooms and thyme and cook until they begin browning. Add a little salt and pepper at this stage, cook for another few minutes and then remove from the heat and place to the side.
Add another tbsp of butter to the pan and add in the shallots, cook until caramelised - around 5 minutes, then add in the walnuts and the garlic, cook for another few minutes before adding the mushrooms back into the pan, along with the beef stock and bay leaf.
Leave it lightly simmering in the pan until the liquid reduces down and then transfer to a blender or food processor, remembering to remove the bay leaf and any stems from the thyme. Deglaze the pan with the sherry, cook for a couple of minutes before adding it along with the olive oil into the blender or food processor with the rest of the ingredients.
In a pan melt the remaining tbsp of butter and place to the side to cool.
Season the mixture well with salt and pepper before blending until it is smooth. You can add a little more sherry or oil in during this time if it's too thick to blend properly.
Fill a ramekin or container to nearly the top (depending on the size of your container you may have enough for two!), and pour the melted butter on top to seal it.
Place into the fridge for at least a few hours to firm up and then enjoy with a cheeseboard, on a sandwich - or spooned directly from the jar.