Mushroom Pâté
A blended mushroom and walnut pâté seasoned with fish sauce and Shaoxing wine for layered, unfussy depth.
Mushroom Pâté
A blended mushroom pâté built on deeply browned mushrooms, toasted walnuts, and an unlikely pairing of fish sauce and Shaoxing wine that adds umami depth without tasting distinctly Asian. It sets to a spreadable, rich consistency after chilling. Use this for your next banh mi, or toast with Asian cucumber and coriander.
Equipment
- 1 oven
- 1 small baking tray for toasting walnuts
- 1 medium fry pan
- 1 Food processor
Ingredients
Mushroom Pâté
- 320 g brown mushrooms sliced
- 4 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 100 g walnuts
- 100 g shallots chopped
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 4 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- 50 ml water
- 30 g unsalted butter cold, cubed
- 6 tbsp thickened cream
Instructions
Toast the Walnuts
- Preheat oven to 160°C fan and allow it to come to temperature fully.
- Spread walnuts on a baking tray in a single layer and toast for 3 minutes.
- Remove and set aside.
Cook the Pâté mixture
- Heat grapeseed oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add shallots and garlic and sauté until fragrant and softened.
- Add fish sauce and Shaoxing wine and stir through the shallot and garlic mixture.
- Add mushrooms and cook until reduced and golden, about 5 minutes, adding a splash of water to help the process along.
- Add toasted walnuts and simmer until the liquid is mostly reduced.
- Stir in butter and cream, then season with salt and cracked black pepper.
Blend and Chill
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor while still hot and blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a serving dish or container and chill until spreadable.
Blend while hot – blending cold dulls the flavour and causes the pâté to thicken excessively before it sets.
Notes
Storage
Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days in airtight container.Key pitfalls:
- Do not blend cold. The pâté must go into the food processor while still hot, then chill after blending. Cold blending dulls the flavour and makes it over-thick.
- Cook mushrooms until golden and reduced. Pulling them too early means excess moisture, which dilutes the final flavour and loosens the texture.
- Add water sparingly during the mushroom sauté – just enough to encourage browning, not enough to stew them.
