As I’m a devout mushroom lover, it would be remiss of me not to publish a recipe for a mushroom pâté ahead of Christmas. You are welcome! This vegan pâté takes very little effort and tastes absolutely divine. It’s perfect spread on crackers, oatcakes or a slice of sourdough bread.

Even Duncan, who isn’t as crazy about mushrooms as me (he likes them but does not get nearly as excited about them as I do) and was not keen on the concept of a vegan pâté with mushrooms when I first put it on my recipe list for Christmas, could not get enough of this pâté. His exact words were ‘it’s outstanding’ or maybe he was just famished after kayaking in cold Welsh river on a cold winter day…

The ingredients are fairly straightforward and widely available and the process quite simple too. As mushrooms contribute most flavour, I used two types – dried porcini mushrooms and their aromatic stock and bog standard button mushrooms (although I got their brown rather than white variety). Caramelised aromatics, a healthy glug of fortified wine and herbs (I used rosemary) are all fantastic backing singers. Soy sauce and red miso paste amplify umami-rich flavour even more and cashews or chestnuts yield creaminess and body to this beautiful starter.

This umami rich vegan pâté is topped with a thin layer of balsamic jelly, which does not only makes it look pretty, it protects the pâté from drying out and offers nice textural and flavour contrast too.

In terms of setting this pâté, you have two different options. If you are after an indulgent, ‘it’s Christmas, I don’t care’ texture, go for melted vegan butter option. It’s hassle free and produces a delicious result. If, however, you are a bit more health conscious no matter what time of the year, use vegan gelatine – aka agar agar powder – to set this pâté without the need for extra fat. And if you wanted to make it oil-free altogether, you could even go a step further and sauteé the aromatics and mushrooms in vegetable stock instead of olive oil.

MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

PORCINI: dried porcini are a real flavour bomb so using them in a mushroom pâté is no brainer. If you decide to use them, make sure to clean them very well as their dried flesh is notorious for trapping grit. I clean them with a brush first, then after I soak them in boiling water, I clean them once more under a cold tap – once they are rehydrated it’s easier to dislodge grit particles with your fingers. I also pour the stock through a sieve lined with two paper kitchen towels to ensure it’s totally grit free. If cannot get hold of them, simply double the amount of fresh mushrooms and use a mushroom stock cube instead.

MUSHROOM: You can use any fresh mushrooms you enjoy, but as I wanted this recipe to be as accessible as possible, I went for brown mushrooms known as chestnut in the UK (and cremini in the US).

ROSEMARY: I used some fresh rosemary to flavour my pâté, but fresh thyme would be my second choice. You could, of course, use dried herbs too, but go easy on them – I would start with a good pinch – as they tend to be (provided they are not stale) more pungent than fresh.

MARASLA WINE: a good glug of sweet fortified wine is a nice addition to a festive pâté. I used marsala wine, but port or sherry would also work just as well. Failing that white wine and a pinch sugar will also do. If you don’t consume any alcohol, however, simply used extra porcini stock in place of alcohol.

CASHEWS: cashews add creaminess and body to this pâté and lighten the colour a little. You could also use walnuts but they have a less neutral flavour and I wanted a clean mushroom flavour, which is why I opted for slightly sweet but otherwise neutral cashews. Another option, perfect if you are allergic to tree nuts nuts, are chestnuts. Despite having ‘nuts’ in their name, chestnuts are usually safe to consume for people who suffer from tree nut allergies. I recommend cooked chestnuts (that come in vacuum packed) as these tend to be readily available in supermarkets around Xmas. If using chestnuts, your pâté will turn out a little darker in colour, which is not a problem, but you won’t get that nice colour contrast between the two layers. Finally, if you cannot eat nuts or chestnuts, hulled sunflower seeds will be the alternative I can suggest.

RED MISO PASTE: red miso goes beautifully with mushrooms and I used it to deepen the flavour of this pâté. If you only have white miso paste, use that instead – it has simply been fermented for less longer so the flavour is much more mellow. If you haven’t got either of these, add a little more soy sauce and maybe a few drops of vegan Worcester sauce if you have it.

VEGAN BUTTER: adding vegan butter is one way of giving a pâté a firmer and a more luxurious texture. I like the Danish brand Naturli and the Greek brand Violife. Another way is agar agar, which I will explain below.

AGAR AGAR: agar agar powder is a vegan gelatine obtained from algae. You can use it to set the pâté instead vegan butter and to set the jelly. It comes in two forms powder and flakes and I always recommend getting the powder as the flakes (which are three times less potent than powder btw) never fully dissolve in my experience.

SOY SAUCE: I like adding a dash of soy sauce here to add a bit of depth of flavour (alongside some saltiness). I used all purpose Kikkoman soy sauce. If you want to keep this dish gluten-free, use tamari instead (check the label but tamari usually is brewed without any wheat)

BALSAMIC: I wanted something tangy to contrast with the creaminess of the pâté underneath and aged balsamic is what I decided on as mushrooms and balsamic are a match made in heaven (have you tried my balsamic mushroom pasta yet? It’s one of my favourites). Use aged balsamic if possible – it’s thicker, more syrupy and has a deeper flavour. If you only have a bog standard balsamic, you may want to add a touch more maple syrup or sugar to the jelly to counter its harshness.

Pan-fry aromatics first and mushroom second (in the same pan) until softened and lightly caramelised. Add rosemary towards the end of mushroom frying step.

Add all the remaining ingredients, with the exception of butter or agar agar, back to the pan. Simmer gently for a few minutes, cool down and transfer to a mini blender (if you are after smooth texture) or food processor (if you prefer your pate to have a bit more texture). Add melted vegan butter or activated agar agar before blending, processing until you achieve the desired consistency.

Once blended, transfer to a clean jar or container that can hold at least 360 ml (1½ cups) and refrigate until fully set before topping with the jelly layer.