Ingredients
- 30 g butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 brown onion, finely chopped
- 400 g button mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 100 ml Marsala or dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 100 g cream cheese, softened
- ½ teaspoon truffle oil, plus extra to taste
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Optional topping
- 40 g butter, melted
- A few sliced mushrooms, sautéed until golden
- Fresh thyme leaves
Method
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for approximately 8 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden and all the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the garlic, thyme and nutmeg. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Pour in the Marsala or white wine and cook until it has almost completely evaporated. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor. Add the lemon juice and softened cream cheese, then blend until smooth or leave slightly textured, depending on your preference.
- Add ½ teaspoon truffle oil and blend briefly to combine. Taste before adding any more, as truffle oil can quickly become overpowering.
- Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Divide the pâté evenly between two small round ramekins and smooth the tops.
- Decorate with sautéed mushroom slices and fresh thyme. Pour over a thin layer of melted butter, if using.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Remove from the fridge about 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with toasted sourdough, baguette slices or crackers.
For the truffle oil, the best substitutes are:
- 1 teaspoon porcini powder for a deeper mushroom flavour without the truffle taste.
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped soaked dried porcini mushrooms.
- Or simply leave it out and add an extra ½ teaspoon thyme plus a small splash of soy sauce or tamari for extra savouriness.
My pick would be ½ teaspoon truffle oil, then taste before adding more.
By: Chrissy Rob Foodie
