FESTIVE VEGETARIAN PATE & MUSHROOM DOME; Vegetarian indulgence with vegan options

Rich,warming scrumptious vegetarian Christmas pie but still lower-fat and wholesome...includes Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy

 Vegetarian Pate & Mushroom Pie, with option for Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy

'Fantastic! Meat eaters would not be disappointed. The Gravy was unusual and amazing.' Tasters

This rich delectable meat-free pie is perfect for the Christmas table.  It offers two layers of fabulousness - a crunchy terrine of toasted walnuts and onions, topped with exotic and chestnut mushrooms sautéed in brandy.  

Supermarket puff or shortcrust pastry envelopes the duo, and the whole is topped off with lashings of vegetarian gravy with red wine.   

It will go perfectly with the usual elements of Christmas dinner dinner - roasties, sprouts and cranberry sauce.

A culinary jewel like this does not come simply and indeed, involves three stages  stretched over a couple of days at most.  The steps however are simple and easily completed.  

Cost: without Red Wine Gravy but incl 1 sheet all-butter pastry £7'ish

Feeds: 3-4

START THIS RECIPE A DAY AHEAD

Ingredients/Method for each stage:  

Stage 1: Vegetarian Pate

1 cups pecans or walnuts (nb nut pieces are cheaper than whole halves) 

1 boiled egg, cooked as below (opt)

1 cup raw yellow onion in small dice

          1/2 tb each olive oil and butter OR 1 tb oil 

1/2 tb soy sauce

1/4 tsp cider or white vinegar

1 med cloves garlic, grated

1/2 tb olive or sesame oil, or half and half

2-4 tbsp oatmeal 

1/4 tsp dried sage

          1/8 tsp mace (opt)

           1/8 tsp sumac or zest of a lemon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

          scant tablespoon stock (granules are fine)

       1 tbsp fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

          1 tablespoons wholegrain mustard (sweeter) OR Dijon mustard

          generous tablespoon cranberry sauce (your own or store-bought) 

       1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs (you might not use all of them)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c/350F.  Spread out nuts on a large baking tray with plenty of space in between.  Bake scant 5 mins; check regularly - nuts turn from golden to burnt in a flash. Cool.  Turn off oven.
2. Place egg in a pan of water to cover; bring to a boil; bubble one min; turn off heat; cover 7 mins.  Drain; cover with cold water; peel; set aside
3. Heat frying pan over med; when ready add oil/butter and onions, sautée 8-10 mins without browning, until translucent (it could take up to 15 mins).
4. Coarsely chop nuts and eggs, mix in a bowl with onions.  
5. With stick or bowl processor, pulse until texture is broken up but still contains bits of nuts - it's a coarse texture you're after, not a puree.
6. Add soy sauce, cider vinegar, garlic, olive/sesame oil, thyme, sage & mace, sumac/lemon zest, salt & pepper.  Stir, distributing evenly
7. Combine with half the oatmeal; check texture, it should hold together in a spoon - if not, add a little more oatmeal gradually
8. Mix in stock and fresh parsley.  Refrigerate a few hours or pref overnight

Stage 2: Mushrooms with Garlic and Brandy

* adapted fr Gourmet Housewife

Ingredients:

450gm/15oz mixed exotic & chestnut mushrooms

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter (opt - replace with extra oil)

2 thinly sliced shallots OR the whites of 2 spring onions, finely chopped OR 1/2 tbsp onion granules 

          finely grated zest 1 lemon

       juice of half a lemon

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 tsp each thyme, salt & pepper

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (opt)

2 tb bourbon, brandy, white wine or grape juice

2 tbsp chives

Method:

1. Melt butter & oil in heavy based pan over med-high, add shallots/red onions & garlic; cook, stirring until slightly softened and translucent - 3 mins
2. Add mushrooms in batches, when each batch is golden brown, add to a large bowl; when complete, return to pan.  Stir in thyme, salt & pepper and lemon zest and juice, stirring until no mushroom liquid remains - the whole process will take 8-10 mins
3. Stir in brandy & Worcestershire sauce, if using, scraping up brown bits.  
4. Add a tablespoon butter (or plant butter), cook a couple of mins until mushrooms are slightly saucy and glazed.  Take off heat, stir in chives. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight.

Construction & Baking:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F; slide in a baking sheet upside down to heat up 
2. Roll out the pastry on greaseproof paper into a rectangle; mentally divide it into two vertical halves (67 used M&S' ready-to-use all-butter puff pastry but has used Waitrose frozen in the past with good results)
3. Mould the pate into a large burger shape about 4 inches across; brush with a thin layer of cranberry sauce; on the left hand side of the pastry place a light layer of breadcrumbs in the centre, where you plan to set the pate down
   
    
4. Heap the mushrooms on top in a flattish mound - you mightn't need them all -  scatter a light layer of breadcrumbs over the top and sides 
5. Fold the right hand side of the pastry over, trying to leave a little space between the pate, mushrooms and the pastry.  Seal the three sides with the tines of a fork; trim to form a neat envelope; use scraps to cut a few stars for decoration (Note: you could use 2 sheets of pastry to make a circular pie, adding another £2 to the cost.  But you'd have plenty of scraps left over to make into trees, bells and angels scattered with icing sugar and maybe a few silver sprinkles.)
6. Beat an egg yolk with a half teaspoon water; brush all over the top and sides of the dome, paying particular attention to the edges.  Stick on the stars and brush them, too.  Cut a small hole in the top of the dome
7. Open the oven door; slide your left hand under the Vegetarian Pate & Mushroom Dome, including the greaseproof paper, and carefully slide onto the baking tray
8. Bake 25-30 mins or until inside registers 65degrees centigrade
9. Serve with plenty of cranberry sauce and lots of hot gravy alongside but not on the pastry

 Stage 3: Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy

Ingredients:

1 med red onion, finely chopped

1 peeled celery stick, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, grated

125ml red wine

35 gm red lentils, soaked in boiling water 30 mins & drained

1 tbsp vegetarian stock granules

350 ml water or stock

1/2-1 tb Dijon mustard

1 tbsp cranberry sauce

shot of brandy or whiskey

zest of half a large orange

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives  

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, cook onions and celery in olive until soft, without browning (about 10mins)
2. Add garlic; stir; add red wine
3. Let bubble gently until liquid is reduced by half (about 10 mins)
4. Add lentils and rest of ingredients; bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer; cook 30 mins
5. Check seasoning
6. Blitz in food processor; if too thick, thin with stock

Comments:

'Fantastic! Meat eaters would not be disappointed. Exceptional filling and great pastry.  The gravy was amazing, really unusual and would be great with any dinner.' Political Agent & Retired Paratrooper

'A really lovely combination of semi-coarse pate and glorious boozy mushrooms; deeply savoury and herby but in a good way.  Possibly a rich shortcrust pastry might have been better?' Retired writer

Tips: 

• 67 is not a great fan of red wine and it was difficult working on the Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy.  But the balance of flavours - after trial and error - seemed fine in the end.  Clearly a good wine is a pre-requisite but if 67 has it wrong, let us know. 
• The Blogger had this the day after it was baked, re-heating the leftovers at 180C/350F in the bottom of the oven 15 mins.  With plenty of piping hot gravy and cranberry sauce, it was even better than on serving day!
• Replace Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy with either of these gravies: 

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission