Faux Gras (V)

Ingredients

• 12 medium-sized button mushrooms (100g, ~1 cup)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 400g cooked green lentils (2 C)
• 140g toasted walnuts or pecans (1 C)
• 2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbs soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
• 2 tbs fresh sage or flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste
• 2 tsp Cognac or brandy (Optional)

Directions

1. Prep Mushrooms: Wipe mushrooms clean, trim off tough stem ends, and slice.
2. Sauté Base: Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet or wide saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until onions are translucent.
3. Cook Mushrooms: Add mushrooms and cook 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully softened. Remove from heat.
4. Purée Pâté: In a food processor, combine cooked lentils, nuts, lemon juice, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, sage or parsley, cognac (if using), brown sugar, and cayenne. Add the cooked mushroom mixture and process until completely smooth.
5. Adjust Seasoning: Taste and balance with salt, pepper, and additional cognac, soy sauce, or lemon juice as needed.
6. Chill: Scrape pâté into a small serving bowl and refrigerate for several hours, until firm.
7. Yield: 6-8 appetizer-size servings

Chef's Notes

• Enjoy the pâté with crackers, hearty bread, or small toasts. Shallot marmalade or a few pickles make excellent accompaniments.
• Lentils double in volume when cooked. 160 g (1 C) dried lentils yields about the right amount and typically cooks in 20-30 minutes. Check package directions for specifics.
• For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce. For a vegan version, replace the butter with 60 ml (¼ C) olive oil. The cognac or brandy is optional but adds extra depth of flavor.
• The spread keeps up to 4 days in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen, well‑wrapped, for up to 2 months.
• Adapted from Très Green, Très Green, Très Chic by Rebecca Leffler

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