Lentil Pate
- Comments()
- Yield Serves 10
Ingredients
- 1 cup French green lentils
- 2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable stock
- 1/2 onion, cut into 3 wedges
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces shallots (about 1 1/2 cups), thinly sliced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, whites finely chopped, yolks reserved for another use
- 50 low-fat whole-wheat crackers
Directions
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Bring lentils, stock, 1 3/4 cups water, onion, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer, adding water as needed (about 1/2 cup at a time) to prevent lentils from drying out, until they are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard onion, thyme, and bay leaf; set
lentils aside. -
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, and cook, stirring often, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms;
cook until mushrooms have softened completely and shallots are deep-golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add sherry, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Remove from heat. -
Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of shallot mixture for garnish; refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. Process remaining shallot mixture, the lentils, and nuts in a food processor until coarsely combined. Transfer to a large bowl, and stir in the egg whites.
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Line a 5-by-10-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing 3 inches to hang over each long side. Spoon lentil mixture into pan, and fold plastic over
top. Top with another loaf pan filled with heavy cans. Refrigerate 4 hours (or overnight). -
To serve, unwrap top, and invert onto a platter. Bring to room temperature. Garnish with reserved shallot mixture and thyme sprigs. Serve with crackers.
Cook's Note
Toast the hazelnuts in a 250-degree oven until fragrant, about 20 minutes. Place them in a clean kitchen towel, and rub to remove the skins.
This was a "don't bother" for me. I've made several similar recipes and was looking forward to trying something made with lentils. I followed the directions exactly and while the pate turned out and held its shape i thought it soggy and didn't love the flavor. Not something I'd serve to guests or that I'd make again. There are better "mock" chopped liver or pate recipes out there.
This is a fantastic recipe. Have made it twice and it has been a complete hit. The flavor is amazing. Omitted egg.
Easier than I thought to put together! I only chilled for an hour (in the freezer, ha!) because I was short on time, and the pate came out fine.