Wild Mushroom Pate

Including wild ingredients other than mushrooms, this pate is delicious and easy to makes as either a vegetarian or vegan dish. This simple recipe is sometimes sampled on our foraging courses

Wild mushroom pate finished with a leaf of Ground Elder

I'll admit, this recipe took a bit of work to get right - but then I am a bit fussy. Then I turned to one of my preserves, birch sap syrup, to get the flavour just as I wanted. But don't worry if you don't have access to any, there are a couple of suggestions for alternatives below.

This pate has been featured as one of the samples on our Autumn foraging courses while the weather has been particularly hot.

Recipe ingredients - makes one ramekin

50g mixed wild mushrooms - finely sliced

2 cloves minced garlic (or 2 tsp garlic puree)

1/2 small onion - finely chopped

1tbs olive oil

1tbs birch sap syrup (or 1/2 tbs liquid smoke, soy sauce, or teriyaki sauce)

2tbs of soft cheese, vegan yogurt, or vegan soft nut cheese

10 leaves Ground Elder (or flat leaved Parsley)

1-2tbs pine nuts (or hazelnuts)

salt and pepper

Method

1. Put olive oil into pan with onions and garlic, and fry on a low heat until onions are soft

2. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushroom juices have all evaporated

3. Stir in the birch sap syrup (or alternative)

4. Put contents into a bowl, allow to cool, then place into a fridge overnight

5. Put the cooled ingredients into a food processor

6. Add the soft cheese or vegan alternative

7. Pulse until well mixed

8. Add the pine nuts, Ground Elder (or Parsley) and season well with the salt and pepper

9. Blitz until you achieve your desired consistency - I go for a fairly smooth pate

10. Serve

The cheese/cheese alternative in this really dictates its longevity in a fridge, so it will only last a day or two.

This pate works very well with crackers and a leaf of Ground Elder to serve. I have been advised by a friend it also works very well as a picnic sandwich spread!

Discover more wild edibles and recipes on a foraging course

Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!