Here’s the recipe for
Mushroom Almond Pate that we enjoyed as one of our Gourmet Club appetizers this
year. Since the Pinot Noir pairs well
with mushrooms and pate, this should be a winner for pairing with the wine!
Mushroom Almond Pate
This pate is best prepared 4 – 6 days in advance. Use of a food processor is assumed, but not necessary.
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp butter 1 cup slivered almonds
1 tsp fresh thyme (or rosemary) ˝ cup fresh parsley
˝ tsp salt ˝ tsp pepper
˝ onion 1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp dry vermouth or cognac ˝ lb. mushrooms
In a frying pan, melt one
tablespoon butter over medium heat and sauté almonds until golden brown. Remove to a bowl and wipe out pan. (Almonds can also be toasted in an enamel pan
without butter if desired)
Chop parsley until very fine
in a processor with the metal blade. Set
aside. Chop onion. Heat 2 tablespoons butter
in pan and sauté onions until soft and transparent. Chop garlic followed by the mushrooms with
quick pulses (being careful not to over-process). Add garlic and mushrooms to onions in pan and
sauté until liquid evaporates. Add
thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir and remove
from heat.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of
almonds and process the rest until finely ground. Do not over-grind. Add mushroom mixture and vermouth, processing
enough to blend. Add reserved almonds
and all but 2 tablespoons of parsley. Pulse to incorporate. Press mixture into a howl and sprinkle
with remaining parsley. Refrigerate
several days to allow flavors to blend.
Serve with thin slices of
crusty French bread and a sampling of flavored mustards.