Mushroom pâté, as my grandfather used to make, was a combination of sautéed mushrooms and onions, mayonnaise, and a hard boiled egg. While this is certainly an acceptable vegetarian take on chopped liver, converting even liver fans like my dad’s side of the family, it definitely wasn’t vegan. First, for the egg, I decided to use soaked nuts, in order to give the paté the same kind of body that the egg brings, and for the mayo, I mimicked the flavors with a touch of olive oil and vinegar. For a little extra “eggy” punch, I like to season the paté with Indian black salt (kala namak). The result tastes almost exactly how I remember Grandpa’s paté tasting, and though he was far from vegan, I’m glad I can still enjoy the food he made for us, even with a little adaptation.
Grandpa’s Mushroom Paté
Servings
Ingredients
- 1 pint white button or cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 large white or yellow onions sliced
- 1/2 cup raw cashews or walnuts soaked for a few hours or over night
- 4-5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon kosher for Passover red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon black salt or to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and sweat slowly for about 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushrooms have cooked down, and the mixture is golden brown and fragrant. The volume of vegetables in the pan should be considerably reduced from when you started. Let cool at least 10 minutes.
- Add the mushroom and onion mixture to a food processor. Drain the nuts, and add them as well. Begin to chop the mixture in the processor, and stream in the oil and vinegar while the machine is running. Add the salt and pepper, and pulse again to combine. Taste for seasoning. The mixture should chopped very, very finely, and should be fairly smooth (but not entirely pureed). Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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