Lentil Pâté Recipes

WALNUT LENTIL PATE

Steps:

• Place the lentils in a medium sized sauce pan. Fill the pan with enough water to submerge the lentils by a few inches. Bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20-25, or until the lentils are tender but not watery or mushy (I always do a first check at the 18-minute mark). Drain the lentils and set them aside.
• While the lentils cook, heat a medium sized sauté pan over low heat. Add the walnuts. Toast the walnuts for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, or until they're lightly browned and smell nutty. Remove the walnuts from heat and set aside.
• Return the pan to the stovetop and increase the heat to medium. Add the olive oil and shallots. Cook the shallots for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, and then add the garlic. Cook the garlic and shallots for another 3 minutes, or until everything is soft and fragrant. Add the lentils and combine ingredients well. Remove the pan from heat.
• When the lentils are cooked and drained, add the toasted walnuts to your food processor, along with the salt. Process until the walnuts form a fine meal. Add the lentil mixture and all other ingredients, along with 1/3-1/2 cup water (as much as you need to get a thick, yet smooth and spreadable consistency, similar to hummus). Process the pate till smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape the bowl down. Serve the pate with toast, crackers, or vegetable crudités.

LENTIL PATE

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.

LENTIL PâTé WITH CUMIN AND TURMERIC

Steps:

• Place the lentils in a medium saucepan with the water and bay leaf. Cut the onion in half, and add one half to the pot along with the crushed garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 35 to 45 minutes until the lentils are tender. Remove the onion half, and taste and adjust seasoning. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter or oil a 5-cup paté tureen or baking dish, or bread pan. Finely chop the other half of the onion. Heat the peanut or canola oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic and spices, and cook, stirring, until the mixture is fragrant and the spices are sizzling, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste, and continue to stir over medium heat until it has darkened, one to two minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Remove from the heat.
• Place the lentils and eggs in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Turn it on, add the olive oil and lemon or lime juice and process until smooth. Add the onion mixture, and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scrape into the prepared baking dish and cover tightly.
• Bake for 40 minutes until just set. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. For best results, refrigerate overnight. Serve at room temperature or cold.

RED LENTIL & SWEET POTATO PâTé

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook slowly until soft and golden. Tip in the paprika and cook for a further 2 mins, then add the sweet potato, lentils, thyme and stock. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 20 mins or until the potato and lentils are tender.
• Add the vinegar and some seasoning, and roughly mash the mixture until you get a texture you like. Chill for 1 hr, then drizzle with olive oil, dust with the extra paprika and sprinkle with thyme sprigs, if you like. Serve with pitta bread and vegetable sticks.

LENTIL PATE

Steps:

• Start by chopping up the onion and crushing the garlic. (This doesn't need to be done really thoroughly, as it's going in the food mixer later).
• Fry the onion and garlic in the oil. (The recipe said 1 tablespoon, but I've always used a bit more).
• Once the onion becomes translucent, add the spices and fry them for a little bit too.
• Add 180g of lentils, and the vegetable stock, and sprinkle some salt and pepper if desired.
• Leave the lentils to stew for about 20 minutes over a moderate heat until practically all the liquid is absorbed.
• Take the lentils off the heat and strain them, transferring into a food mixer.
• Add the mango chutney, the egg and the milk, and then blend until making a smooth paste.
• Pour into a lined loaf tin (about 3 inches by 8) and transfer to the oven for 40 minutes at 200 degrees C (Gas mark 6).
• Once removed for 20 minutes, turn out onto a wire rack (but leaf the baking paper stuck around to hold it together. Chill for a few hours and then serve with salad, pitta and more mango chutney.

LENTIL CAKES (PATTIES)

Steps:

• Place lentils and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain.
• In a large bowl, mix together the cooked lentils, milk, wheat and barley cereal, eggs and walnuts. Season with onion soup mix and poultry seasoning. Mix well using your hands, as the mixture will be very thick. Let stand for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Use an ice cream scoop to portion out balls of the lentil mixture. Drop the scoops into bread crumbs, and coat while flattening into patties. Fry burgers in the hot skillet until nicely browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the patties.

RED LENTIL PATE

Steps:

• Wash lentils quickly, drain, and place the lentils in a 3-4 quart saucepan.
• Add the water or stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Chop the onions and the garlic very finely.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil.
• Add the garlic, onions, and herbs and saute over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until the onions and garlic are browned and fragrant.
• Oil a 9-inch shallow baking pan or loaf pan and sprinkle with half the bread crumbs, completely coating the inside of the pan.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Chop the parsley finely.
• When the lentils are done, stir them thoroughly to mash, add the onion mixture, bread crumbs, and parsley.
• Season to taste with sea salt, vinegar, and pepper.
• Pour the lentil mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until set.
• Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing.
• Enjoy!