Piped patés!

Alternatively you could be “cheffy” and forget the faff and make different patés – piped and topped with appropriate garnish they look very professional but most of all yummy!

I'd bake the bread slices without the paté topping so that it is crispy and allow it to cool.

Here are three easy, peasy recipes.

Mushroom paté

250g chestnut mushrooms

250g cream cheese

4 cloves of roasted garlic

30g unsalted butter

a glug of extra dry sherry*

salt and black pepper

2 tsps of tapenade – optional

For garnish thinly sliced circles of

sweet baby peppers

Trim the mushrooms, clean and then slice finely. Using a medium frying pan – mine measures 28cms in diameter - melt the butter and then add the sliced mushrooms with the garlic and sauté. Mushrooms release liquid and they need to be sautéed until it has disappeared – 10 minutes. 7 minutes into the cooking time add a glug of sherry. Continue sautéeing until the sherry has been absorbed – 3 minutes.

Let the mushrooms cool.

Blitz the mushrooms in a food processor, add the cream cheese and blitz again. Season to taste and leave to cool. Decant the paté into a piping bag with any leftover into a box and fridge until required.

Ready for action!