Vegan Chicken Paté with Sautéed Pears

Yield: approximately 12 appetizer servings

Following is one of the recipes I created and prepared for our "Happy Birthday, Julia Child!" dinner party this past Saturday night (see the post below for a photograph, menu and more). Though this is my own concoction rather than a veganized version of one of Julia's, I created it in the spirit of her passion for all things French, including paté with butter!

Originally, I called this recipe a chicken liver paté, but a reader thought that "liver" sounded unappetizing, so I changed the name because there is nothing liver-like in the dish. Rather, it combines vegan chicken strips with all of the addicting ingredients for a chicken liver paté that my good friend and caterer *Monica Holmes used to make: toasted pecans, onions, mushrooms, cognac and more.

Often patés are served with cornichons but, for some reason, lightly sauteed pears sounded more beautiful and tasty with this dish...and they were! It was a hit with all of the guests, as was everything on our potluck menu.

Bon Appetit!

1 1/4 cup pecan pieces
1-2 tablespoons canola oil (or olive oil)
1/2 large red onion, diced
2-3 cloves sliced garlic
1 small carton (approximately 8 ounces) sliced baby portabellas
1 teaspoon dried faux chicken seasoning
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Amino Acids
2-4 tablespoons cognac (I used 3)
1- 8 ounce package of Meal Starters Chik?n Strips (vegan), thawed, and strips cut into thirds
4 tablespoons softened vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
2-4 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk (I used 3)
Coarse sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnish: 2-4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Toasted baguette slices or mini-bagel or pita chips

Dry roast pecans in a large iron skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until they take on a slightly toasted flavor. Transfer to another bowl to cool. Heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté onions until they begin to soften. Add garlic and sauté a minute more. Add mushrooms and sauté until slightly softened. Stir in herbs and heat through. Add Amino Acids and cognac, sautéing a minute or so or until alcohol is cooked off. Be careful, as alcohol can ignite, though the flames will extinguish when the alcohol has evaporated. Transfer mixture plus pecans to a food processor, add faux chicken, and process until fairly smooth, scraping down sides of bowl a couple of times. Add butter and process a few more seconds. With motor running, stream in soy milk until mixture is quite smooth, scraping sides as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heap into a serving bowl or onto a serving platter and garnish with the parsley. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature surrounded by sautéed pears with toasted baguette slices or bagel/pita chips alongside.


Sautéed Pears

4 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
2-4 tablespoons cognac (optional)
4 Anjou pears, halved, cored, quartered, and each quarter cut into thirds
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of cinnamon
Coarse sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In the same skillet in which the pate was prepared, melt butter over medium-high heat, add pears and sauté for a minute or so. Add optional cognac plus garlic powder and cinnamon and sauté pears until they are slightly softened and golden. Use caution as, again, alcohol can ignite, though the flames will extinguish when the alcohol has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*Monica Holmes is the owner of The Clean Plate Club, an award-winning catering company in Nashville, TN.