Cheese Paté

A mouth watering starter that has never yet failed to have guests asking for the recipe.

Suitable for the vegetarian in your life and it lasts for weeks in the fridge if you inadvertently make too much (I always “inadvertently” make too much so I can have cheese paté sandwiches in my lunch box).

This goes beautifully with a Nobi sauce which is simplicity itself to make. Being childish in the extreme at Millbrooker Towers, this has quickly been named Knobby Sauce (ooh er, matron).

The Nobi sauce is an optional extra – it’s delicious, but the paté works very well without.


This recipe was broadcast on Insight Radio in conversation with Simon Pauley on his Morning Mix programme. Click the podcast icon below to hear the recipe and the chat.

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Ingredients to serve 6-8

Nobi Sauce:

2 eggs

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

500ml / 17 fl oz extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 teaspoons French mustard

1 clove garlic, crushed and then chopped.

2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives

Place the eggs into boiling water and boil for exactly 3 minutes.

Crack and scrape the contents out into a food processor (plastic blade fitted)

Work until the eggs are mashed.

Add the vinegar and oil through the processor’s feeding tube whilst the blade is working.

The sauce should become as thick as mayonnaise.

Add the remaining ingredients and set aside to infuse (at least a hour before serving).

Will keep refrigerated for several days in a sealed container. 

Paté:

250g / 9oz fresh broccoli

butter to grease a ceramic paté dish

50g fresh breadcrumbs

5 eggs

300ml / 10 fl oz single cream (milk will do the job, too)

500g / 1lb strong flavoured cheese, grated (Cheddar is good, so is Stilton if you like blue)

2 tablespoons cornflour

salt

freshly ground black pepper

half teaspoon dried thyme.

What to do:

Chop the broccoli into small pieces.

Grease a ceramic paté dish with butter and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs.

Heat the oven to 170˚C / Gas 3.

Beat the eggs and add the cream (or milk).

Add the grated cheese and cornflour.

Add a pinch of salt (to taste – think carefully about what cheese you’ve used – Stilton is already quite salty), plenty of freshly ground black pepper and the thyme.

Pour about half the mixture into the paté dish and add the broccoli pieces.

Pour the remaining mixture over the broccoli pieces.

Bake in the bottom of the oven of about 90 minutes. Test it with a skewer – the skewer should withdraw from the paté cleanly, if it has gloppy mixture on it then it needs more cooking time.

Set aside to cool and then refridgerate until needed. Turn the paté out onto a serving dish when ready to serve and serve with a small garnish of cherry tomatoes and green salad and with thinly sliced toast.

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To drink? This is a deliciously rich starter and works best with a light red, perhaps a Beaujolais.