Mushroom pâté toasts with eggs & thyme salt
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- plus at least 1 hr chilling
- Easy
- Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 250g chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 tsp thyme leaves
- 4 tbsp soft cheese
- 4 eggs
- a few pinches of flaky sea salt
- 4 slices bread, toasted
- drizzle of truffle oil (optional)
Method
- STEP 1
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the shallot for 6 mins until soft. Add the chestnut mushrooms, turn the heat up to high and fry for another 8-10 mins until softened and all the moisture that has been released has evaporated. Stir in the garlic and 2 tsp of the thyme, and fry for another 1 min, then remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 mins.
- STEP 2
Spoon the mushroom mix into a small food processor, add the soft cheese and blitz until smooth, or do this in a jug with a hand blender. Transfer to a container and chill for 1 hr. Will keep chilled for up to three days.
- STEP 3
Lower the eggs into a pan of simmering water and cook for 6 mins for soft-boiled, or 10 mins for hard-boiled (you may want a mix of both, depending on preferences). Cool under the tap until you can comfortably handle the eggs. Mix the flaky sea salt, remaining thyme and a crack of black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- STEP 4
Peel the eggs, then cut the hard-boiled eggs into wedges for little fingers, or into slices. Cut soft-boiled eggs horizontally to reveal the jammy yolk. Spread the mushroom pâté over the toasts. (You could spread a base layer of soft cheese or butter first, if you like). For confident eaters, add the eggs on top and sprinkle over some of the thyme salt, then add a drizzle of truffle oil, if using. For little ones, serve the toast in finger-wide strips, alongside the boiled egg.
