Creamy vegan mushroom pâté with candied walnuts

Prepare these vegan mushroom pâté with candied walnuts canapés ahead of time. When the party starts, all you need to do is pop them in the oven!

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat, and fry the mushrooms for 15-20 mins until very soft, and any liquid that’s been released has evaporated. Stir in the garlic, 1 tbsp thyme leaves, 1 tsp sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper, and cook for 3 mins more. Leave to cool slightly.
Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor and blitz to a thick paste. Add 100ml soya cream, then blitz again until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as you go. You may need to add up to 50ml more cream. Season to taste, then spoon into a serving dish or bowl and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Drizzle over enough olive oil to coat the top of the pâté – it should be just enough to stop it drying out. Cover and chill for 2 hrs until firm. Will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hrs.
To make the walnuts, put the sugar in a medium heavy-based frying pan with 1 tsp water, and stir to dissolve. Bring to a medium-high heat and bubble for 10 mins without stirring until the sugar has melted and turned into a golden caramel. Stir in the nuts, 2 tsp thyme leaves and a pinch of sea salt, then tip onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment and leave to cool. Once cool and set, bash or break into chunks.
To serve, spread the pâté over the sourdough toast, then cut into bite-sized squares. Top with dollops of chutney and the candied walnuts.