I’m really pleased with this recipe! I think that if I was served it in a restaurant, I would be worried that they were conning me into eating creamed corpse!

It tastes exactly how I remember smooth pâté to taste and feel in the mouth, but with a festive hit of cranberry, herbs and mixed spices. And the red onion and red kidney beans help it to look like the real thing too.

Plus, if you have a food processor, it’s relatively easy to make :o)

Festive pâté recipe (makes 3 ramekins’ worth / 6 generous portions):
Ingredients:

• ½ x small red onion (chopped)
• 1 x clove garlic (minced)
• 1 x tin red kidney beans (reserve the brine!)
• 1 x tbsp. tomato puree
• 1 x tsp sage
• 2 x tsp thyme
• 1 x tsp mixed spice
• 1 x tsp salt
• 2 x tbsp. dried cranberries (split into 2 equal portions)
• 1.5 x tbsp. soya cream
• 3 x tbsp. dairy free butter / marge (split into 3 equal portions)
• 2 x tbsp. vegetable shortening (I used Trex)

Method:

1. Drain the kidney beans but reserve the liquid.
2. Fry the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp of the butter until the onion is beginning to turn translucent
3. Add the kidney beans and herbs and fry for 2 minutes longer.
4. Put the content of the frying pan into a food processor and add the tomato puree, sage, thyme, mixed spice, salt, soya cream and ½ the cranberries. Whizz up until smooth. Leave alone until stage 7.
5. Gently melt 1 tbsp of the butter and all of the shortening (in a microwave or over the stove).
6. Whisk up the brine from the tin of kidney beans until pale and fluffy-looking. Carefully fold in the melted butter and shortening.
7. Start up the food processor again on a slow setting. Slowly pour the butter-brine-shortening mix into the pâté. Whizz until completely mixed.
8. Spoon into ramekins (or any nice looking small dish). Smooth down the tops and put in the fridge for 10 minutes or so.
9. When the pâtés are chilled, melt the remaining butter and pour a thin but solid layer over the tops of each. Chill until the butter has completely solidified and turned opaque. You can use more butter if needed.
   

   It was really late at night when I made these – so for the photo, the butter hadn’t properly set. It was past my bedtime!

10. I saved a few cranberries to decorate mine, but this is completely optional!

Enjoy on toast or crackers.

Flash-Gordonette…X