“Faux Gras”: Vegetarian Lentil Pecan Pâté

A thoughtful, plant-forward alternative rooted in French country cooking that’s slow, simple, and deeply satisfying. Silky and herbaceous, this lentil-pecan pâté proves that comfort and vegetarian craft can happily share the same plate. Guest Chef Virginia Willis recently taught this at our cooking school.

Makes 3 1/2 cups

3 cups water

1 cup dry green or brown lentils or 2 cups cooked lentils

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or plant butter

1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced

12 medium-sized cremini mushrooms, washed and stem ends trimmed, sliced or 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms

3 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Juice of 1⁄2 lemon

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme

1 tablespoon freshly chopped sage, plus leaves for garnish

2 teaspoons bourbon, Cognac, or brandy

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar, raw sugar, or turbinado sugar

1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Freshly ground pepper

Crackers or crostini, for serving

Cornichons, for serving

Grainy mustard, for serving

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the salt and lentils. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, 15 to 17 minutes. You should have about 2 cups. (You can also use drained canned lentils.) Set aside.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is clear and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, another 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Remove from the heat to cool.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment combine the cooked and drained lentils, pecans, lemon juice, soy sauce, herbs, bourbon, brown sugar, and cayenne. Add the cooked and cooled mushroom mixture. Process until completely

smooth.

Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. (The mixture needs to be highly seasoned.) Transfer the pâté into a small bowl or bowls and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm. You can also portion it into freezable containers and save it for later.

Spread it generously on your favorite crackers, crostini, or rustic bread.

Georgia-born and French-trained, Chef Virginia Willis has foraged for berries in the Alaskan wilderness, harvested capers in the shadow of a smoldering Sicilian volcano and cooked for an eclectic mix of admirers including Jane Fonda, Bill Clinton, Morgan Freeman, and Julie Chrisley.

In 2019, Virginia made a personal commitment to her health, losing 65 pounds and keeping it off—an experience that reshaped not only how she cooks, but how she lives. Today, she’s a passionate advocate for realistic, joyful change, often reminding others: “If a post-menopausal, French-trained Southern chef can do it, you can, too.”

Virginia is a chef instructor for Food Network Kitchen and a James Beard Award–winning cookbook author. Her books include Fresh Start, Secrets of the Southern Table, Lighten Up, Y’all, Bon Appétit, Y’all, Basic to Brilliant, Y’all, Okra, and Grits. You can also follow her on Instagram.

We love it when she cooks and teaches with us. See who’s cooking and teaching with us next.