Hypothetically speaking, if I had some sort of restaurant or space that served food to people that were A) willing to hang out with me and B) willing to pay for it, I would serve a version of this–on a big wooden board with lots of pickled veg, warm olives, a pot of mustard, really good bread, maybe some radishes and other crunchy roots. I could pair it with some other little veg-based charcuterie-ish concoction (I’ve been working on a few).
I like that rustic, all hands in, no fussing around kinda vibe implied by charcuterie/cheese boards. The preparation requires a bit of forethought, but the result is worth it. You get a variety of goods that are easy to present/enjoy with people you like. Obviously these sorts of things are traditionally made with meat. The potential for variety in flavour and texture is exciting when you think about vegetables in this context though. My inspiration came from rillettes, which is generally prepared by slowly cooking cuts of salted pork (or other meats, sometimes fish etc.) in fat until soft. From here, the cooked meat is raked and mixed with the fat until a paste begins to form. The sheer amount of fat is what sets the mixture and allows it to keep for a while.
So yeah! Not entirely my thing, but sub in some broccoli and really good extra virgin olive oil? Count me in. Ina Garten is kind of my queen when it comes to entertaining basics and her grainy mustard roasted potatoes are pretty much the best. I love broccoli with the sharp zing of a mustard-y vinaigrette, so I thought I could intensify that flavour union by taking Ina’s approach. I threw in a leek with the roasting broccoli to get some sweeter, caramelized onion-like qualities. Once everything’s soft, it goes for a whirl in the food processor with lemon, tons of olive oil, a little extra mustard, salt, pepper, and some nutritional yeast.
I save a bit of of the lightly blitzed vegetables to garnish this pâté of sorts and then pour a nice cap of EVEN MORE olive oil on top. This creates a textural thing and helps to preserve the brilliant green. I worked for a chef that grumbled to me one time about another cook at the restaurant making a batch of vinaigrette with all extra virgin olive oil and then storing it in the fridge overnight. The one litre container of it was solid and not fit for immediate usage upon our realization at lunch the next day. Cool thing though? That approach gives this riff on traditional paté the solid heft that we’re looking for. Someone else’s mistakes = my veg-friendly charcuterie success. Anyway, this recipe is pretty easy, has normal/everyday ingredients and comes together pretty fast (minus chill time). Be a holiday hero to your plant-based friends!
Also! I’ve been making some stuff in other places lately. Here’s a little rundown with links: sweet potato chips AND homemade pumpkin spice lattes for Food 52, and some vegan + wholesome eggnog over at The Chalkboard. for a little sweets fête at Daily Candy. More to come too–holidays hip hip! :)
MUSTARD-ROASTED BROCCOLI PATÉ WITH LEEKS & LEMON
Print the recipe here!
SERVES: Makes roughly 2 cups of paté
NOTES: I’ve made this with cauliflower and romanesco instead of broccoli, and it was equally delicious. I think you could get away with using the diced up broccoli stems here as well, if you’re trying to get rid of some.
-The paté can rest in the refrigerator for up to 4 days if you’re making it ahead.
3 cups broccoli florets
1 leek, white + light green parts only, rough chopped
1 tablespoon heat-tolerant oil, such as grapeseed or avocado
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons grainy mustard, divided
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
sea salt and ground back pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + extra for the top layer
flaky sea salt to finish, such as Maldon
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the broccoli florets and leeks with the heat tolerant oil, 1 tbsp of mustard, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Once everything is coated, spread the mixture out on the baking sheet. Roast the vegetables until lightly browned and tender, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Pulse the mixture until the broccoli is finely chopped. Scoop up a spoonful to garnish the tops of your paté with. To the food processor, add the remaining mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parmesan/nutritional yeast. Pulse until everything is combined. With the motor running, drizzle the olive oil in through the feed tube. Continue to run the motor until you have a smooth, lightly chunky paste. Remove the bowl from the food processor and check the mixture for seasoning and adjust.
Scrape the paté mixture into your serving vessel and scatter the reserved fine chopped broccoli bits over the top, Pour a solid layer of more extra virgin olive oil on top. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours, or until the paté and oil layer are firm (but still spreadable). The paté can rest in the refrigerator for up to 4 days if you’re making it ahead.
Sprinkle a bit of flaky sea salt on top of the paté before you serve it with sliced bread, crackers, olives, pickles, vegetables etc.
This looks and sounds amazing – since moving to Italy I have slowly but surely adopted the Italian way of cooking vegetables long and slow in ample amounts of olive oil. It completely changes the flavour of cauliflower, broccoli etc. And a vegetarian charcuterie platter? Very much on board with that. Oh and that aubergine BLT too please – I have played with making aubergine bacon a few times, nothing perfect yet but even the first attempts were so good. Cannot wait to see your recipe! Also, I love that I am not the only one who thinks about the food they would serve in their hypothetical restaurant/cafe … I have my own list of pastries and cakes I would serve in my cafe. Congrats on the various features too!
I loved reading the vision of your restaurant and this idea is for veggie charcuterie is insanely creative. I’m just disappointed you left out the pork fat. ;) xo!
Heck yes! This looks absolutely incredible, I love the idea of adding some veggies to a charcuterie platter. I am not a vegetarian but always prefer vegetables, so having something green and fresh to balance out the weight of meat and cheese would be welcome. I’m putting this right at the top of the things I must make for holiday get togethers!
Let’s start that restaurant! :)
I adore this! It is so hard to find vegan/vegetarian charcuterie and this is bomb ass awesome girlfriend.
What Kris said, for real. Why isn’t that a real place? My favourite meals are often just salads and good bread and cheeses and dips. Picnic dinners. I guess that’s why mezze is so appealing.
Make it happen, girl. I’d be there all the time, even if it was in Niagara :)
This is pure genius. It’s so hard finding delicious vegetarian charcuterie. Can’t wait to give this a whirl!
I love this recipe, genius! And the first paragraph of this post had me transported to a magical place…sounds like you need to start a restaurant!!
I hope you open a veg restaurant one day! Love all your recipes and looking forward to trying this one as well.
Sorry, I didn’t get past Earl Grey Chocolate Milkshakes before I had to comment.
Oh. My. God. Died. In. Heaven.
Please say this is a recipe you have to share?! xxx
I’d totally pay to come hang with you + eat your grub. Maaaaybe after you’re finished with the house, a veggie heavy cafe could be your next project – if you haven’t already had it with cleaning up drywall dust. ;)
PS – High fives to being on Team Ina. She’s such a badass.
Your restaurant would be my favorite. For sure.
I’m with Hannah – that earl grey milkshake sounds amazing!
I would never, ever have thought to use broccoli in pate form, but this sounds fantastic! I love the spicy mustard & salt combination.
This is pretty much my favourite way to eat. I’d cross the ocean just to come and eat at your restaurant.
Your idea of a restaurant seems wonderful!
Your charcuterie board seems so neat as do the cozy benches, and Earl grey milkshakes(yum!)
I hate (too strong a word maybe? too-heavy silverware too! :D
Also, I’ve followed your website for months, but I’ve never had the time to comment on a post, because I’ve been busy, sometimes I don’t see the e-mails, etc. But, I checked my e-mail today and here I am! I’ve been meaning to say that I love your website layout and design (I enjoy the pink, green and grey colors) and that your photography is really well-done and your recipes are so neat! This is a really creative recipe! The broccoli in the little glass jar is so pretty too, as is the dark brown counter-top you have, they go really well together.
Thank you for having such a neat website!
Also, your eggnog recipe seems really interesting and I can’t believe how you make all these recipes and posts for your website as well as others, you must be fairly busy!
I think I might try the eggnog recipe soon!
Good luck with you other holiday recipes too!
Best,
-Eric
You little resto of dreams sounds like my kinda place, especially if your serving up dishes like this! Awesome recipe!
My family-in-law loves paté, and I just can’t stand the liver-y flavor. This, however, is my kind of spread. Also a beautiful, fresh, and light option for us warm-weather-holidayers. I’m adding it to our menu for early Christmas celebrations with the Aussie relies next week.
Hi, love your posts and made this at the wkd, it was special to say the least, great flavours
Hell yeah! Wanna be partners in crime? I could fall in love w a place like that! l.o.v.e. this. OXOX gorgeous photos. pinned ;)
Made this broccoli pate for our book club holiday get together and it was wonderful. Everyone asked for the recipe so I am posting a link to your blog from my posting for the evening. Happy Holidays! Only recently discovered you blog and I am becoming a big fan. Love the photos too!
This recipe looks amazing and like the perfect thing to have on a small platter of cheese and olives on Christmas Day. Problem is, I’ll be travelling from the 23 to the middle of the 25th – think I could make this ahead of time (the 22nd) and it would still be delicious on the 25th?
Hi Julia, I think you could make it that far in advance. The green colour might fade ever so slightly. Just remember to put a decent cap of oil on top of the pâté before you refrigerate it.
-L
Thank you, Laura. We will definitely be eating this on Christmas Day. I love your blog – thank you for the all the love and work you put into it.
This may be the most delicious meal I’ve ever prepared. I served the pate with toasted pumpernickel bread and red wine. My “savory tooth” was completely satisfied. Another miracle of healthy, satisfying and delicious food. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Okay, I’ve made this twice now and it is absolutely the most delicious thing that’s ever come out of my oven. I can’t believe how easy it is! ALSO. I threw in some garlic confit to roast with the broccoli and all I can say is: Do. This. Now.
That garlic confit move sounds so, so baller. Thanks Halley! :)
-L
Mm. What if you made this with Brussels sprouts? (Which I happen to have.) I’ll let you know if I try it.
Broccoli rillettes?! That is crazy genius right there. I can imagine how vibrant all those flavors taste against tender broccoli and sweet leeks. Can’t wait to make this – thank you for sharing your beautiful recipe.
Just wanted to say that I made this tonight and it was awesome. I saw it and knew I had to try it, but I tried not to get my hopes up about the flavors… but it totally delivered! Thanks for sharing.
Am totally eating up the vegetarian charcuterie idea. And FYI – if you had a restaurant, I would most definitely b) hang out with you and, b) pay for your good food.
I have made this a few times now (delicious) but this time I had a lot left over that I wanted to try and re-purpose… so I cooked up some brown rice penne pasta and finished it in this as a ‘pesto’ adding pasta cooking liquid, cashew parm, lemon juice, pepper flakes, and fresh cracked pepper. Definitely a good way to use this delicious spread another way!
That sounds sooo good! Thank you for this suggestion :)
-L