Steak? Ta-ta!👋 | vegan paté
Vegan paté topped with a plant-based egg yolk and surrounded by fried ribbons of parsnip. Just one of many serving possibilities!
Steak? Ta-ta! | vegan paté
Say 'ta-ta' to steak! And especially to steak tartare, the gruesome paté of raw meat. This is the 21st century and we eat like it here!
Versatile dish
If this fancy, meaty-looking presentation puts you off, fear not: there are many other ways to present and eat it and they’re all a lot simpler than this!
It’s just as enjoyable spread in a sandwich or wrap. Or wrapped in lettuce. Or stuffed in mushrooms or vegetables. Or as ‘raw’ meatballs in a mezze. The list goes on!
Pungent paté
This one’s for the garlic lovers. Bursting with savoury, umami pungency, this dish is also a nutritional powerhouse. Protein for days, antioxidants for eons.
This plant-based paté is not meant to taste like meat, per se. It’s just designed to be a flavour bomb.
Prep it and wait
This recipe can be whipped together from pantry ingredients in minutes. It does need to rest in the fridge for some hours, though, preferably overnight. This is for the flavours to infuse and the walnuts to absorb the excess moisture.
I previously veganised keftedes AKA Greek / Cypriot meatballs. And although I love that recipe, it does involve a lot of processes, the final one being frying. So how about a recipe that has all the flavour with none of the work? And look, Ma, no frying!
The vegan egg yolk is quite dramatic and delicious if you can get it right. For a more stress-free approach, just add a blob of my vegan egg yolk sauce. It’ll taste the same!
Recipe: Steak? Ta-ta! | vegan paté
This recipe makes enough for 3-4 people. It comes together in minutes but must rest overnight in the fridge.
All measurements are level, using standardised measuring spoons and cups. Be precise!
Requirements
Large mixing bowl
A food processor
Ingredients
1 cup walnut halves (90 g)
A good fistful (25 g) of fresh, flat-leaf parsley
A good fistful (25 g) of fresh mint
1 can black beans (400g, 240g drained), drained, rinsed thoroughly, drained dry again
2 cloves raw* garlic, minced
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ lemon, juice only
2 tbsp (70g) tomato puree,
AKA tomato concentrate½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Pulse the walnuts in your food processor until you have an even crumble like this, not a fine powder. Add the crumble to a mixing bowl and set aside.
Rinse and dry the mint and parsley. Pick off the thickest stalks and chop the leaves finely. Add to the mixing bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients and, using your hands or a potato masher, combine everything. As with the walnuts, we want to retain some texture in the beans. We don’t want a completely smooth paste.
Transfer the mix to a storage container and keep in the fridge overnight or at least several hours. The walnut crumble in the mix should soften as it absorbs some of the juices.
Serve in any number of ways! Enjoy as a starter (like in the picture above). Or roll into balls as part of a mezze. Spread it in your sandwiches and wraps. Stuff veggies with it. Put it on pizza. You do you!
Tips 💡
*If you’re not a fan of the powerful, peppery pungency of raw garlic, use garlic powder instead, to taste.
If you like the idea of the vegan egg yolk but don’t have the necessary equipment, there’s an easier way: simply add a blob of my vegan egg yolk sauce.