Vegan Rillettes
These vegan rillettes are rich, meaty, and have a stringy texture just like the real thing! Made with a hearty base of mushrooms and generously seasoned with a blend of thyme, rosemary, parsley, and four-spice, they are packed with savory flavor. Serve them on warm toasted bread or crackers, or use them in sandwiches!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 shallots minced
- 4 cups (320 g) sliced cremini mushrooms (about 11 ounces)
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) cognac
- 1 tsp (5 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp thyme
- 3/4 tsp rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 and 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp four-spice
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 cup (60 g) cashew butter or almond butter
- 1 20-ounce can (1 565-g can) young green jackfruit
Instructions
- Preheat oven to
350 °F (175°C). - Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and shallots. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
- Sauté the mushrooms. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are tender.
- Deglaze. Next, deglaze the skillet with the cognac and cook for another 2 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
- Add the seasonings. Add the maple syrup, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, fresh parsley, nutritional yeast, salt, four-spice, ground black pepper, and nutmeg. Toss to coat and cook one more minute.
- Transfer to a blender. Transfer the seasoned mushrooms and cashew butter to a blender.
- Blend. Blend for 7-10 seconds or until the mushrooms are evenly processed into a paste. Transfer the mushroom paste to a small mixing bowl.Note: The mushroom paste should have the texture of finely minced ground meat, but feel free to blend longer if you prefer your rillettes smoother.
- Cut off the core of the jackfruit. Using a knife, cut off the tough core parts of the jackfruit chunks and discard them. What I call the core parts are usually the tip of each triangle/chunk. They are very hard to the touch.
- Shred it. Transfer the jackfruit chunks to a cutting board. Use a fork to shred the jackfruit until it resembles shredded pork. Transfer to the bowl containing the mushroom paste.
- Combine with the mushroom paste. Using a spoon, mix the shredded jackfruit with the mushroom paste until well combined. At this point, you can taste the mixture and adjust the saltiness to your liking.
- Transfer to jars and bake. Transfer the mixture to two 7-oz (200 ml) glass jars (or any jar you have on hand, the size doesn't matter much) and cover with aluminum foil. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Next, remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 7-10 minutes.
- Chill. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely before refrigerating overnight. You can store these vegan rillettes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Don’t forget to give it a taste before baking!
Once the mushroom paste and shredded jackfruit are combined, taste the mixture and adjust the salt and herbs if needed before transferring it to jars and baking.Chill before serving.
These rillettes taste best after a night in the refrigerator, which allows the flavors to merge and the texture to firm up.