Instructions: Cook the onion and the garlic in the butter until soft but not coloured.

Add the thyme bay leaf madeira white wine salt and pepper and reduce to a quarter of the original quantity.

Chop the mushrooms very finely in a food processor.

Place the chopped mushrooms in a double piece of muslin and squeeze out any excms juices.

Add the mushroom. s to the reduced liquid and cook stirring regularly for about 30 minutes over medium heat until all the mushroom juices have reduced.

Reduce the cream by half and mix into the mushrooms.

Remove the bay leaf and check the seasoning.

Spread the mixture on a tray to cool.

We make this recipe with a mixture of field mushrooms and button mushrooms. If you want a more upmarket version you can substitute one or the other with a puree of white truffles. In my opinion though the tight larger white button mushroom from the caves of the Loire (the champignons de Paris) are the next best thing. All round these are my favourite mushrooms. They have a truly magruficent flavour and smell.

Serves 4

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