Roast Garlic with Goat's Cheese Pate

This recipe is from Italy's 500 Best-Ever Recipes, edited by Jeni Wright.

This pate is particularly good made with the new season's walnuts, sometimes known as "wet" walnuts, which are available in the early autumn.

Serves 4

4 large garlic bulbs
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
8 fresh thyme sprigs
60 ml / 4 tbsp olive oil
4-8 slices sourdough bread
sea salt and ground black pepper
shelled walnuts and fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish

For the pate:
200 g / 7 oz / scant 1 cup soft goat's cheese
5 ml / 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
15 ml / 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
50 g / 2 oz / 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
15 ml / 1 tbsp walnut oil (optional)

1) Preheat the oven to 180 c / 350 f / gas 4. Strip the papery skin from the garlic bulbs and place in an oven proof dish large enough to hold them snugly. Tuck in the rosemary and thyme sprigs, drizzle the olive oil over and season with a little sea salt and plenty of ground black pepper.

2) Cover the garlic tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, opening the parcel and basting once halfway through the cooking time. Set aside and leave to cool.

3) Preheat the grill (broiler). To make the pate, cream the cheese with the thyme, parsley and walnuts. Beat in 15 ml / 1 tbsp of the cooking oil from the garlic and season to taste with black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.

4) Brush the bread slices on one side with the remaining cooking oil from the garlic, then grill (broil) until lightly toasted.

5) Divide the pate among four individual plates, drizzle with walnut oil, if using, and sprinkle with black pepper. Add some garlic to each plate, garnish with shelled walnuts and thyme sprigs, then serve with toasted bread.

Energy 371Kcal / 1534 kj; fat 32.7 g; saturated fat 11.3 g; carbohydrate 5.1 g; fibre 1.7 g