Goats Town (Irish Goat’s Cheese and Wild Mushroom Terrine) Raglan Road

1 1/4 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
6 oz forest mushrooms, chopped (such as chanterelle, oyster, and shiitake)
8 ounces soft goat’s cheese, crumbled (from a log)
1 1/4 Tbsp whole grain mustard
1 1/4 Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 poached pear, quartered and fanned out (recipe below)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh marjoram sprigs to garnish, optional
4 wafer-thin slices caramelized onion crostini (recipe below)

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes until softened but not colored. Add the mushrooms, season generously and continue to sauté for 3 – 4 minutes until tender and all of the excess liquid has evaporated from the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the goats cheese with the mustard, parsley and a good grinding of pepper. Stir gently for a minute or two until some of the goat’s cheese has just started to melt, tossing the pan occasionally. Be careful not to overcook this or you’ll end up with a processed cheese-type finish.
Transfer the goats cheese mixture into a 1 pint loaf tin that is lined with cling wrap. Leave to cool completely, then cover with more Saran wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight is best, to firm up.
To serve, turn the terrine out onto a chopping board and peel away the cling wrap, then cut into individual slices. Arrange on serving plates with the fanned out poached pear. Garnish with the marjoram sprigs and serve with crostini.