Start by cooking the lentils, ensuring they are nice and soft. Once cooked, drain thoroughly and set aside to cool.

Fry the onion and garlic in some olive oil in a saucepan for a few minutes until soft.

Roughly chop or tear the mushrooms, including the stems, then add to the pan and cook for a further five to 10 minutes. Add the lentils and give everything a good stir.

Add the maple syrup, tamari/soy sauce, sherry, thyme, and salt and pepper. Stir well for a couple of minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender with the olive oil and blitz until smooth.

Pour into your desired pâté pot – for example, one large serving dish or a couple of ramekins.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, fry the pears until nice and golden, then add the sage leaves and thyme sprigs and allow to warm through.

Add the fried pears and herbs to the top of the pâté, then pour over the remainder of the olive oil from the pan to cover and encapsulate the topping. If there is not enough oil to cover the topping by 1/4 inch (five millimeters), add a little more olive oil.

Refrigerate the pâté for a couple of hours or overnight and wait for the top to solidify before serving.