Mackerel Pate Recipe James Martin Food

SMOKED MACKEREL PâTé

Steps:

• Remove the skin from the fish - the odd bone is fine as the mixture will be blended. Add the fish to the blender.
• Add the horseradish, mustard, black pepper, crème fraîche and lemon juice and blend to a paste. Add the butter and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
• Serve with spring onions or sourdough bread.

SMOKED MACKEREL PâTé WITH CUCUMBER

Steps:

• Peel and flake the mackerel and tip into a small blender with the cream cheese, lemon zest and half the lemon juice, and pulse to make a pâté. Add the chopped dill and pulse again to mix.
• Tip the mixture into a plastic piping bag or sandwich bag, cut off the end and pipe six thick cylinders of the pâté onto a baking tray and put in the freezer to harden for about 1 hr.
• Remove a strip of peel from the cucumber - it's easiest with a swivel peeler, but a normal one also works - then peel 12 neat ribbons off the cucumber. Do not throw away any of the seeds or the peelings. Dice any remaining flesh, cover and put in the fridge ready to use later. Use the neat ribbons to wrap around the pâté and put in the fridge. Can be made up to 1 day ahead.
• Tip the cucumber peelings and seeds into a blender or smoothie maker with the rest of the lemon juice, the olive oil and some seasoning. Blitz to make a thick dressing, then chill. Can be made 1 day ahead and kept in the fridge.
• To serve, pour a little dressing onto each plate, sit a cucumber-wrapped pâté on top, neatly scatter the diced cucumber and dill fronds, and drizzle over more olive oil.

EASY SMOKED MACKEREL PâTé

Steps:

• Tip the melted butter, lemon zest, mackerel and spring onion into a food processor and blend until smooth. Spoon into a ramekin and smooth the top.
• For the topping, melt the 15g butter with the horseradish, then stir in the parsley. Carefully spoon over the pâté to cover it. Press some parsley leaves on top, grind over some black pepper and chill to set the butter. Serve the ramekin of pâté with French bread, butter and extra horseradish sauce.