Smoked Mackerel pate recipe

This is a very light, summery pate that is great to be served chilled. If you prefer, you can substitute another smoked fish for mackerel, but mackerel works well. This pate can be made well ahead of time, so there is no last minute messing around and you can spend the time with your guests. A little useless information about mackerel - traditionally, this is the only fish to be sold in London an a Sunday because, when fresh, it goes off very quickly, so a special dispensation was given to allow fishmongers to sell it.

You will need:

Equipment:

• A food processor or blender
• A bowl
• 6 – 8 small terrines or serving dishes

Ingredients:

• 2 smoked mackerel
• 5 oz sour cream
• 4 oz cottage cheese
• Half a lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Dried nutmeg

For the garnish:

• A lemon
• A bunch of watercress
• Cayenne pepper

First, skin and de-bone the mackerel. Even if the fish has already been filleted, it is important to check for bones. In this pate, a bone is a bit of a shock and we do not want to upset any of our guests (or end up in court.) Flake the fish with a fork and place in a blender or food processor. Add the cottage cheese, sour cream and the juice from the lemon. Blend until the mixture is a nice smooth consistency, and pour into a bowl. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground pepper and a little nutmeg. You may need to add a little more lemon juice.

Spoon the pate into individual serving bowls, cover the top with aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving. Longer is fine, you can even make this a few days ahead.

This is a really great appetizer and presentation is very important with this dish. I like to serve this with a few triangles of wholewheat toast with the crusts removed, and garnished with a little water cress and lemon wedges. Or perhaps some Graham Crackers for a change. Sprinkle a little cayenne pepper over the pate and the plate just before serving for a little extra color. I also prefer to use plain round ramekins, although there are lots of interesting shapes you can buy to spice up the look of this dish. If you are feeling adventurous (or you don't have any ramekins) martini glasses work well too.

Bon Apetit!