November 2002

Smoked Mackerel Pate With Horseradish Cream and Crisp Toast.

To make the pate I put four fillets of smoked mackerel in the food processor. This is after all the skin and bones had been removed. This is then whizzed (for want of a better word) until it was smooth. Into this I added a sprinkle of ground black pepper, and about seventy-five grams of melted butter. This is again whizzed. Finally I added a splash of double cream. Don’t then leave the machine going round for more than a couple of seconds as the cream will split. Remove the pate mix from the processor and put into o bowl or mould. When you want to serve the pate you may find it is a bit hard. If you leave it out of the fridge for a while it will soften, this is all because of the butter.

The horseradish cream is exactly that. Mix a little creamed horseradish from a jar with a little salt and pepper and some double cream. It will begin to set but can be let down to the desired consistency with a little water.

The crisp bread comes down to personal choice, be it Melba toast or toasted slices of French bread.

Here I have put a small ball of lettuce in the middle of the plate garnished with lemon zest and arranged the toast and pate around it topping it off with a little drizzle of the horseradish cream. As it is, I am serving it as a starter, but can also be served with salad as a main course, but can be a little rich in larger amounts.