[rainie]

Does anyone have a tried and tested recipe for a smoked mackerel pate? Was thinking of making some this afternoon to eat tonight. Thanks.

[8doubles]

Add enough soft butter to the mashed mackeral to bind it, spoon in horseradish sauce to taste and mash.
It`s an easy one to make that is always edible .
A food processor gives a smoother pate if you are making a larger amount, not just one leftover fillet.

[Milly]

There's an easy recipe in the Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food book, I haven't made it but I've meaning to. I don't have the book handy as I'm at work but it might be on the net.

[arugula]

I sometimes make a tasty but somewhat healthier option mashing the smoked mackerel in with cottage cheese and even a bit of plain (greek) yoghurt. Loads of black pepper ground in, of course!

[tosca100]

Hmmmm...don't use a recipe, but I use cream cheese, parsley, chives papper and lemon zest and juice and taste till it's right. Sometimes I use butter. I think smoked mackerel has such a good flavour that it can take whatever you throw at it. I suppose if you want to keep it in the fridge for a few days it would be best to use melted butter.

[rainie]

Thankyou everyone.

Unfortunatley I didnt have time to come back here and read your replies, so i just put  mackerel, creme fraiche, bit of lemon juice  and a bit of dill in the blender, wassed it up and it tasted ok, and garnished with parsley.

It was a success last night, not a skerrick left!

Will try your recipes as well this year, thanks.

[arugula]

It was a success last night, not a skerrick left!

Good to hear rainie, but that is a new word on me....

[DaveJNeal]

just wondering, if sealed off with melted butter - how long would that keep for ?

I'm going to smoke the last of the whiting and codlings and make a whitefish pate,  just wondering how well, if at all, they'll last with all that dairy type stuff in there.

thanks in advance.

D

[arugula]

This is an old thread!

As Tosca wrote, covering with a layer of butter will allow your pate to keep in the fridge for a few days. I find smoked mackerel pate freezes very well too.

[DaveJNeal]

o yeah, I'm a great one for asking a question that's already been covered to death previously - though I'd do a search and see what was out there already :-) Cheers Arugula, never thought of freezing it.

now, what do I do with the salt I used earlier ? can you reuse the drying salt ( I cant imagine I can keep the brine for more than a week in the fridge ) ? Tipping it down the sink seems a tad harsh ....

cheers again

D

[arugula]

Instinct tells me that if the drying salt has been in contact with the fish, it is very likely to be tainted. If you were drying more of the same foodstuff, this might be OK. I don't speak from personal experience though, so maybe someone else can.