Serves: 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus chilling time
Ingredients:-
- 180g packet good-quality hot smoked mackerel
- 1½–2 tsp very, very finely chopped red onion
- 1½–2 tsp tiny capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
- 1–1½ tsp chopped dill, rinsed
- 2 heaped tbsp soured cream
- Juice of ½–1 lemon
- 1 heaped tsp hot horseradish
- 60g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 good-quality anchovies
- 1 tsp cracked black peppercorns, or to taste
Method:-
- Put the mackerel fillets on a large plate and peel away the skin. Scatter over the red onion, chopped capers and dill. Spoon the soured cream on top and squeeze over the juice of half a lemon. Add the hot horseradish. On the other side of the plate, mash the softened butter with the anchovies, if using.
- Crack the peppercorns using a pestle and mortar and sift out the dusty remains, scooting the pepper bits onto the plate.
- Mash everything on the plate together well, using a fork, until evenly amalgamated. Taste at this point and add more lemon juice and/or pepper if you think either is needed. Salt is unnecessary, as the mackerel, anchovy and capers provide sufficient.
- When you are happy with the balance of flavours, fork the pâté into a little terrine, cover with a lid or cling film and refrigerate.
- Serve chilled with toasted rye bread or with my fennel and caraway seed rolls, split and toasted.
