Recipes
Make-ahead Christmas starters
Mackerel pâté with quick-pickled radishes and spelt

Mackerel pâté with quick-pickled radishes and spelt

Name: Mackerel pâté with quick-pickled radishes and spelt
Yield: Serves 6 for a light lunch or 12 for canapés
Ingredients: 6 slices of Hoxton Bakehouse stoneground spelt loaf; Unsalted butter, at room temperature, to spread; For the pâté; 230g hot-smoked mackerel fillets; 2 tsp grated fresh horseradish; 4 heaped tbsp crème fraîche; Grated zest and juice ½ lemon; 2 tbsp freshly chopped dill, plus extra to serve; For the quick-pickled radishes; 150g mixed radishes; 240ml cider vinegar; 4 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds; 4 black peppercorns

Easy
March 2018

Easy
March 2018

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6 for a light lunch or 12 for canapés
Hands-on time 30 min

Homemade mackerel paté is an easy but impressive starter, that takes very little time to make. It’s served here with a Hoxton Bakehouse spelt loaf for the perfect sharing nibble.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 354kcals
Fat: 22.1g (9.7g saturated)
Protein: 14.1g
Carbohydrates: 22.6g (3.8g sugars)
Fibre: 4.1g
Salt: 1.4g

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 354kcals
Fat: 22.1g (9.7g saturated)
Protein: 14.1g
Carbohydrates: 22.6g (3.8g sugars)
Fibre: 4.1g
Salt: 1.4g

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Ingredients

6 slices of Hoxton Bakehouse stoneground spelt loaf
Unsalted butter, at room temperature, to spread

For the pâté

230g hot-smoked mackerel fillets
2 tsp grated fresh horseradish
4 heaped tbsp crème fraîche
Grated zest and juice ½ lemon
2 tbsp freshly chopped dill, plus extra to serve

For the quick-pickled radishes

150g mixed radishes
240ml cider vinegar
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
4 black peppercorns

Method

To make the pâté, skin the mackerel fillets and flake the flesh into a food processor with the remaining pâté ingredients. Pulse a few times to blend to a coarse texture. Taste, season with a little salt and plenty of black pepper and taste again, adding more lemon/horseradish/salt/pepper as needed. Transfer to a bowl and chill, covered.
An hour or two before you want to serve, finely slice the radishes (use a mandoline if you have one) and put in a bowl of iced water while you make the pickling liquid. Put the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds and peppercorns in a pan and simmer to dissolve the sugar. Add the radishes, remove from the heat and leave to cool, then cover and store in the fridge until needed.
Toast the bread, spread with butter, then spoon on generous amounts of the pâté. Serve the radishes on the side or put a layer of them, drained, on top. Serve with a sprinkle of dill.

delicious. tips

Prepare the pâté up to 3 days in advance and keep in a sealed container in the fridge. The pickle is best made no more than 2 hours in advance – any longer and the radishes may start to smell fermenty.

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