Enjoy over crackers or with crudités. This pâté is super easy to make, takes no time and it packs a lot of nutrition with hidden veggies and plenty of healthy fish oil (Omega-3) from the mackerel. 

There’s a new organic grocery shop that just opened up near where I live, so of course I decided to go check it out and came back with a few things including a piece of a lovely aged cheese, a pack of Rhythm 108 lemon & ginger biscuits (which are my new favourite gluten-free biscuits and they are made with coconut oil!) and some smoked mackerel.

Mackerel is one of those foods that for me goes in phases, there are times where I can eat it almost every day and then it can be months until the next time I fancy it (and even the smell of it puts me off!). So unfortunately,  I bought the smoked mackerel at the end of one of my mackerel phases and then had it sitting on my fridge for a good couple of weeks until I decided that it was not going to go to waste and needed to find a way of eating it that would make it taste (and smell) a little less strong. And then the light bulb got switched on and I came up with this pâté!

I made it already three times in the last month and got several people to eat it too. In fact was one of the spreads that we had at our family Christmas dinner. Everyone enjoyed it and the best thing is that you don’t have to be a fish (or mackerel) lover to eat it. This pâté is great for children or people who need to eat more Omega-3 and fish but don’t really like the flavour or know how to add it to their diets.

You can eat it with crudités like carrot and cucumber sticks, or use it as a spread on top of my tiger nut rosemary & turmeric crackers or as a sandwich filler in my sesame chestnut bread.

It also keeps in the fridge for a few days so you can make it ahead of a party and then use it to make canapés or serve it as a dip, which is what my friends and I normally do as it takes even less prep time!

The recipe is very simple and easy to follow. Plus, it takes no time! It’s low carb and high fat, so perfect for keto diets, and you can make it paleo and dairy free using coconut yoghurt instead of cow’s milk. I personally do well with yoghurt and lately I’ve been buying Icelandic skyr which is very high in protein so it helps me reach my required protein intake now that I’m doing strength training.

I love adding yoghurt to my meals because of the probiotic content and of course the satisfaction factor. I’ve always liked them and the good thing is that nowadays there are so many dairy-free options that even if you are cutting out dairy there are plenty of alternatives to choose from! My favourite is coconut yoghurt but you can also try cashew or almond milk yoghurt, and test whether goat milk or lactose free yoghurt feels better for you.

Because I am lately buying skyr or greek yoghurt, which are both really thick, I also use them as a cheese spread replacement in some foods like this protein berry panna cotta.

 

Smoked mackerel pâté recipe:

Servings: 4  |   Preparation time: 5 min  |   Cooking time: 10 min

Ingredients:

  • 120 grams – smoked mackerel
  • 2 tbsp – thick yoghurt (dairy free, lactose-free or regular, I use skyr)
  • 2 florets – cauliflower
  • 1 – spring onion
  • 1 tsp – grainy mustard
  • 1/2 tsp – dill
  • 1/2 tsp – black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Steam or microwave the cauliflower until fork tender and then let it cool down.
  2. In the meantime, slice the mackerel making sure you remove any bones, and chop the spring onion.
  3. Squeeze the cauliflower slightly to release some of the water content. Add the squeezed cauliflower to a mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients (yoghurt, dill, mustard, onion, pepper and mackerel). Purée with the help of a hand blender.

At this point, you can eat it straight away or store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.