Fresh Salmon Pate
Submitted by SonjaW
Silky fresh salmon pate made with poached salmon, melted butter, and warm spices like ground bay leaf, cloves, and mace. Chill it in a loaf pan or bowl and serve with crusty French bread.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
15 minREADY
4 hrsThis is old-school British entertaining at its finest: a proper salmon pate with real depth from a spice blend you don’t see every day.
Fresh salmon gets gently poached, then mashed with melted butter seasoned with ground bay leaves, white pepper, cloves, and mace.
The result is incredibly smooth, rich, and packed with warm, aromatic flavor that canned salmon pate simply can’t match.
Spoon it into a loaf pan lined with cling film for sliceable portions, or mound it into a bowl for a more casual spread.
Either way, chill it for at least four hours and serve with thick slices of crusty French bread.
Kitchen Tips
- Poach the salmon gently. A hard boil will make the fish tough and dry
- Let the salmon cool in the poaching water for 10 minutes. This keeps it moist and makes the skin peel off effortlessly
- A food processor gives the smoothest texture, but a fork works if you prefer a chunkier pate
- Garnish with parsley or chives for a pop of color against the pink
Ingredients
Directions
Check that as many bones as possible really have been removed, then put the salmon into a large saucepan of cold water with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Bring it to the boil, then turn the heat down and poach gently for 10 to 15 minutes - one large piece of salmon will take longer than a couple of smaller pieces.
Turn off the heat and allow to cool in the water for another 10 minutes.
If the skin is still on, you will find it lifts away effortlessly at this point.
Put the salmon into a big bowl and mash it with a fork, or use a food processor.
Gently melt the butter in a saucepan and add to it all the other seasonings - the ground bayleaves, white pepper, cloves, mace or nutmeg and the salt.
Stir thoroughly and pour it into the salmon.
If you are using a food processor, give it another quick whizz, otherwise stir with a fork until it is thoroughly amalgamated.
If you want to serve the salmon pate in slices, spoon the mixture into a loaf shaped container lined with cling film, otherwise put it into a round bowl of souffle dish.
Smooth the top and sprinkle with a little parsley or chives for a lovely contrasting colour, and chill in the fridge for at least four hours.
Serve with lots of crusty french bread.
Comments
