Smoked Mackerel Pate (2024)

Quick and easy smoked mackerel paté needs few ingredients and this simple recipe can be made in minutes. Ideal as a light, healthy lunch with salad, toast or crackers, or with crudités as a party dip.

Smoked mackerel pate

I love smoked mackerel and keep a packet in the fridge (or freezer most of the time). For us, it’s a lunchtime staple, either as fillets or in the form of this delicious smoked mackerel paté recipe.

This is fuss free food at its best. You just mix up the mackerel and cream cheese with a few extra ingredients and you have a lunch that is not just a treat but really very good for you.

It doubles as a no cook first course for a dinner party that everyone seems to love, or you can thin it down a little and serve as a dip as part of a buffet spread.

Once made, it will keep well in the fridge for a few days. In fact, like many dishes of this type, it is better on day two. You can also freeze it, if you really want to get ahead.

Although I use a mini chopper to make this smoked mackerel paté recipe, you don’t actually need any special equipment. It is easy to mash up in a bowl by hand.

Benefits of mackerel

Mackerel is, of course, one of the fishies on a little dishy promised to the child in the old folk song. Mackerel have been fished for food in British waters for centuries, consumed either fresh or smoked.

The rich, flavoursome, oily flesh is packed with omega 3 fatty acids, which support the function of the brain. There are many theories on the other potential health benefits of fish oils which are yet to be proved, but these include defence against heart disease.

Oily fish is also a good source of vitamin D and calcium. This smoked mackerel paté recipe is an easy and delicious way to get more oily fish into your diet. The NHS recommends eating oily fish once a week.

Why make smoked mackerel pate?

• It is so easy and takes just a few minutes.

• It is delicious and full of flavour.

• It uses just a few ingredients which are readily available.

• Make it ahead – it tastes better after 24 hours in the fridge.

• It is adaptable and can be flavoured in several different ways.

Smoked mackerel pate ingredients

• Smoked mackerel – One packet of smoked mackerel fillets. Supermarket own brand is perfect for mackerel paté, and as we are mashing them up, you do not need premium fillets. They vary as to weight and I usually buy two or three at a time.

  It takes seconds to remove the skin, so don’t pay extra for someone to do this for you. I often get the peppered fillets, for extra flavour.

• Cream cheese – Your favourite cream cheese. I like a full fat version, because I prefer both the texture and flavour. You can substitute in some sour cream, natural yogurt or mayonnaise. A mixture will work well, but I don’t recommend using 100% yogurt or mayonnaise as neither texture nor flavour will be quite right.

• Horseradish sauce – Adds some heat and cuts through the fat of the smoked fish nicely. You want cream of horseradish sauce here. The intensity will vary with the brand and how fresh the jar is, so adjust to taste. If you don’t like horseradish you can use mustard instead.

• Lemon – a squeeze of juice, or some zest for a touch of acidity.

• Black pepper – Freshly ground black pepper is essential, though obviously you will need less if using peppered fillets.

See variations below for flavour swaps and optional extras.

How to make smoked mackerel pate – step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this recipe perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Remove the skin from the mackerel fillets and discard. Break up each fish fillet into several pieces.

Step Two – Put all the ingredients into a food processor or mini chopper and pulse until mixed at your desired consistency. If necessary, loosen the mixture with a splash of milk or natural yoghurt (especially if you want to serve it as a dip).

For a more textured pate (or if you don’t have a food processor), flake the mackerel into a bowl and give it a good mash with a fork. Add the other ingredients and mix well.

Step Three – Pulse until you have consistency you prefer. Season to taste.

Scoop into a bowl, cover, and chill in the fridge for several hours, or overnight. This allows all the flavours to meld.

See Also

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Serving suggestion

Serve at room temperature in a bowl, garnished with a slice of lemon or some fresh herbs. Chives and parsley both work well.

We enjoy our smoked mackerel paté with crackers or toast, or as a dip with melba toast or tortilla chips.

Variations

• Swap the horseradish for a smooth Dijon mustard.

• Stir through some chopped fresh herbs, such as chives or parsley.

• Stir through finely chopped gherkins, or capers.

• Swap some of the cream cheese for mayonnaise, sour cream or natural yogurt.

• For a touch of heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

• If you don’t like smoked fish, substitute well-drained canned mackerel in oil or water.

Storage

Fridge – Store in an airtight pot and eat within 3 days, or by the best-before date on the mackerel. Leftovers make a fantastic pasta sauce, loose with a little of the pasta cooking water.

Freezer – Portion and freeze. Avoid freezing, however, if the fillets have previously been frozen.

Hints and Tips

• Supermarket packets of smoked mackerel fillers tend not to be the same size, so scale the recipe accordingly.

• Ordinary supermarket mackerel fillets are perfect for this recipe. The peppered ones have a lovely extra layer of flavour.

• You do not need a food processor, as it is easy to make this recipe by hand.

• It tastes so much better the next day, so make ahead.

• For a first course at a dinner party, fill individual ramekins with the paté, and serve with a wedge of lemon.

• Thin the recipe with a little milk to make a more scoopable dip, to serve with a crudité platter.

FAQS

You may also love

• Crudite platter – Perfect for when you serve this as a dip!

• Easy smoked mackerel fishcakes – Speedy to make using chickpeas rather than potato.

• Easy teriyaki salmon – fast teriyaki glaze for salmon fillets

• Creamy salmon pasta – Canned salmon and garlic and herb soft cheese do all the work for you.

More dip recipes

• – An easy to make at home classic!

• Blue cheese dip– The classic cheese dip, made with your favourite blue cheese.

• Whippedfeta dip– Greek inspired feta dip, perfect as part of a mezze platter!

• Sour cream and chive dip– Packed with flavour, this is another deserved classic!

• Hot cheese dip– The ultimate cheesy, gooey comfort food, made with tasty strong cheddar.

• Tahini dressing– The creamy dressing that goes with (almost) everything. I make a batch nearly every week!

• Bang bang sauce– Spicy, sweet, creamy and piquant, this dip goes on anything.

• More deliciousdip recipes

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Smoked Mackerel Pate Recipe

Rich, delicious and piquant with a touch of horseradish, this simple smoked mackerel paté recipe is a great way to get more oily fish into your diet. Easy enough for a quick lunch and smart enough for a dinner party.

Servings: 6 people

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time0 minutes mins

See Also

Ham and leek quiche | Jamie magazine recipes

Ingredients

• 200 g smoked mackerel (2-3 fillets)
• 100 g cream cheese
• 2 tsp horseradish sauce
• lemon juice (a generous squeeze, to taste)
• black pepper

Instructions

• Remove the skin from the fish. Break into chunks if you are going to use a food processor, or flake into a bowl if you will mix the paté by hand.

  200 g smoked mackerel

• Put all the ingredients in the food processor and blitz in short bursts until you have the texture you prefer. Alternatively, mix well with a fork in a bowl.

  100 g cream cheese, 2 tsp horseradish sauce, lemon juice, black pepper

• Adjust the seasoning to taste. Leave in the fridge in a sealed container for at least an hour for the flavours to combine. (Overnight is even better.)

Notes

Packets of smoked mackerel tend not to be a standard size. Scale the recipe accordingly.

Variations

• Swap the horseradish for a smoothDijon mustard.
• Stir through some chopped fresh herbs, such as chives or parsley.

• Stir through finelychopped gherkins, or capers.

• Swap some of the cream cheese formayonnaise, sour cream or natural yogurt.

• For a touch of heat, add a pinch ofcayenne pepper.

• If you don’t like smoked fish, substitute well-drainedcanned mackerelin oil or water.

Storage

Fridge– Store in an airtight pot and eat within 3 days, or by the best-before date on the mackerel. Leftovers make a fantastic pasta sauce, loose with a little of the pasta cooking water.

Freezer– Portion and freeze. Avoid freezing, however, if the fillets have previously been frozen.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.

Nutrition Facts

Smoked Mackerel Pate Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 671Calories from Fat 450

% Daily Value*

Fat 50g77%

Saturated Fat 25g156%

Polyunsaturated Fat 5g

Monounsaturated Fat 14g

Cholesterol 195mg65%

Sodium 528mg23%

Potassium 969mg28%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 0.3g1%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 46g92%

Vitamin A 1467IU29%

Vitamin C 6mg7%

Calcium 149mg15%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Light Meal, Starter

Cuisine: British

Keyword: Smoked Mackerel Pâté

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