Scrumptious Smoked Mackerel Pâté Crostini

If you're hosting guests for a festive get together and are rushed off your feet wondering what on earth to serve, these babies took me about 10 minutes to assemble and are the tastiest canapé for rumbling tummies! 

Smoked mackerel pâté is one of my favourite toppings, be it for crackers, jacket spuds, sourdough toast - you name it, and my dad's simple recipe is just the scrummiest!

I'm sure he won't mind me sharing it, as then I might make it more myself and stop stealing his personal stash every time I go home and raid the fridge :)

*Dad's secret (not so secret anymore) ingredient - Tarragon! It makes this pâté mouth-wateringly delicious!*

I've been super spoilt recently with the tasty treats I've been sent to try - these Filipo Berrio crostini being one of them. I think I'm addicted to these, which is the only fault I can find with them to be honest!

I paired these particular canapés with the Rosemary & Sea Salt crostini, but I have to say, being a cheese fiend myself my favourite are the Formaggio flavour. Such a scrummy posh snack!

What you'll need//

250g (approx) smoked mackerel fillets

150g natural yogurt

2 tbsp mayonaise 

juice of half a lemon

black pepper

small sprinkle of cayenne pepper or paprika

small handful of fresh tarragon (chopped)

What to do//

De skin your mackerel fillets and shred your fillets in a large mixing bowl with a couple of forks. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and assemble on top of some crostini, et voilá! 

That's literally it. 

I snuck a bit of coriander in mine as well because I could literally eat that by the bucket load, but that's personal weirdness so I won't include that in the recipe. The tarragon is the ingredient that really packs the punch in this pâté.

Enjoy folks!

I'm having a festive girly night tomorrow evening and plan on devouring about 18 of these. See you on the other side! (Probably with a sore head).

Betty x

Ps, did you see my Maple Moose Butter Malt Loaf recipe? T'was yummmmmmm.

Moose Maple Butter Malt Loaf

Mmm

I don't even know where to start with this one to be honest.

I made the school boy error of having a mouthful of this sticky, mapley malt loaf before I started shooting which was such a bad call on my part.

Firstly because I then had sticky fingers which subsequently went all over my camera and secondly, because my tummy was then uncontrollably rumbling and my mouth watering the whole time I was taking pictures.

I don't think I've ever salivated over a photoshoot so much in my life.

'Photoshoot'...who do I think I am?!

Anyway, enough about my bodily functions.

MOOSE MAPLE BUTTER...where do I even begin. Quite possibly THE best product I've ever tasted in my 26 years of living. Maple syrup + butter + sea salt. It's honestly earth-movingly great.

And what makes this maple butter even more enjoyable is the lady & brains behind the product...the lovely Farrah, who even hand delivered this maple butter to my front door! Her passion for her product is contagious and I can see why! Such simple, natural ingredients but with the yummiest taste imaginable!

I decided I needed to do the maple butter justice, so baked a moist, sticky malt loaf to spread generous helpings of the butter onto.

I was making 'mmm' noises to myself and bopping along to 'I'm dreaming of a White Christmas' to my heart's content.

Y.U.M

What you'll need//

x2 tea bags

150ml hot water

120g malt extract (I used Meridian)

2tbsp black treacle

60g dark brown soft sugar

150g dried mixed fruit

150g dried chopped prunes

250g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

What to do//

Brew your tea bags in the hot water for 5 minutes. 

Remove tea bags (obvs) and combine the hot tea with your malt extract (leave a tablespoon-worth for glazing later), treacle, sugar, dried fruits and prunes. Stir and leave to soak for 15 mins. In this time, preheat your oven to 170 degrees C (fan) and line a loaf tin with baking parchment. 

Gradually sift your flour and baking powder into the tea mixture along with the salt and combine until all the flour is mixed in. 

Pour into your loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes.

Glaze your loaf with about a tablespoon-worth of malt extract (or honey/date syrup if that tickles your pickle) and leave to cool.

Some prefer toasted malt loaf with peanut butter and banana, I've found my new favourite way is to microwave mine for 15 seconds and add lashing of this glorious maple butter on top. OR, just hand me a tablespoon and forget the malt loaf...

Yes, I did just happen to have a Christmas moose (with wooly jumper) decoration lying around.

True story.

Farrah will be jealous.

Enjoy lovelies! And stay warm!

I'm currently sat with a lavender heat pack on my feet because my toes feel like they're actually going to fall off from frostbite.

Again with the bodily functions...

Byeeee

Betty x


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