Posted on
1 October 2017
by
Liz Robb
Smoked Trout Pate and Crostini With Pickled Cucumber and Red Onion
Ingredients
1 lemon
250g smoked trout fillets
5 heaped teaspoons of crème fraiche*
2 teaspoons of creamed horseradish
3 sprigs of fresh dill
Salt and black pepper
A third of a cucumber
1 small red onion
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
Half a teaspoon of caster sugar
A small multigrain and rye baguette**
Olive oil
Servings
4
Preparation
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Finely zest the lemon and then squeeze out the juice.
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To make the pate, remove any skin or bones from the trout fillets and break them into the bowl of a food processor. Add the creme fraiche, horseradish, lemon zest, 4 teaspoons of lemon juice and chopped dill leaves. Season with salt and black pepper.
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Pulse briefly several times until fairly smooth but still showing speckles of trout, lemon and dill. Spoon the pate into 4 small ramekins, cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge to chill.
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To make the pickle, halve lengthways, peel and deseed the cucumber then slice thinly. Peel, halve and thinly slice the red onion. Place both into a small bowl.
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Mix the rice wine, caster sugar and a sprinkling of salt together and then pour over the cucumbr and onion. Stir, cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge to chill.
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When you are ready to serve, make the crostini. Heat the oven to 200 degrees or 180 degrees fan oven and cut 8-12 thin slices of bread.
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Brush olive oil onto both sides of the bread and arrange the slices on a baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes until the top is golden brown then turn them and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, until brown and crispy.
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Serve a ramekin of pate for each person, garnished with a sprig of dill, accompanied by 2-3 crostini and a small side dish of pickled cucumber and red onion.
Cooks Note
* I used reduced fat creme fraiche, but you could use full fat if you prefer.
** Multigrain and rye bread makes a lovely nutty flavoured crostini, but any small baguette or ciabatta will work just as well.
Enjoy this smooth smoked trout pate, flavoured with dill, lemon and horseradish, piled onto crisp crostini and accompanied by pickled cucumber and red onion. It makes a perfect starter to a meal, and you can easily make it beforehand to give you more time with your guests.