arbroath smokie pate

the other half of my arbroath smokie was turned into a lovely pate, using a recipe that was suggested by graham hannah, a reader of this blog, back in 2008:

“i would recommend a mixture of haddock flakes from 1-2 smokies (minus the skin & bones); 1/2 - 1 garlic clove 1/2 -1 onion very finely chopped; mayonnaise and double cream to blend; lemon juice and some freshly ground black pepper. it's fantastic with melba toast or thin oatcakes, washed down gently with a glass of dry white wine! enjoy”

i used graham’s recipe but swapped the mayonaise for creme fraiche, as i needed to use some up, and a shallot for the onion. i really liked the balance of flavours especially the tiny pieces of shallot that i crunched on every now and then, and which added a real piquancy to the pate. thanks graham, i hope you’re still reading!