To finish off the Festive Trio of canapé deliciousness, here’s an old stalwart that never fails to impress, especially of a Christmas Morn. Now, I love smoked salmon, don’t get me wrong, and not a Yuletide passes without it. However, if you’re looking for something smokey that doesn’t cost the earth to feed everyone and still has exceptional quality (there’s a lot of smoked salmon out there I’d avoid) then a well-constructed smoked mackerel pâté atop some homemade crostini or blinis will accompany your festive fizz.

Recently I was lucky enough to acquire some locally-smoked mackerel, which is some of the finest I’ve had and with a cure and smoke that takes me right back to my childhood in Suffolk, in Felixstowe, where at Godfrey ‘Fishy’ Thorpe’s shop the swirling aromas of the smokehouse combined with the wafting nose of freshly baked bread from the ovens of next-door Westbrook’s Bakery in a unique amalgam of desire.

I’ll mention them because they’ve not been smoking for that long, but as a long standing and experienced Suffolk fishing family, still operating their own vessel out of Lowestoft, (one of the few surviving) the provence and quality is wholly unsurprising. Let’s hear it then for Steve Wightman’s smoked mackerel fillets from LG Roberts Fish Merchants at the old Herring Market https://lgrobertsfish.com

For this recipe you really don’t need anything fancy. Just the time, the desire, a fork, a bowl and a few ingredients. All very simple and minimal fuss to produce something that will bring smiles all round :-)

Smoked Pâté with Crostini (Serves 6)

Ingredients

4 fillets of smoked mackerel

2 tsps Dijon mustard

2 tsps creamed horseradish

2 tbsps creme fraiche

100g butter, cubed and softened

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Pinch sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

A few drops of Escata (anchovy essence, if you have it, but not essential)

2 fresh baguettes

Cold pressed rapeseed or olive oil.

Method

Skin the mackerel and flake all the meat into a mixing bowl, removing any errant bones. Combine the horseradish, Dijon, half the creme fraiche and salt and pepper and mash together with a fork until you have a mouldable consistency. Add the butter cubes and work in evenly. Add the remaining creme fraiche, lemon juice and Escata and cream to a paste which can be easily spread. Taste and check the seasoning, but what you have now should surpass all expectations!

For the crostini, slice the baguettes thinly and brush each side liberally with the oil. Place on a baking tray and bake at 220C for 10 mins turning halfway. The crostini should be golden brown and crunchy, but not too brittle.

Cool on a rack and then serve with the generously spread pâté and await the congratulations.