Recipe for Fresh and Smoked Salmon Pate

Serves 8. This is a perfect way to use up some left over cooked salmon; the texture of this pate should resemble that of pork rillettes, coarse and stringy, not smooth.

30g (1oz) butter

28ml (2fl oz) water

170g (6oz) freshly cooked salmon

170g (6oz) smoked salmon

170g (6oz) softened butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste

Clarified butter - see below

Melt 30g (1oz) butter in a small saucepan, add the smoked salmon and 1 tablespoon of water. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until it no longer looks opaque. Allow it to get quite cold. Cream the butter in a bowl.

With two forks, shred the fresh and smoked salmon and mix well together.

Add to the soft butter still using a fork (do not use a food processor).

Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Taste and add freshly squeezed lemon juice as necessary. Serve in individual pots or in a pottery terrine. Cover with a layer of clarified butter. Serve with hot toast or hot crusty white bread. Note: This pate will keep perfectly in the refrigerator for 5 or 6 days provided it are sealed with clarified butter.

Clarified Butter

Melt 8 ozs (225g) butter gently in a saucepan or in the oven. Allow it to stand for a few minutes, then spoon the crusty white layer of salt particles off the top of the melted butter.

Underneath this crust there is clear liquid butter which is called clarified butter. The milky liquid at the bottom can be discarded or used in a white sauce.

Clarified butter is excellent for cooking because it can withstand a higher temperature when the salt and milk particles are removed.

It will keep covered in a refrigerator for several weeks.