Smoked Trout Pâté

This smoky, creamy and light Smoked Trout Pâté is the perfect appetizer, Christmas starter or lunchtime snack option. It’s super easy and quick to prepare and can be made in advance. This saves you time and effort when it matters - enjoying time with friends and family!

And what’s even better is that I use this same recipe for smoked salmon pâté, or smoked mackerel pâté too. So you can use whatever option you like best (or have available).

You may need to amend volumes of cream cheese and creme fraiche slightly depending on your choice, but otherwise the flavours work well with any. 

What Do I Serve with Smoked Trout Pâté?

I typically serve Smoked Trout Pâté with a variety of options, depending on who I’m serving or the format of eating (i.e. shared or individual).

• Oatcakes / Melba Toasts
• Fresh French Baguette / Toasted Sourdough
• Crudites (Vegetables and Breadsticks etc.) 

Unlike its chicken liver cousin, I don’t believe fish based pâtés require any chutney to balance out the flavour. It tastes great on its own slathered thickly on top of bread.

However, if you do fancy pairing it with something, then I can recommend some homemade pickled courgette or Baxters Sauerkraut.

I also think that this fish pâté is perfect as part of a Seafood Sharing Plate for Christmas Dinner, alongside my Prawn Cocktail Salad, and some fresh smoked salmon.

Ingredients for Smoked Trout Pâté

Smoked Trout: I love the Smoked Trout Trimmings from Tobermory Fish Company as they are a cost-effective, big flavour trout rashers. This is because they come from the outside of the fish when smoked, so they can be a bit tougher. However, they’re generally the most flavoursome, which is what makes them perfect for using in pâté. 

Cream Cheese: also referred to as soft cheese in the UK, cream cheese is what adds the creaminess (lol no sh!t Sherlock)...

I would recommend a supermarket own brand cream cheese above some of the big name competitors as you’ll find they have less preservatives/additives. They are usually just 100% soft cheese, which is what we want. 

Crème Fraiche: provides a bit more of a tangy lightness to the smoked trout pâté that you wouldn’t achieve without it. 

It’s why if you have the choice between cream cheese or crème fraiche, i’d personally opt for crème fraiche.

Mustard: you’ll see from most of my recipes that I favour dijon mustard, as it’s a more subtle mustard flavour than English mustard. I would suggest reducing the quantity if using English mustard. You could substitute for wholegrain mustard in the same quantity, but be aware of the aesthetic impact of wholegrains. 

Lemon Juice: fresh, zesty and light - lemon juice adds the zing to the pâté. You can substitute with most acids (lime juice, vinegar etc.), but I find lemon juice works best. 

Parsley: the parsley offers a light, fresh lift to the Smoked Trout Pâté.. You could opt for dill or chives if you prefer, or even in addition to. 

Worcestershire Sauce: this offers a slight tang to the pâté, but it isn’t essential if you’d prefer to leave it out.

Salt + Pepper: you may find the smoked trout rashers offer enough salt to the finished dish, but sample it to taste and add more if you feel it’s needed. I always add a little white pepper to suit personal preference. 

Method for Smoked Trout Pâté 

The method couldn’t be any simpler. All we’re doing is adding it all to a blender and blitzing it up until you reach consistency.

I personally like to use the ‘chop’ setting on my blender as I prefer when the Smoked Trout Pâté isn’t totally smooth; I save that for Chicken Liver Pate.