Famous smoked fish pate’

    The only reason this is considered ‘famous’ in my family is because I took the time to hunt down and (sweetly) interrogate a member of a restaurant staff who had the inside scoop on this recipe. 

     A former favorite seafood spot in Florida, now defunct, had this amazing appetizer on the menu, then discontinued it when the place was sold. We ordered it every single time we ate there. All I can say is some people have a lot of nerve… or are sorely short-sighted on what people want to eat. 

    During this fortuitous visit, I snagged a member of the original regime to discussed the ingredients with him, much to the chagrin of my immediate family. My sister, however was delighted. We had been on a mission to recreate the fish pate’ since the restaurant changed hands and broke our hearts.

    The guy didn’t have a clue about quantities, but did have the inside scoop on the secret ingredient that made the entire thing come together… an ingredient I had previously not been able to figure out with experimentation. It was BACON FAT! Yes, really! How ingenius. 

    Pate’ is very smooth and rich, one of the most famous being goose liver. It is dense. Most types of smoked fish do not have enough fat to give you the same mouth-feel, so the addition of bacon fat did the trick. I used a couple of different types of fish to give a nice balance of flavor. Find yourself a good fish market that smokes their own wild caught fish, if you can.

    The texture is not loose or light. That is what sets this appetizer apart from a fluffy, creamy smoked fish dip regularly seen on many seafood restaurant menus. They are both fabulous but different. I love a good fish dip with crackers, topped with a few drops of green Tabasco. 

    The restaurant pate’ also had a unique presentation. It was served in a squatty little mason jar, topped with a thick layer of Datil  Pepper Jelly, a spicy chartreuse jelly made from peppers native to Florida. The spicy and smoky flavors together create a knockout punch that explodes in your mouth. I could make a meal out of it. (I’m not admitting that I have done so, but maybe.) Our fish pate’ is usually served with crostini, thinly sliced and toasted baguette. Whip some up for your next get-together. Your guests will love it.

Ingredients

Go to your favorite local fishmonger and get 4 oz. each of freshly smoked (king) mackerel and smoked mahi-mahi. Any combination of smoked fish will do, but these are a good pairing. Remove skin and bloodline. Tear into pieces and set aside. Depending on the size of pieces you pick, after removing skin and bloodline, you’ll be left with around 7-8 oz. of smoked fish

3-4 cloves fresh garlic

Zest and juice of a large, fat lemon

3-3.5 Tbs. Cream cheese

4 T. Bacon fat

3T. Capers

Caper brine

Black pepper

1/2 bunch of Italian parsley leaves 

1 baguette, sliced

Datil pepper jelly, or any spicy green pepper jelly

Method:

Heat oven to 350°F. Slice baguette into thin rounds. Place on a sheet pan and lightly toast. Set aside to cool. 

In bowl of food processor, purée garlic cloves, then add parsley & lemon zest, pulsing until fine. Next add capers. When all is finely chopped, add a few grinds of black pepper and fish. Pulse to chop. Add cream cheese, lemon juice and caper brine. Puree until blended. With machine running, pour in bacon fat a little at a time. Add more if needed. 

Consistency is key and should be smooth, having a nice fatty feel in mouth. Fish Pate’ should resemble the traditional pate’ texture. This is not your uncle Bubba’s fish dip. It is velvety and elegant. The smoky bacon flavor compliments the smoky fish, but you don’t want it to overshadow it.

Taste for seasoning and add more black pepper and a pinch of sugar if necessary. Run processor for a minute or two. 

Decant pate’ into a short, chubby mason jar and top with a thick layer of hot pepper jelly. Use beautiful, lime green-colored Datil pepper jelly, if you can find any. 

If desired, (and serving folks who abhor any spicy flavors) leave pate’ and jelly in two separate jars, serving with the toasted crostini. Makes one large mason jar of fish pate’.

Adapted from original chef at Outrigger’s NSB, FL