Smoked salmon pate recipe

We've used quark, a low fat soft cheese, to make this lighter smoked salmon pate. The combination of both smoked fish and fresh prawns makes this pate fresh and summery, and full of flavour thanks to the fresh dill and capers. Oily fish like salmon are a source of brain boosting Omega-3 fatty acids as well as giving you a dose of vitamin D. If you prefer you could use smoked trout in this recipe instead, it has a similar colour and flavour to salmon with a slight additional earthiness which makes a delicious start to any meal. This is an easy but impressive starter that can be made up to a day ahead, saving you more time last minute when hosting a dinner party. Our recipe makes enough smoked salmon pate for six generous portions, so if you're expecting more guests you could make each pot slightly smaller to stretch round, or increase the quantities if you have lots of extra people.

Ingredients

• 150g smoked salmon pieces (you could use smoked trout if you prefer)
• 200g cooked peeled prawns, defrosted if frozen
• 1tbsp dill, chopped
• ½tsp fennel seeds, coarsely ground
• 1tbsp small capers
• 100g
• 6 slices bread, to toast
• 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges, to serve

Method

1. Put the smoked salmon into a food processor with most of the prawns, dill, fennel seeds, capers and quark. Pulse to coarsely combine.
2. Spoon into six ramekins, cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to a day ahead.
3. For the Melba toast, heat the grill to medium. Toast the bread on both sides, until golden. Cut off the crusts, slice the toast in half horizontally and then into triangles. Return to the grill for 1 min, until curled and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 1 day. To finish, top with prawns and capers and dill. Serve with lemon wedges.