So you had a smoked trout (or two) and there's a bit left over. What to do with it?
I generally make up a pot or two of pate. Start with taking away all the skin, any pin bones, and the dark bit from just under the skin, along the centre line of the fillet. Then roughly smash the flesh in a bowl with a fork. You will need some sour cream, a lemon, a little unsalted butter and a good pinch of black pepper. Here are the main ingredients:
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That's about 2 cups of smashed smoked trout. Add about 2 rounded tablespoons sour cream, the juice of 1 medium lemon, and the pepper and mash thoroughly with the fork. I have seen recipes that say "put it through a blender" but that tends to make it too smooth and creamy - like a mousse, rather than a pate. I like mine to have a bit of texture.
Then add a couple of thin curls of unsalted butter:
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Mash a bit more, until the butter is evenly distributed.
Then all you have to do is pack it into a couple of pots, pressed down firmly:
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Cover with cling film, and I generally put one pot in the frige to use over the next day or two, and the other in the freezer for later. It keeps in the freezer for ages, and thaws nicely in the frige overnight.
Serve it in dollops on your favourite crackers, a bit of dark rye (pumpernickel), or hot buttered toast.
