This silly season, our hot-smoked trout pâté is the must-have addition to your Christmas order. The simple, moreish pâté of flaked, hot-smoked Tassie ocean trout, stirred through creme fraiche and enlivened with lemon zest and juice, chopped capers and dill is absolutely perfect to start your festive feast. A glass (or two) of Champagne or rosé would go nicely also.
It's not a puree - we like the mixture to have a bit of texture. With a couple of tubs of this in the fridge or freezer (it freezes and defrosts perfectly!), you'll always have a delicious nibble to serve with crispbreads or on your charcuterie and cheese platter. It also makes a great dip for sticks of raw vegetables.
So, let's jump to it - time to get creative with canapes!
Cucumber Rounds
For the gluten free crew (or cucumber-lovers), little smoked trout cucumber bites are super fresh and delicious. Just cut your cucumber into 1-inch rounds, then scoop out the centres with a melon baller or a small spoon. Just be careful not to scoop through the bottom! Then the smoked trout pate goes on, along with a sprig of dill. For an extra bit of luxury, some salmon roe on top is just the ticket.
Hot tip: if you're feeling fancy, you can peel strips of the cucumber skin to create a stripey effect like in the image above.
Crostini
Store-bought crostini will work a treat - you could also go for melba toasts or make your own with sliced mini baguettes, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and baked until crispy. Then repeat - smoked trout pate, sprig of dill, maybe salmon roe - done!
On a Platter
Don't want to serve it on itsy bitsy canapes? You can simply serve it in a small bowl as a centrepiece on a cheese and charcuterie platter.