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When I was a kid, my favourite lunches were those made up of things from the deli section in the Marks & Spencer Food Hall. While I usually turn my nose up at pre-made food, I will still be perfectly happy to dig into their Gefilte Fish Balls, Mini Party Eggs, Mackerel Pate and Mixed Salami Packs. And on the sweet side, let us not forget Percy Pigs (before they ruined them by making them all vegetarian) and Extremely Chocolaty Mini Bites.
The problem is, I like to read labels. I like to know what is in my food. So, I have given myself a mission. Perhaps with the exception of the salami, to reproduce my M&S favourites in my own kitchen before I read the back of them and become put off for life.
Wearing my cap of the diligent, hard working student (yeah, right!) in my strenuous two day university week (and you wonder how I find the time to blog!) on a Thursday I only have an hour between classes to eat lunch. Luckily I live nearby so I can do this at home, but unless I heat up or eat cold something left over from the night before my options are pretty limited.
This is why I love this pâté so much. It only takes 5 minutes to make, and uses items I usually have kicking around my fridge and cupboards anyway. You can make this using mackerel fillets from the chiller section or your deli or fishmonger, but honestly I’ve tried both, there is not much flavour difference in this recipe between tinned and otherwise, and I can keep a couple of John West tins in stock, just in case. Serve with M&S Crispbreads. Old habits die hard!
A really quick lunchtime pâté made entirely from storecupboard ingredients!
Ingredients
Scale
100g Smoked Mackerel Fillets
3 tbsp Total 0% Greek Yogurt
1 tsp Chopped Fresh Dill
1 tsp Non Pareilles Capers
Fresh Lemon Juice, to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Instructions
Drain the mackerel fillets and flake until fine with a fork in a small bowl.
Add the yogurt, dill and the capers, finely chopped (I do the dill and the capers at the same time with a herb chopper) and mix well.
Add salt, lemon juice and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Notes
I find this does me for two good lunches, but it really depends on how much you like to eat in one sitting. I warn you, though, that it only keeps a few days in the fridge.
I'm a food writer living in London and the English Countryside. Welcome to my online diary where I share easy, weeknight recipes, foodie travel diaries and some of the best places I've eaten out recently.
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