Salmon Paté

Many–way too many–home cooks rely on (and I brace myself) canned salmon.  Worse, some use a combination of Canned Salmon and Cream Cheese! The resulting Concoction? A bland, but creamy fish spread thats flavor and texture are a bit “fishy.”

Salmon Paté does not have to be this way.  Oh no, Salmon Paté can be smoky, creamy, but with soft rich chunks of real salmon and garden herbs.  Yes, Salmon Paté can be made with real, smoked salmon, sour cream, and plenty of dill.  In my mind, the salmon-sour cream-dill trifecta makes for a perfect party dip, or light snack.

Since childhood, I’ve always loved Linda’s salmon paté, but like many of her recipes, it wasn’t until my brief stint in Richmond, Maine, that I was able to indulge in her smokey salmony-recipe-goodness.  This recipe is easy, fast, and a major party hit.

Salmon Pate

This recipe comes from the Harrowsmith Fish & Seafood Cookbook, circa 1985.  I love fish and shellfish, and it can be extremely difficult to find a recipe book that offers easy, simple seafood recipes in such a wide variety of contexts.  For anyone who cooks seafood regularly, this recipe book is a must.  Plus, with its current age (1985), most copies can be found in Used, Good condition on Amazon for 1-cent plus shipping and handling.

Ingredients:

* 1 (12-ounce) package smoked salmon

* 1/2 cup sour cream

* 4 tablespoons butter

* 1 tablespoon dill, plus more (as necessary), to taste

* Salt and pepper, to taste
1.) Begin by combining melted butter and smoked salmon in a food processor.  Mix to combine.

2.) Transfer processed salmon and butter mixture to a mixing bowl and add sour cream, dill, and pepper to taste.  Mix to combine and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

3.) Serve with Crackers or toasted bread.  Enjoy! Makes 24 small, appetizer-size servings.

–Helana Brigman