I wrote about food labels and being a meat reducer the other day, so am not going to rehash my ponderings. I often make a speedy fish pate for lunch, simply mash up tinned or smoked fish with mayonnaise and yoghurt. Delish!
I created this vegan faux fish pâté for this month’s No Croutons Required, where the theme is sandwiches. The addition of smoked oil and dried seaweed add layers of flavours – and the resulting pâté has the flavour profile, without the fishiness of my usual concoctions.
Use whichever beans and pulses you have, mine was a mixture of adzuki and pinto beans. I tend to soak and cook dried beans, then free freeze them, far cheaper and less space consuming them buying tinned. The secret ingredient here is a spoon of the caper juice, which adds some brightness, if you are not a caper fan use a squeeze of lemon instead.
Recipe: Smoked (No) Fish Pâté
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 cup / ½ tinned beans – well rinsed
1 tsp smoked oil
few drops liquid smoke – or use more oil
1 tsp natural yoghurt or mayonnaise (dairy free if prefered)
Dash soy sauce
1 dsp capers in brine – roughly chopped
1 tsp caper or lemon juice
1 tsp dried seaweed flakes
Salt and pepper to tastePlace all the ingredients into a bowl and mash with a fork until well mixed, but still retaining some texture.
Serve as an open sandwich on hearty bread and garnish with a sprinkle of parsley.
great alternative to fish pate – I love smoky substances but have never come across smoked oil – sounds intriguing
I love smoked oil, but not that many people make it, so I suspect it is not that easy.
I still have your facon bookmarked to make!
Smokes oil, liquid smoked . These are sounding very professional. Where are you getting such things? I need to be up on them myself. Very good idea using the smokiness with beans. Takes a good amount of restraint not to go too smoky. Does it taste of bacon I would love to know?
Smoked oil is available from various delis, and my liquid smoke came from a friend who went to the US. You can get it from Amazon, and I have a feeling that Wholefoods might stock it.
Looks delicious, going to see if liquid smoke available in uk.
Ahhh, now that was my next question Helen, about the liquid smoke. I think I will just think of this as bean pate. Even the mention of fish pate makes me feel queasy, even if it is veggie.