Smoked Salmon Pate

Ingredients

• 250 gms selected smoked fish or seafood
• 125 gms butter, melted but cooled
• lemon or lime juice to taste
• capful of dry white vermouth (optional)
• 150 mls double cream
• chopped dill (to finish)

Method

If the fish is too oily, put it into a strainer and pour boiling water through it, which will lightly blanch the fish and float off excess oil.

Purée the fish or seafood in a processor, or bash furiously in a pestle and mortar to retain some texture.

Whiz in the butter and as much citrus as you like. Stir in the vermouth.

When the mixture is cool but not setting, whip the cream and fold in with the lightest possible hand.

Put the mixture into individual ramekins and seal with a little melted butter, or cover and turn out and mould up into a mountain.

Sprinkle with dill. Serve with warm toast.

Smoked Salmon Ice Cream

Add 150 gms of thick mascarpone to the above ingredients.

Use 1 tbsp vodka in place of vermouth; use lime rather than lemon juice; add a dash of Tabasco sauce.

Freeze. Take from freezer 30 minutes before serving scooped on to smoked salmon, with quail eggs in a nest of salad leaves dressed just with a little vodka.

Grate lime zest directly over the top just before serving.