4 ingredients, 5 minutes! This quick and easy mackerel and avocado pate is a delicious lunch, or a sophisticated starter.
Sitting in the hairdresser’s chair at noon, listening to my tummy rumble, all I could think about was lunch! While I should have been watching the snipping scissors or making small-talk, I was fantasising about the contents of my fridge, and what I was going to eat just as soon as I got home!
Quick and simple
I had planned that classic quick lunch staple – a plate of random foods with crackers. However a sudden spark of inspiration made me combine some of the fridge contents together into this absolutely delicious smoked mackerel and avocado pate. It only takes about 3 minutes to make, maybe 5 if you’re relaxed about it, which I wasn’t, as I was pretty desperate to eat the lot pronto.
Luckily for you, I managed to ignore my hunger pangs for just 5 more minutes while I snapped some pictures. I can assure you that once they were done, I scoffed the whole thing down in a matter of seconds!
Mackerel and avocado – a great combination!
This mackerel and avocado pate basically contains a selection of my favourite lunchtime foods, so it’s not terribly surprising that I loved it. However I do think that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The pate is creamy with avocado, but has just enough texture from the smoked mackerel to retain some bite. I was going to add a squeeze of lemon, but after tasting, I decided it didn’t need it. Feel free to add it to your taste though.
Ingredients for Mackerel and avocado pate
To make this yummy, quick and easy pate, you will need the following ingredients. These are all things that we usually have in our fridge! However they’re easy to get if they’re not regulars in your own household.
You will need:
- smoked mackerel fillet
- avocado
- cream cheese – I like to use a full-fat cream cheese but you could use a lower-fat version if you prefer
- mayonnaise
- lemon juice (optional)
Make it fancy!
I ate this wonderful avocado and mackerel pate with some cherry tomatoes, which added a little acidity, as well as some sweetness. They went really well together! If you wanted to make this into a fancy starter, you could serve it inside little hollowed-out tomatoes. Cute!
Since this mackerel and avocado pate would be a terrific Pesach lunch, I’ve shown it here with matza crackers. You could also serve a dollop inside a jacket potato. And the rest of the year, it’s great spread on toast, tortilla wraps, ryvita, you name it! You could even eat it as a dip, with crudite veggies for scooping.
This makes enough for two as a starter or snack, or lunch for one really ravenous Jewish mummy.
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📖 Recipe
Quick smoked mackerel and avocado pate
Ingredients
- 1 smoked mackerel fillet
- ½ medium avocado
- 2 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- Squeeze of lemon juice to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Remove the skin from the mackerel fillet and break it into pieces.
- Peel the avocado and chop it into chunks.
- Put the mackerel and avocado into a mini chopper with the cream cheese and mayonnaise, and pulse a few times to combine into a rough pate. Alternatively, mash everything together with a fork.
- Taste and add lemon juice if desired.
- Serve with toast, crackers, or crudites for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
More quick lunch recipes
Other quick lunch ideas featuring smoked mackerel and/or avocado include avocado toast with smoked mackerel and lime, courgetti with avocado pesto and baby tomatoes, and avocado salad with oranges, olives and watercress. You might also like this smoked mackerel pate without the avocado.
Annabelle Swanson
Made smoked mackerel and was too salty so thought I should add avocado to make it less salty ? Is that a good idea ?
Helen
Ah, I think I misunderstood. Certainly adding avocado will dilute the amount of salt in the pate overall, and it does go well with mackerel. I think it’s probably worth a go! Good luck!
Annabelle Swanson
Made mackerel pate but a bit salty so thought avocado would make it less salty ?
Helen
Hi Annabelle, I’ve never found mackerel pate to be too salty so I can’t really comment! It is yummy with the avocado though…
Thanks! Helen x.
Margot⚓C&V (@coffeenvanilla)
I love smoked mackerel, this is great recipe… than you for sharing this 🙂
Helen
Thanks Margot 🙂
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
I love using avocado to make dips – everything’s better with avocado! 🙂
Helen
That’s a great philosophy! Thanks Becca.
fabfood4all
Would never have thought to put avocado in mackeral pate but I really like the idea so must try this:-)
Helen
Thanks Camilla – it’s a great combination.
Anita-Clare Field
Absolutely delicious Helen, I am going to make this as a starter when we have friends at the weekend. I’ve just started smoking our own mackerel so it will be a great chance to try it out 🙂
Helen
Oh wow – home smoked mackerel! Sounds amazing!