Smoked Mackerel, Avocado and Jalapeno Paté

What the hell was I thinking…

I’ve recently entered into ZZ2 Farming’s  #Afrikado ”Not just Guacamole” Bloggers challenge, where we were asked to come up with new and innovative ways to use Avocado in a dish.  Thing is though, I never cook with Avos at all, much less in new and innovative ways. Nice going buddy…

As a kid I was a rather sickly little chap, suffering from asthma, heart problems and loads of allergies.  These included dairy, most citrus fruits, avocados, food colourant etc. The list goes on and on.  Thankfully I’ve outgrown most of these, pineapple being the only bugger that just wouldn’t let go.

I’ve tried eating avos a few times since then, but I never really enjoyed the taste. I think my mind still had a vague memory that I used to be allergic to these strange green orbs, and therefore instantly sent me the “blegh” signal. So there I was, signed up for something I had no clue how to pull off, and time was running out.

I’ve done a fair bit of research online, and realised that Avo can be used as a replacement for butter or cream, as it is also rich in natural fats. It’s creamy texture also goes a long way to providing the same mouth feel as butter or cream would.

Thankfully inspiration hit me while out fishing for Snoek the other day with my brother. I came up with the idea of making a smoked Snoek and Avo Paté, replacing the usual bucketloads of cream or butter with Avo.  We smoked one of the Snoek on the spot, which I then took home and turned into a rather delicious paté.

It worked really well, but it wasn’t quite perfect yet.  Also, I worked with a whole Snoek, so I ended up with 1.5 kg’s of patê, which I thought might be a tad much for most people to consume at home.

I decided to try again, this time using smaller quantities that people could get hold of more easily. I also added some Jalapenos to provide some kick. Here is what I came up with.

Smoked Mackerel, Avocado and Jalapeno Paté

I found some nice smoked & peppered Mackerel fillets at Woolworths, but you can use any smoked fish you can get your hands on.  I think the smaller, oilier types of fish would work best.

Ingredients:

• 250 gm smoked Mackerel
• 250 gm Avocado (about 2 medium size Avos)
• Generous pinch of Salt and Pepper
• Juice of half a Lemon
• 2 Jalapeno Chillies, chopped (you can also use Peppadews if you don’t like it that hot)
• 1 Pack of Chives, chopped
• Cayenne pepper or Paprika for garnish

Method:

Scoop out the Avo flesh with a spoon and place it in a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and mash together with a fork until you have a fairly smooth paste.  Add the chillies and half of the Chives, and mix through.

Flake the fish with your fingers and add it to the mixture, discarding the skin.  Mash it up again using the fork.  At this stage you should taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for an hour or two if you can, but it is ready to serve right away if need be.

Serve on your favourite cracker or other suitable paté receptacle.  I used Woolies’ Wholewheat Crackers. Garnish with some more chives and cayenne pepper or Paprika

Now THIS my allergy ridden mind had absolutely no issues with eating! Rich, creamy and friggen delicious, without the “heavy” feeling one often get when using loads of butter or cream.

This must be one of the healthiest dishes I’ve ever come up with, but at the same time it doesn’t sacrifice on flavour one inch.  Please try it out and let me know what you think.