Smoked Mackerel and Apple Pate Blinis - An impressive canape you can prepare ahead

SMOKED MACKEREL AND APPLE PATE BLINIS

 

We've been making this canapé during the winter for years, and there's  good reason  - guests love it!  It is a good prepare-ahead one too, and of course you could use mini toasts or croutes instead of blinis.   Any left over pate will keep for up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge and it makes a pretty good sandwich too.

 Makes 32 mini blinis

 Ingredients

• 15g butter
• 1 medium onion peeled and diced
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 200g peppered smoked mackerel fillets
• 2tbsp good quality mayonnaise
• 1tsp horseradish sauce
• 32 shop bought blinis
• Red or black lumpfish to decorate
• 1tbsp chopped flat parsley

Method

• Melt the butter in a small pan on a medium heat, add a splash of oil to stop the butter burning
• Sweat/cook the deiced onion until it is translucent, than add the apple, lower the heat and cook covered for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Take off the heat, leave to cool down for a few minutes and then pop the mixture into a food processor.  Peel the skin away from the mackerel fillets and put them into the processor along with the mayonnaise and horseradish.
• Whizz everything together until it is a like a pate texture/consistency.  Taste for seasoning - I reckon it wouldn't need much with the salty smoked, peppery fish, but you could always add more horseradish if you like a kick.
• Scrape the mixture out of the processor and put it in a container and in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
• Lightly toast the blinis, then, using a spoon, scoop out some of the pate and put it on top and arrange on a serving plate
• Using a teaspoon, garnish each blini with a few drops of lumpfish, sprinkle with parsley and finish with a few twists of black pepper.