Smoked salmon pate

This smoked salmon pate is jam-packed with delicious salmon flavor and really easy to make. It's perfect to top canapes, as part of a cheeseboard or in sandwiches.

This post may contain affiliate links, where we earn from qualifying purchases. See more details in the policy page.

I have always quite liked smoked salmon pate but it's not something I tend t have often. Then a couple years ago we were visiting my parents and they had one from a supermarket that was particularly good. My eldest son became obsessed and we got through quite a lot of it during our visit at lunchtimes.

I took note of the ingredients since this wasn't quite your usual spread. It had much more actual salmon flavor and I soon saw why: it wasn't made with just smoked salmon but also fresh as well as hot smoked. The amount of fish compared to the other ingredients was dramatically higher than many other versions. 

I took a mental note to try to recreate something at least close to it at some point. It took me a little while, but I am so pleased with the result. We all instantly loved this flavor-packed spread.

What makes this pate different

As you might have guessed from the above, the big difference with this compared to many more "typical" smoked salmon pates is it has a high proportion of fish in it. You also use both fresh and smoked salmon in this. The combination both adds to the flavor and texture.

A lot of pureed smoked salmon can taste a bit overly salty or slimy, but the fresh salmon really balances that out. The end result is a pate where salmon is the star, not creaminess.

This pate could hardly be easier to make as all you do is put everything in a food processor and blend until combined.

Tips and variations

While I poached my own salmon for this, you could buy ready-cooked salmon or even canned salmon would probably work. But poaching is really quick and easy to make so I do recommend this if you can. I just buy slightly extra when getting salmon for another meal.

Using a mix of fresh and smoked salmon makes this a little more affordable without compromising the taste. You can also buy those scraps of smoked salmon (usually a lot cheaper) rather than slices for this since you'll be blending them anyway.

I'm personally not a huge fan of mayonnaise where you can taste it, so I have used a little plain yogurt in here instead. If you prefer, or don't have yogurt, then mayo would also work. 

This is easy to scale up or down depending on how many people you are serving, and you can easily adjust the flavors as well. Instead of paprika, try a little dill. Up the lemon, if you like, or try lime instead.

This smoked salmon pate is all about the salmon rather than creamy 'filler' with a wonderful depth of flavor. It's easy to make, spreadable and perfect for appetizers, lunch and more. Enjoy!

Try these other Scottish favorites:

• Cullen skink (smoked haddock chowder)
• Simplified haggis (all the flavor of the traditional with easier to find ingredients)
• Cranachan (a classic, easy raspberry, oatmeal and cream dessert)

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

Remember to pin for later!