Salmon and Crab Pate

Delicious as an appetizer, this is my fast-track version of a popular salmon and crab starter. Serve it with crisp dry toast or in little spoonfuls on small crackers and topped with a slice of dill pickle.

Ingredients are shown in metric and US. Use one set.

The recipe given will serve 4-6, depending on how you dish it up.

The first job is to make a roux by heating the butter in a thick-bottomed pan, stirring in the flour and cooking through for about a minute. Remove from the heat.

Add the milk and cream and make a white sauce by combining thoroughly with the flour, bring this mixture to the boil and then simmer for a good 2 minutes to cook the flour. Take off the heat and stir in the white wine followed by the mustard. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add the gelatine to the warm water and when it has thoroughly dissolved, stir it into the sauce. Return the pan to the heat and, being careful not to let it boil, cook for a further 3-4 minutes. This is your basic pate paste and all you need do now is add the flavoring.

If you want a smoothish pate, use an electric blender to whip the salmon into the sauce, otherwise simply mash the salmon thoroughly, removing any skin, and combine with the sauce.

To add the crab, do not drain but simply stir the crab meat into the rest of the ingredients. Then either put the mix into individual ramekins or one large mold and refrigerate overnight.

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