Spanish mackerel recipes are an amazing alternative for when you are craving a seafood dish because they are easy to make and cheaper than classic seafood dishes.
The fresh mackerel pate recipe is the perfect one for when you need a healthy spread, and it has all the traditional ingredients from Spanish recipes such as olive oil, garlic, and fish.
To learn how to cook Spanish mackerel with some extra tips for storing and serving you can read the full article.
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Background of the Dish
The fresh mackerel pate recipe is the Andalusian version of the beloved French pate, with the great advantages of being cheaper and easier to make.
This is a healthy mackerel recipe if compared with other types of pate, as the main ingredients are filled with nutrients and vitamins.
Besides that, it is quicker to prepare than the smoked mackerel recipe, as you just have to bake the mackerel filet and then blend it with the other ingredients.
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Things You’ll Need for Fresh Mackerel Pate Recipe
To prepare the fresh mackerel pate you will need mackerel filets, shallots, garlic cloves, and cream cheese as the main ingredients.
You will also need a blender or food processor to make this fresh mackerel pate recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 fresh mackerel filets (boneless)
- 1/2 cup (115gr) cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Fresh Mackerel Pate Recipe – Step by Step Guide
- The first step in this fresh mackerel pate recipe is to preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes. In the meantime, clean each filet (removing the bones) and pat them dry.
- Now place the Spanish mackerel filets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast them for about 15-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Let them cool.
- After that, remove the skin and any remaining bones from the fish. Now you will have just the flaky mackerel meat.
- For the next step in this mackerel fish recipe, peel and chop the garlic and shallot into small pieces.
- Now grab a food processor or blender and combine the mackerel, olive oil, cream cheese, lemon juice, chopped parsley, chopped shallot, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper and paprika if you want your pate to be spicy.
- Then process the mix until it’s smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
- To continue with this fresh mackerel pate recipe, transfer the fresh mackerel pate to a serving bowl. Cover it and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Finally, serve the fresh mackerel pate with sliced cucumbers, crackers, or toasted bread. You can garnish it with extra chopped parsley.
Substitution of Ingredients
This fresh mackerel pate recipe is one of our favorites, and thankfully there are some ingredient replacements that you can make.
For example, you can use sour cream instead of cream cheese for this simple mackerel pate recipe, though it would have a tangier mackerel pate.
Besides that, this is the best mackerel recipe to customize the herbs and spices to your preference: you can add rosemary, dill, chili flakes, turmeric, garlic powder, etc.
You can also add more or less shallot and garlic clove to this fresh mackerel pâté recipe, or add other similar ingredients such as jalapeño or bell peppers.
If you want it to have a different flavor profile you can check other of our mackerel pate recipes, like the smoked mackerel pate recipe or the mackerel pate recipe.
Tips on Serving Fresh Mackerel Pate Recipe
When serving a fresh mackerel pate, consider enhancing the dish’s visual appeal with a garnish of herbs, lemon slices, or a drizzle of olive oil, and present it on a well-chosen platter or in elegant ramekins.
Keep the pate chilled until serving, offer a variety of accompaniments like bread, crackers, and fresh veggies, and provide condiments to allow your guests to customize their experience.
With this Spanish mackerel recipe, you will have the perfect spread for your next tapas or appetizer table.
You can use this fresh mackerel pate recipe to spread it on carrots, cucumber, bread, toast, or crackers.
Keep in mind that the pate has a lot of flavor (from the fish and spices), so that’s why we recommend spreading it on foods with neutral flavors.
We recommend serving this pate cold after cooling it in the fridge for a couple of minutes for a better flavor and consistency (since it is mackerel oven-baked it would be too warm to serve it right away).
How to Store Fresh Mackerel Pate Recipe
If you are planning on storing the pate from this fresh mackerel recipe, you have to let it come to room temperature before storing it.
Then, you can place it in a container and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap (in contact with the top so it doesn’t form a crust).
After that, just store the pate in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 30 days (and thaw it overnight before eating it).
If you notice any unusual smell, off-flavors, or signs of spoilage, it’s best to discard it.
Other mackerel fish dishes that you can prepare and store in the fridge and freezer are the mackerel curry recipe and the mackerel cake recipe.
Recipe Card: Fresh Mackerel Pate Recipe
Fresh Mackerel Pate Recipe
Spanish mackerel recipes are an amazing alternative for when you are craving a seafood dish because they are easy to make and cheaper than classic seafood dishes.
The fresh mackerel pate recipe is the perfect one for when you need a healthy spread, and it has all the traditional ingredients from Spanish recipes such as olive oil, garlic, and fish.
To learn how to cook Spanish mackerel with some extra tips for storing and serving you can read the full article.
Ingredients
- 2 fresh mackerel filets (boneless)
- 1/2 cup (115gr) cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes. In the meantime, clean each Spanish mackerel filet (removing the bones) and pat them dry.
- Place the Spanish mackerel filets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast them for about 15-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Let them cool.
- Remove the skin and any remaining bones from the Spanish mackerel fish. Now you will have just the flaky mackerel meat.
- Peel and chop the garlic and shallot into small pieces.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the mackerel, cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, chopped parsley, chopped shallot, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper and paprika if you want your pate to be spicy.
- Process the mix until it's smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
- To continue with this mackerel recipe, transfer the fresh mackerel pate to a serving bowl. Cover it and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve the fresh mackerel pate with sliced cucumbers, crackers, or toasted bread. You can garnish it with extra chopped parsley.
Notes
Instead of mackerel filets, you can make this a king mackerel recipe, just make sure to remove the skin and bones, and clean the fish properly.
The paprika and cayenne pepper are optional in this fish mackerel recipe, but we can assure you that they give an amazing extra kick of flavor to this dish.
We recommend following the cooling step once the fresh mackerel pate recipe is ready, but you can serve it at room temperature too.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 169Total Fat 12.3gSaturated Fat 5.5gCholesterol 57mgSodium 101mgCarbohydrates 1.3gFiber 0.3gSugar 0.6gProtein 13.1g
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