Hello sardine paté!
By Honor Smith-Wright
You might have heard that from the end of this month, Waitrose is suspending its sourcing of mackerel. This decision comes after last year's warning from The Marine Conservation Society that mackerel stocks are in crisis due to overfishing.
The loss of this rich and tender, oily fish from the weekly shop (for now, at least) does feel a little bittersweet. Growing up on the Dorset coast, mackerel has always represented home for me. My dad spent long days fishing on Chesil beach, and if we were lucky, would bring home one or two for us to barbecue. It was also the star of my mum’s most-loved recipe – smoked mackerel pâté – adored by all the family for its creamy, salty and zesty flavour, and all the more so for being rich in those magic omega-3s.
All this reminiscing inspired me to ask our head chef and co-founder Angus to recreate a pâté we can all enjoy more consciously, while still offering the same health benefits. Cornish sardines are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, bone-strengthening calcium and essential vitamin D. They’re also widely considered to be a highly sustainable choice, all caught with ethical methods, within six miles of the Cornish coast. So here’s the Sea Sisters' take on it: a lighter, more sustainable pâté that stays true to those homely, delicious flavours.
Sea Sisters Sardine Pâté
(serves 2)
1 can of Sea Sisters Cornish sardines in Two Fields extra-virgin olive oil (drained, but save the oil)
30 grams cream cheese
A good squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil (from the can)
Fresh parsley
A crack of black pepper
Put all ingredients except the parsley into a blender or roughly mash them together with a fork until they form a consistency you like. Spoon it back into the can (for extra food styling points) and top with the chopped parsley. Eat on top of crispy, buttered sourdough toast.