This recipe for a classic South African smoked snoek pate comes from Isabella Niehaus’s beautiful new cookbook ‘Duinhuis’ (Dune House). The book – which is written in Afrikaans, is about Isabella’s life as a former fashion editor turned foodie and includes much-loved recipes that she grew up with and a few contributions from close friends. Many of these dishes are prepared at her legendary long table pop-up lunches which she hosts twice a month at her Langebaan beach house.
Isabella invited me to join one of her lunches on a Sunday last month and I was extra excited because Tokara was the wine partner on that day. We got to taste the limited-release Tokara MCC Blanc de Blanc which is only available at the cellar and a wine I had never encountered before. This exceptional bubbly paired beautifully with the freshest local Saldanha Bay oysters which kicked off a lazy and convivial afternoon of feasting while overlooking the turquoise ocean.
I wondered into Isabella’s open-plan kitchen where she and her team of helpers were busily rustling up our gourmet feast and watched the first dish of a medley of seafood with curry sauce and warm naan bread being dished up. This was served with the Toakara Reserve Collection Elgin Sauvignon blanc 2018(a favourite of mine) and it was delicious. For the rest of the afternoon, we enjoyed dishes from Isabella’s cookbook including another fish course of marinated wild kob cooked over the coals on her inside braai.
Duinhuis is written in Afrikaans and the details of where to buy it can be foundhere. You should be able to spot it in all good books shops now too.
To find out more about Isabella’s Long table lunches, check out her Facebook page.
What is Smoked Snoek Pate
Smoked snoek pate is a quintessential South African dish and one that I grew up with, so I’m really excited to be able to share this classic Cape recipe on Drizzleanddip. It’s a good one! After you have completed the slightly laborious task of taking out all the bones in the snoek (and there are a lot of small bones) it is really easy to make. For any readers that are not from these parts, this dish comes fairly close to resembling a salt cod paste (bacalhau) and what I encountered in cicheti in Venice.
A few notes on how to make snoek pate
*Cooks notes – This makes a decent size batch of pate so would be perfect to feed a crowd or serve at a party. If you wanted to make a smaller batch you could easily halvethe recipe.
I added a little extra creamed cheese and sour cream because I bought a dryish supermarket smoked snoek, but if you are able to buy freshly smoked local snoek that has more moisture you can lower the cream cheese quantity to 200gms and the sour cream to two tablespoons as per the original recipe. Isabella also suggests that you can use leftover braaied snoek if you are not able to get hold of smoked and this is definitely something I want to try too. It’s what I generally use to make smoor snoek also added in the juice of half a lemon as I wanted the little zesty wake-up call it gives the snoek pate, but it isn’t totally necessary.
Can you freeze snoek pate
You can absolutely freeze snoek or smoked snoek pate, in fact, it freezes very well. cover a ramekin in cling film or decant into a plastic-lidded container and freeze. To thaw, simply leave it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Other snoek recipes you might like:
Braaied snoek with orange and apricot butter
Smoorsnoek like my mom used to make
Recipe – this will serve about 10 people at a party or 8 people as a starter nibble
Smoked snoek pate
Very delicious traditional South African smoked snoek pate recipe.
Print Recipe
Prep Time:20 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 300 gms smoked snoek bones removed and flaked (I had 300gms after bones removed so about 450 gms with bones)
- 250 gms cream cheese
- 4 Tbs / 1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
- 1/4 cup finely grated mature Cheddar cheese
- 1 Tbs finely chopped parsley
- salt and freshly ground white pepper a generous amount - to taste
- 1-3 tspgood quality brandy try a teaspoon at a time to test - optional
- juice of 1/4 - 1/2 lemon - optional and to taste
Instructions
Put all the ingredients except the salt, pepper, brandy & lemon in a large bowl and mix by hand until you get to a fluffy paste-like texture. Add the salt, pepper, brandy, and lemon juice, tasting as you go to reach the flavour level that you like.
Serve with slices of bread, melba toast, or crackers.
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FAQs
Instructions. Grab your food processor and put in the flaked snoek, cream cheese, lemon juice, spring onions, black pepper, dill, and softened butter. Switch on your food processor and blend the ingredients until you've got a smooth and creamy pâté.
How long can you keep snoek pate in the fridge? ›
Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with Parmesan Melba Toast. Snoek Paté has a fridge life of 1 week. It should not be frozen.
How to make smoor snoek? ›
Fry the onions until translucent and just beginning to brown. Add the tomatoes and 'smoor' – braise – together for 10 minutes. Add some hot water if it looks like burning. Add the potato and flaked snoek, stir through thoroughly and cook for 10 minutes.
What is fish pate made of? ›
Steps to Make It
Place fish, cream cheese, butter, vinegar, lemon juice, onion, garlic, and pepper into a food processor bowl. Pulse until mixed well, but not completely puréed. Mound mixture into a serving dish and refrigerate overnight. Paté tastes best when brought to room temperature.
What is the English for snoek? ›
Thyrsites atun (Euphrasén, 1791), known as the snoek in South Africa and as the barracouta in Australasia, is a long, thin species of snake mackerel found in the seas of the Southern Hemisphere, and a popular food fish in South Africa, particularly along the west and southwest coast.
Is snoek a South African fish? ›
Snoek is widely distributed in the colder waters in the Southern Hemisphere. It is found from Namibia in Angola to Mossel Bay in South Africa, off Tristan da Cunha in the mid southern Atlantic and off Western Australia, where it is call the barracouta, off Chile and Argentina (where it is called the sierra).
Can you eat pate after 3 days? ›
Freshly made pâté lasts for about a week in the refrigerator and is best consumed within the first 3-4 days after making. Commercially packaged pâtés differ from manufacturer to manufacturer: their shelf life can last from as little as just 3 months up to 24, depending on the recipe and preservation method (ex.
What is a good substitute for snoek fish? ›
If you're not able to get your hands on smoked snoek, smoked mackerel is an excellent substitute. Fresh, light, tasty and healthy, this one ticks pretty much all the boxes.
Can you freeze smoked snoek? ›
You can absolutely freeze snoek or smoked snoek pate, in fact, it freezes very well. cover a ramekin in cling film or decant into a plastic-lidded container and freeze. To thaw, simply leave it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.
What is snoek in South Africa? ›
The Cape Snoek, also known as the Snake Mackerel or by its Latin name the Thyrsites Atun, found mainly in the waters off Namiba in Angola to Mossel Bay in South Africa and even stretching up to Plettenberg Bay further north. SNOEK fishing in CAPE TOWN has the alias of CAPE SAILFISH, BONTAHEUVEL BARRACUDA or CROCODILES.
Snoek, the long and thin member of the Snake Mackerel family is spread out across the Southern Hemisphere. Anglers from Australia will refer to it as the Barracouta (not to be confused with the Barracuda).
What does snoek taste like? ›
Nutrition Value: Omega 3, Vitamin B6 & B12, Selenium, Phosphorous, Niacin, Iodine & magnesium, high in protein, very low saturated fat & sodium. Taste: The flesh of Snoek is very oily, and the meat is firm and strongly flavoured, rather like mackerel on steroids.
Why is pâté so expensive? ›
Pate Foie Gras is French for fat liver paste. It is a luxury item because few countries allow it to be made, due to the extreme cruelty involved. It is the cancerous liver of a duck or goose fattened by force in a process known as gavage.
How is traditional pâté made? ›
Traditionally made with liver, and mixed with wine and spices until it's cooked down into a spreadable texture, pâté can also be created with liver or other parts of pork, venison, chicken, fish, duck and other game, and even created with veggies on occasion.
How to make fish pate jamie oliver? ›
Peel the skin off the smoked mackerel and discard. Put the fish in a food processor, breaking it up slightly as you go. Add the cream cheese, the zest and most of the juice of 1 lemon and a few leaves of parsley. Whiz for 20 seconds or so, or until you get a nice creamy pâté.
What part of the animal is pâté made from? ›
It's an umbrella term. Traditionally made with liver, and mixed with wine and spices until it's cooked down into a spreadable texture, pâté can also be created with liver or other parts of pork, venison, chicken, fish, duck and other game, and even created with veggies on occasion.
What animal liver is pâté? ›
Types of pâté
| Types of pâté | Ingredients |
|---|
| Pâté Forestière | Pork liver, pancetta, eggs, brandy, sherry, cream, mushrooms, truffle salt, and fresh herbs like parsley and thyme |
| Pâté Maison | Chicken liver and pork liver paste wrapped in bacon |
| Pâté Hénaff | Pork, ham, liver, stock, and different spices like sea salt |
9 more rowsFeb 24, 2022
