Category: Pates and spreads

Not everyone loves fish cakes. Making ‘potted fish’ is a different and yummy way to use it up. It’s hard to call it healthy, no matter what fish you start with. The addition of copious amounts of butter and salt may well neutralise the health benefits of the fish. But it’s oh so yummy. The first time I made this I got the salt proportions wrong and the Davinator has not dared to try it again. My cunning plan has worked and I get to eat the potted fish.

What is potting anyway? Potting is making a simple pate or spread with cooked meat, fish or vegetables and butter. Potted food keeps well for a week or longer in the refrigerator and the potting preserves the taste and texture much better than simple refrigeration. Potting transforms leftovers into a lovely light meal or snack. It’s worth a try, if only to save money and the planet.

Most of us are prepared to take steps to help the environment, provided it doesn’t inconvenience us too much (speaking frankly here). We carry reusable bags, we shun plastic straws, we recycle. Not throwing away food is one of the best things you can do for the environment. All food that makes it’s way to your home has a carbon cost and if the food is not eaten, all that carbon is for nothing. I’m not saying eat the scraps but we work hard at not throwing food into the bin.

The recipe below does not include directions for cooking the fish. My assumption is that if you’re reading this blog, you have leftover fish. If you’re staring at an uncooked fish this moment – here’s my blog on baking fish in foil.

I used sea trout in my potted fish, but it will work well all kinds of fish and sea food. It’s traditionally used for what are called ‘brown shrimp’ in the UK, teeny tiny prawns. Any fish that can be flaked or very small crustaceans will go well in this recipe. You may want to experiment with seasonings – the wild sea trout I used had a lovely flavour so I did not want to over season. You know what you like – go for it.

Potted fish, a hunk of sourdough bread and a green salad makes for a lovely lunch or a light dinner. The potted fish also can be used as a sort of ‘stir in’ sauce for pasta. Enjoy.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2oz/50g butter
• About 4oz/110g cooked sea trout, flaked
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• Grind of fresh black pepper (optional)

Method

1. Sterilise a jar for your potted fish. If you just broke into a cold sweat and are about to abandon the recipe, fear not. Watch this video from the BBC on sterilising of jars. Or follow your usual method.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a heat resistant bowl and mix well.
3. Heat the butter until it fizzes and the milk solids appear as white flecks in the foam. When the milk solids start to go golden brown, remove from the heat and strain the butter through a sieve lined with kitchen towel.
4. Pour most of the clarified butter over the fish mixture, holding back a teaspoon or so for finishing. Pack into your sterilised jar, making sure the mixture is covered with butter. Pour the last teaspoon or so onto the top and close up your jar.

Makes a nice snack for two people and will keep for a week in the refrigerator.

This is the third in a three part series on cooking wild sea trout. And I promise the blog will be less ‘fishy’ for the new few weeks.