Pate made of herring and melted cheese is a convenient homemade spread that can be made in one step without complicated equipment. There are only four ingredients in the base: salted herring, soft processed cheese, boiled carrots and butter.
Carrot softens the taste of fish and adds a slight sweetness, cheese evens out the texture, and butter makes the mass plastic so that the pate is easily spread on bread or toast. This option works well for breakfast, and for a quick snack, and for the table, when you need to prepare something in advance.
The most common cause of unsuccessful pate is improper preparation of herring. If small bones or excess fat are left, the taste becomes coarse and the texture is uneven. The second important point is the temperature of the products: too cold butter and cheese are crushed worse, and very warm butter makes the pate liquid. It is optimal to take the butter out of the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before work and let the carrots cool completely after cooking.
Ingredients
- processed cheese – 100 g
- herring – 150 g
- boiled carrots – 2 pcs.
- butter – 100 g
Product preparation
- Boil the carrots until soft, peel and cool completely.
- Disassemble the herring into fillets, carefully check for bones, remove the skin and cut off excess fat.
- Cut the processed cheese and butter into small pieces to make it easier for the blender to work.
How to cook step-by-step
Prepare a high capacity for shredding. Put pieces of herring, cooled carrots, melted cheese and butter in it. If you are working with a meat grinder, first skip the herring and carrots, then rub in the cheese and soft butter with a spatula or briefly beat the mass with a blender.
Pulse the ingredients with a blender until the mixture is smooth. Do not beat for a long time at maximum speed – because of this, the oil may overheat, and the pate will lose its density. The finished mass should be homogeneous, without large fish fibers and carrot pieces.Try the pate to taste. In the classic version, salt is not added, because the herring is already salty. If the fish was very tender in taste, you can add a small piece of fillet and chop it again briefly. After that, transfer the paste to a container, level the surface and put it in the refrigerator for at least 30-40 minutes so that the mass stabilizes.
How to submit
Pate goes well on toasted toast, rye bread or crackers. For daily serving, it is enough to add thin slices of cucumber or green onion. For a festive version, you can make small canapés and decorate with dill. Store the spread in the refrigerator under the lid so that it does not absorb extraneous odors.
If you prepare the pate in advance, spread it in 2 small containers instead of one large one. It is so convenient to open in portions, and the main mass stays fresh longer. Before serving, remove the container from the refrigerator for 10 minutes – the texture will become softer, and the spread will be better distributed on the bread.
Typical errors
- Poorly cleaned herring – there are bones in the pate.
- Hot carrots – the mass becomes watery and spoils quickly.
- Too long whipping – the texture becomes too soft due to overheating of the oil.
If everything is done according to these steps, the pate turns out to be thick, even and with a distinct but balanced taste. This is exactly the recipe that is convenient to keep as a base: a simple set of products, a clear technology and a stable result every time.
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