Smoked Trout and Shrimp Pate´
Although I’m a huge fan of smoked salmon, I probably would have balked at the idea of smoked trout, until I actually had it. And it’s spectacular.
Our younger daughter went to summer camp outside of Estes Park, Colorado two years in a row, and one time when we dropped her off, we stayed in cabins on a large, beautiful property. There were hiking trails and a large fish pond. They sold their own trout they smoked themselves on property.
The smoked trout was so good that we brought a bunch home in the ice chest. I just ate the smoked trout like one would enjoy kipper snacks – on crackers.
When I discover the paté recipe, shown below, I’m glad I didn’t hesitate to make it. It’s wonderful, in an unexpected way. I’m guessing this was cut out of Gourmet magazine, but I can’t find it online anywhere to confirm.
As the recipe states, cutouts of pumpernickel bread are fabulous, but so are any hearty crackers.
Smoked Trout and Shrimp Pate´
The recipe uses both smoked trout and baby shrimp, both of which I found canned.
The recipe is so easy because it utilizes a food processor for the room temperature cream cheese, lemon zest, trout, and shrimp.
Then it’s just a matter of folding in the green onion; I saved the capers to serve separately.
Serve the paté at room temperature.
Serve it with breads, crackers, and veggie sticks.
If you make individual canapes with the paté, buy an extra can of shrimp and put one baby shrimp on top of each canapé.
And don’t overprocess the mixture in the food processor. You want some texture.
You can serve the paté in a serving bowl with a server, or mold it in a bowl the day before serving and unmold onto a platter.
About the Author: Chef Mimi
It’s so good! I included some in a fish pie I made recently. My daughter special other is British, and they visited for Thanksgiving! It worked very well.
I’m so intrigued by this! I’ve never made pate myself, but I totally think I can do this! It sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Just think of it as a spread. The word pate´is just supposed to make it sound fancy!!
What s lovely simple recipe. It looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing. Cheers Sebby
Thanks! It is simple, and not unattractive!
This sounds so delicious and easy! Great little make ahead recipe for guests around the holiday!
Exactly! I love spreads/pâtés that you can just un mold and let soften!
Such an interesting combination. I’ve never used tiny canned shrimps, but this definitely motivates me to try them!
I think this is the only case where I’d use them! But I imagine diced shrimp would work well, or better.
Most probably!
This looks absolutely delicious!! My husband is a huge fan of smoked fish, so he will go crazy for this, pinning this now for the holidays!!
Thanks! He’ll love it, and maybe you, too!
Thank you!
I’ve never seen smoked trout in a can. I’ve only ever bought a vacuum packed whole smoked trout on the bone, but get so frustrated with all the tiny bones I usually have second thoughts and opt for salmon. The flavour is delicious though and well worth the effort
It definitely is. There aren’t bones in the canned variety. And it was all I could find at Amazon. Maybe I should have located the place in Colorado where they sold the smoked trout? That would have been smart!
Oh yum. I love smoked fish. This looks very tasty. I’ve never seen prawns (shrimp) in a tin nor smoked trout. How interesting. I love smoked anything really. Nothing more evocative than the smell of smoked salt for instance. Cheers Sherry
We have no trout where I live, sadly, no clean, fresh-water rivers, so I had to opt for ordering smoked trout from Amazon! The shrimp didn’t have to be the baby canned shrimp, but I gave them a good rinse and their quality was good. I wanted to stick with the original recipe! Happy December!
Mimi, I’m so glad you found a liking for smoked trout. Now we just have to get to dive into the smoked salmon. I love all smoked fish with cold (Nova) smoked salmon being my favorite. Great recipe and one I’ll be trying with warm smoked salmon over the holidays.
I have so many salmon and smoked salmon appetizers on the blog, but I’m still going to write on up on a spread that combines grilled salmon and smoked. For Thanksgiving day-after brunch I made potted salmon with grilled, smoked, and poached salmon. It was wonderful!
Thank you Mandy, that’s very sweet.
I can just tell that this will become a family favorite! We often served smoked salmon and have access to some really beautiful smoked trout, too. Will report back after making!
I’m intrigued! Was the canned trout as good as the fresh smoked? I think the capers are a perfect compliment!
No, definitely not, but mixed with other fish it works. I just need to drive to Colorado and get some more!
I wonder how hard it would be to smoke your own. We live by the ocean so, salt water fish are mostly what is available fresh. My husband has a smoker. I’ve just never even thought about doing it ourselves! I saw a hand held smoker somewhere not too long ago…
I have a stove-top smoker that I love, but not fresh fish! It works great for poultry!
I hated fish until I moved to the coast! It’s mind blowing how different it is! I wish I could send you a big ole’ cooler full of fresh fish!
Oh, me too Kelly!
I have enjoyed some smoked trout lately. This spread is perfect for an appetizer.
It really is! Thank you.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! There’s a shop near where I spend the summers, and they smoke fish there. I’m a fan of smoked trout from way back, so I always get some from this shop each summer. I usually eat it as-is, like you, and sometimes make trout salad. But it had never occurred to me that you could make a pate with it! Brilliant!
You are welcome! I also loved trout fish salad, with a little mayo and capers. Such good stuff!
I love fish pate’, I prefer it to the meat one. This looks lovely Mimi :-)
Thank you so much Alida!
I never use canned shrimp or trout (never heard of that). I always go for the fresh in a pate!
It’s really no different than getting canned or jarred tuna belly. But you can certainly substitute freshly cooked shrimp for the canned.
My hubby is a huge pate fan, so I know he would love this, because he is such a fan of trout.
They all work really well together. Surprisingly well!
Smoked trout, eh? I’m intrigued! We love smoked salmon, and we make our own here at home on occasion. But I’ve definitely never tried smoked trout. I’d love to try that one. This pate reminds me of a dip that we used to love at a restaurant in Atlanta. Their version had finely chopped smoked salmon with chipotles, and it was phenomenal! Thanks for sharing this one!
OH MY! That does sound good! I can only compare smoked trout to mild kippers. You’ll just have to find some!
Just in time for Holiday parties! This sounds so yummy and looks so easy! Thanks for the recipe!
You are so welcome!!!
This is gorgeous mimi
Thanks so much!
Mimi, this sounds so amazing!! It is such a great idea for all the holiday parties that are coming up. I absolutely love trout, so I’m looking forward to trying this smoked trout appetizer. Thanks so much for sharing!
You are so welcome. It’s good and also different from typical dips… and spreads.
Anything smoked tastes good to me (except maybe sweets)! This is a lovely serving presentation- plus the falling snowflakes on your page are getting me in a festive mood!
Glad you could see them! They usually automatically start on December 1st, but this year I had to do some fiddling with plug-ins? Anyway, thanks for stopping by.
I write all over my recipes, too. The funnier ones are from when the kids were little and they’d write things like, “Yummy!” or “Yucky! Mama don’t make!” I’ll have to try this one. I adore trout.
Hahahaha! That’s really cute.
Hi Laura! That sounds good, too. The canned of course doesn’t compare to freshly caught and smoked but such a small amount is used in this recipe, it works great.
I’ve never tried smoked trout before, but I do like smoked salmon a lot. I bet it would be a big hit at holiday parties!
If people aren’t put off by the fishiness of this spread, and actually taste it, they’d love it. Smoked trout is very different, but I bet you’d like it also!
Smoked trout really is spectacular! Love it, and you can do so much with it. Like use it in this wonderful dish! Really inspired — thanks.
Thanks so much John!
Oh, this sounds scrumptious. And I love your gorgeous serving set. I wouldn’t have thought I’d ever like smoked trout either; we had a neighbor that smoked part of his catch every year and it was his wife that talked me into giving it a try. She said just take a bite, you can wash it down with a beer if you don’t like it lol! And I did like it. I can’t remember if I ever got that beer, haha!
Ha! Yeah, it’s pretty damn good. And not like smoked salmon. But it’s equally as lovely.
love your handwritten notes :) As trout is local to where we live we often buy it. Dave even cures it himself.
Right. You just made me very envious!!!
Thanks so much!
It’s strange how both are smokes fish but they’re so different. I love smoked salmon and I agree smoked trout is spectacular, maybe because it’s less known, or less consumed so any rare chance I have to trying it seems like a wonderful exquisite treat. What a delicious paté you made, so spectacularly served too. Have a great week!
I’m pretty sure the smoking process is different – lox are cold-smoked, and the trout is probably hot-smoked. But don’t hold me to that!!! But nonetheless, it’s a wonderful pate´, enjoyed even by people who think they don’t like fish!
this sounds so addictive! i could eat smoked trout plain, but mixed with cream cheese and shrimp and all those other goodies?! yes, please!
It’s a suprisingly, or not surprisingly, a wonderful combination!