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.

By Published On: November 30th, 201868 Comments on Smoked Trout and Shrimp Pate´

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

68 Comments

  1. Travel Gourmet November 30, 2018 at 6:44 AM - Reply

    Gorgeous. I used to make smoked trout pate a lot but haven’t for years. After reading this I know I should make it again. Thank you!

    • chef mimi November 30, 2018 at 6:49 AM - Reply

      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.

  2. Sippin Hannah November 30, 2018 at 8:59 AM - Reply

    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!

    • chef mimi November 30, 2018 at 1:13 PM - Reply

      Just think of it as a spread. The word pate´is just supposed to make it sound fancy!!

  3. sebby holmes November 30, 2018 at 9:13 AM - Reply

    What s lovely simple recipe. It looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing. Cheers Sebby

    • chef mimi December 3, 2018 at 10:08 AM - Reply

      Thanks! It is simple, and not unattractive!

  4. Healthy World Cuisine November 30, 2018 at 10:03 AM - Reply

    This sounds so delicious and easy! Great little make ahead recipe for guests around the holiday!

    • chef mimi November 30, 2018 at 1:12 PM - Reply

      Exactly! I love spreads/pâtés that you can just un mold and let soften!

  5. Tasty Eats Ronit Penso November 30, 2018 at 11:12 AM - Reply

    Such an interesting combination. I’ve never used tiny canned shrimps, but this definitely motivates me to try them!

    • chef mimi November 30, 2018 at 1:12 PM - Reply

      I think this is the only case where I’d use them! But I imagine diced shrimp would work well, or better.

  6. Lila Ruth's November 30, 2018 at 12:14 PM - Reply

    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!!

    • chef mimi November 30, 2018 at 1:11 PM - Reply

      Thanks! He’ll love it, and maybe you, too!

  7. canelakitchen November 30, 2018 at 3:17 PM - Reply

    Love this recipe. And sounds wonderful!!

    • chef mimi November 30, 2018 at 3:18 PM - Reply

      Thank you!

  8. ladyredspecs November 30, 2018 at 7:27 PM - Reply

    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

    • chef mimi December 1, 2018 at 7:50 AM - Reply

      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!

  9. Sherry M December 1, 2018 at 6:45 AM - Reply

    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

    • chef mimi December 1, 2018 at 7:52 AM - Reply

      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!

  10. Ron December 1, 2018 at 9:41 AM - Reply

    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.

    • chef mimi December 1, 2018 at 9:45 AM - Reply

      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!

  11. thecompletebook December 1, 2018 at 9:44 AM - Reply

    This is the perfect recipe for snacks over the festive period. Can’t wait to make this lovely recipe Mimi.
    Have a lovely weekend.
    :-) Mandy xo

    • chef mimi December 1, 2018 at 9:46 AM - Reply

      Thank you Mandy, that’s very sweet.

  12. David December 1, 2018 at 1:45 PM - Reply

    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!

  13. Kelly, RD December 1, 2018 at 4:11 PM - Reply

    I’m intrigued! Was the canned trout as good as the fresh smoked? I think the capers are a perfect compliment!

    • chef mimi December 1, 2018 at 5:27 PM - Reply

      No, definitely not, but mixed with other fish it works. I just need to drive to Colorado and get some more!

      • Kelly, RD December 1, 2018 at 7:45 PM

        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…

      • chef mimi December 1, 2018 at 7:56 PM

        I have a stove-top smoker that I love, but not fresh fish! It works great for poultry!

      • Kelly, RD December 2, 2018 at 11:07 PM

        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!

      • chef mimi December 3, 2018 at 6:11 AM

        Oh, me too Kelly!

  14. Gerlinde December 1, 2018 at 6:50 PM - Reply

    I have enjoyed some smoked trout lately. This spread is perfect for an appetizer.

    • chef mimi December 1, 2018 at 6:58 PM - Reply

      It really is! Thank you.

  15. Jeff the Chef December 2, 2018 at 10:04 AM - Reply

    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!

    • chef mimi December 2, 2018 at 11:44 AM - Reply

      You are welcome! I also loved trout fish salad, with a little mayo and capers. Such good stuff!

  16. My Little Italian Kitchen December 2, 2018 at 11:51 AM - Reply

    I love fish pate’, I prefer it to the meat one. This looks lovely Mimi :-)

    • chef mimi December 2, 2018 at 2:28 PM - Reply

      Thank you so much Alida!

  17. cookingwithauntjuju.com December 2, 2018 at 5:13 PM - Reply

    I never use canned shrimp or trout (never heard of that). I always go for the fresh in a pate!

    • chef mimi December 2, 2018 at 5:14 PM - Reply

      It’s really no different than getting canned or jarred tuna belly. But you can certainly substitute freshly cooked shrimp for the canned.

  18. Emma December 2, 2018 at 8:36 PM - Reply

    My hubby is a huge pate fan, so I know he would love this, because he is such a fan of trout.

    • chef mimi December 3, 2018 at 6:11 AM - Reply

      They all work really well together. Surprisingly well!

  19. David @ Spiced December 3, 2018 at 7:31 AM - Reply

    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!

    • chef mimi December 3, 2018 at 7:36 AM - Reply

      OH MY! That does sound good! I can only compare smoked trout to mild kippers. You’ll just have to find some!

  20. Laura December 3, 2018 at 8:52 AM - Reply

    Just in time for Holiday parties! This sounds so yummy and looks so easy! Thanks for the recipe!

    • chef mimi December 3, 2018 at 10:07 AM - Reply

      You are so welcome!!!

  21. Lynz Real Cooking December 3, 2018 at 1:12 PM - Reply

    This is gorgeous mimi

    • chef mimi December 3, 2018 at 2:49 PM - Reply

      Thanks so much!

  22. Linger December 3, 2018 at 2:28 PM - Reply

    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!

    • chef mimi December 3, 2018 at 2:47 PM - Reply

      You are so welcome. It’s good and also different from typical dips… and spreads.

  23. Fran @ G'day Souffle' December 3, 2018 at 8:16 PM - Reply

    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!

    • chef mimi December 3, 2018 at 8:27 PM - Reply

      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.

  24. jenniferguerrero1 December 4, 2018 at 10:48 AM - Reply

    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.

    • chef mimi December 4, 2018 at 12:26 PM - Reply

      Hahahaha! That’s really cute.

  25. Anonymous December 4, 2018 at 2:58 PM - Reply

    I’m also a fan of smoked trout Chef Mimi – Jamie Oliver has a fantastic recipe where he combines it with cream cheese and horseradish and lemon – tastes better every time I make it. Interesting to see you can get it in a can – here I’ve also seen whole fillets….

    • chef mimi December 4, 2018 at 3:06 PM - Reply

      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.

  26. Marie December 4, 2018 at 9:11 PM - Reply

    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!

    • chef mimi December 5, 2018 at 6:33 AM - Reply

      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!

  27. kitchenriffs December 5, 2018 at 10:33 AM - Reply

    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.

    • chef mimi December 5, 2018 at 11:13 AM - Reply

      Thanks so much John!

  28. FrugalHausfrau December 5, 2018 at 6:14 PM - Reply

    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!

    • chef mimi December 5, 2018 at 6:25 PM - Reply

      Ha! Yeah, it’s pretty damn good. And not like smoked salmon. But it’s equally as lovely.

  29. Tandy | Lavender and Lime December 6, 2018 at 2:11 AM - Reply

    love your handwritten notes :) As trout is local to where we live we often buy it. Dave even cures it himself.

    • chef mimi December 6, 2018 at 6:17 AM - Reply

      Right. You just made me very envious!!!

  30. Angela@eatlivehappy December 6, 2018 at 10:41 AM - Reply

    This is Wonderful!

    • chef mimi December 6, 2018 at 3:41 PM - Reply

      Thanks so much!

  31. Sofia December 9, 2018 at 6:56 AM - Reply

    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!

    • chef mimi December 9, 2018 at 7:21 AM - Reply

      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!

  32. heather (delicious not gorgeous) December 9, 2018 at 3:35 PM - Reply

    this sounds so addictive! i could eat smoked trout plain, but mixed with cream cheese and shrimp and all those other goodies?! yes, please!

    • chef mimi December 10, 2018 at 7:37 AM - Reply

      It’s a suprisingly, or not surprisingly, a wonderful combination!

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