WHAT’S COOKING: Snoek pâté with a mango-jerepigo relish

There are various ways you can approach this. If I were in the city, I’d probably buy some smoked snoek, already cooked and ready to go. Or you could buy a fresh snoek from your local fishmonger, and braai it or bake it. Or buy a “braai snoek” from a freezer in your supermarket, defrost it slowly, and bake it.

Last week, I took 400g of smoked snoek along to be turned into a pâté. It was the first dish we prepared at the start of a fun weekend of conversation and hands in bowls and on chopping boards.

The snoek is the bulk of your pâté, for which you also need butter and cream cheese, a splash of fresh cream and a base of onion and garlic cooked gently in butter – which should also go into your pâté, along with some more of it. Because butter makes pâté better.

I love relishes, and I love making them. I never use a recipe, I just choose ingredients and get on with it. The three core elements for this kind of relish (i.e. one that is intended to offset a pâté such as biltong, chicken liver, or in this case snoek) are onion (and maybe garlic), the core protein (in this case snoek) and dairy elements. Lemon juice and a bit of seasoning and you’re done.

The line-up in this case comprises flaked (vlekked) snoek flesh; onion-garlic; butter, cream cheese and cream, lemon juice to taste, and simple seasoning.

Tony’s snoek pâté with a jerepigo-mango relish

(Serves a group of weekend cooks)

Ingredients

1 braai snoek, thawed

3 Tbsp melted butter for basting

⅓ cup extra butter

Salt and white pepper to taste

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Salt and white pepper (for the blending stage)

250g cream cheese

50ml cream

Lemon juice, as needed

For the relish:

½ a small onion, very finely chopped

2 Tbsp flavourless oil (such as canola)

100g dried mango slices, chopped quite small

Jerepigo or similar fortified wine, to cover

½ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp ground coriander

A touch of salt

Method

First, chop the dried mango slices quite small, put them in a bowl and cover with jerepigo or other fortified wine. Refrigerate overnight.

Now move on to the pâté.

Melt ⅓ cup butter in a small pan. Add the finely chopped onion and garlic and simmer until soft.

Put the vlekked flesh in the bowl of a food processor and add the softened onion/garlic and all the butter left in the pot. Season with salt and white pepper, scoop the cream cheese in, and blend. Once blended, add the cream and blend until fairly fine but leaving it with some texture.

Now add a squeeze of lemon juice, blend and taste. When you can discern the lemon in the mixture, stop adding. I added about 2 to 4 Tbsp before I was happy that the lemon could be tasted.

Returning to the relish, heat the oil and add the chopped onion. Simmer until softened.

Add the macerated mango slices to the onion. Add the ground cardamom and coriander and a hint of salt.

Pour in the remaining jerepigo that the mango was macerated in. Bring to a simmer and let it bubble gently for a few minutes – you’re looking for a chutney-like result. Cool and refrigerate.

Spoon the pâté into ramekins and refrigerate.

To serve, place ramekins on small plates, to one side, with relish on the side. DM

Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the year award, in 2021 and 2023

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed on a plate by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.