Portuguese Sardine Pate

Name: Portuguese Sardine Pate
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 1 x 120g can sardines in oil; 50g softened butter; 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil; smoked paprika, to taste; Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; Squeeze lemon juice

Chef Jose Silva says: “Paté de sardinha, olives and bread are almost always on the table when you walk into a restaurant in portugal, before you even order.” Sardines abound in Portuguese waters and are one of the country’s most popular fish, with each person consuming an average of over 5kg per year. Lisbon has an annual sardine festival every summer in honour of their patron, Saint Anthony. The streets and plazas are filled with parties, parades and makeshift charcoal grilling stations cooking sardines; and it’s said that about 13 sardines per second are eaten during the festival! I like to serve my Portuguese sardine pate with olives and another favourite Portuguese snack, lupine (tremoço in Portuguese), they’re traditionally eaten by squeezing the bean out of the outer skin and discarding the skin.

Serves 2–4 as a snack

Ingredients

1 x 120g can sardines in oil
50g softened butter
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Squeeze lemon juice
Olives, lupine and bread, for serving

Method

Drain the sardines, gently rub off as much skin as possible and discard the bones.
Place sardine meat in a bowl with butter, oil and paprika and mash to form a coarse paste.
Taste and add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Transfer to a small dish, cover and refrigerate until needed, ideally overnight.
Remove from the fridge 30 minutes or so before serving.
Serve with olives, lupine, bread and a chilled vinho verde like Casal Garcia.