Prawn Pâté

 

It was a long time ago at a friend's 21st birthday party when I came across this lovely pâté made by the mother of the birthday girl.  I grabbed the recipe from mum and have recreated it for friends and family on numerous occasions ever since.  A perfect spread to showcase on your cheese board, or pass it around on a tray to delight your guests.  The recipe calls for cooked prawn meat but I would refrain from buying packages of these from the supermarket.  Get locally sourced raw prawns in shells if you can and prepare them yourself.  A bit more work cooking, peeling, deveining and cutting them up, but fresh, sweet taste of the star ingredient can be guaranteed, which is critical for this pâté.  Serve with cracker biscuits or spread it on toasts.

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 100g / 3½oz cream cheese, in room temperature
• 45g / 1½oz  unsalted butter, in room temperature
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• few drops of tabasco sauce
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 250g / 9oz cooked prawn meat (from about 12 medium to large raw prawns in shells)

METHOD

1. In a saucepan, cook prawns in their shells in boiling water for a few minutes until they turn pink and curl up.  Refresh under cold running water.  Shell and devein.  Cut each prawn into 3-4 pieces.
2. In a bowl, mash butter and cream cheese with a fork until smooth.
3. Add mayonnaise, garlic, tabasco sauce, nutmeg and lemon juice.  Mix well.  Fold in prawn meat.
4. Line a small bowl with a large piece plastic kitchen wrap.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl.  Press the mixture down with the back of a spoon.  Fold the plastic wrap together on the top and press again gently.  Keep the pâté in the refrigerator for a few hours for its flavour to fully develop. 
5. To serve, unfold the plastic wrap and tip the pâté onto a tray or cheese board.   Remove the rest of the wrap.  Arrange cracker biscuits around the pâté.