Snoek pâté with 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 do what those of us in small towns have to do — buy a “braai snoek” from a freezer in your supermarket, defrost it slowly, and bake it.

That’s 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

(Serves 8 as a dinner party starter)

Ingredients

1 butterflied 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

The evening before, put the mango slices in a bowl and pour jerepigo in to cover (hanepoot is fine too). Refrigerate overnight.

If using a frozen snoek, defrost it and preheat an oven to 180°C.

Grease an oven pan with butter and place the fish in it, skin side down. Melt the butter in a small pot and brush this over the flesh side. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. Roast the fish in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes maximum. Remove and allow to cool.

When the fish has cooled, vlek (flake) the flesh; that is, pull the flesh off the firm bones, being careful not to accidentally include some of the finer bones in your “pulled” snoek.

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.

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

Chop the mango slices quite small and add to the onion. Add the ground cardamom and coriander and a hint of salt.

Add the remaining jerepigo that the mango was macerated in. Bring to a simmer and let it bubble gently for a few minutes. 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

Order Tony’s book, foodSTUFF, here.

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

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