We love tuna pâté, and this one features some of our favourite flavour combinations – tuna with lemon, gherkins, chives and a little spice.
It’s super simple, and only takes about 15 minutes to make. There are a few tips to perfect it, however – the first of which is to not use tuna in oil. Normally, we prefer tuna in oil, but in this recipe it makes the pâté too greasy. So we use tuna in spring water instead. You could use tuna in brine, but we are not big fans as we find it too salty. If you do use it, rinse it thoroughly first to remove the brine.
The tuna pâté is made smooth and creamy with some cream cheese. Full fat gives the best texture, but low fat will work if you want it lighter.
Today we were making a big tuna pâté as a dip for Estella’s birthday party, so for a ‘normal’ sized pâté that will serve 4 to 6 people, halve the quantities in the pictures (e.g., two cans of tuna). It will keep very well, so if you make a larger quantity than you need it will be good for a few days – stored, covered, in the fridge. But it may not last that long. At Estella’s party it was so popular that her uncle took the last of it home with him! It really is a well-loved dish.
First zest some unwaxed lemons, and cut the zest finer. Also juice them. See our lemon Tip. We used two large lemons for our big tuna pâté; one is probably enough for a smaller one, but you can add to taste.
Also peel & finely chop the garlic. See our garlic Tip. We like it quite garlicy, but the garlic in this dish will stay raw, so we don’t want it to take over. For our large tuna pâté we used three large cloves. For a smaller pâté, one would probably be enough, or you can add to your taste.
Now snip the chives, quite finely. This is easiest with scissors. We used about half a bunch. Also chop a few gherkins (dill pickles) or cornichons. We love gherkins, so use quite a lot. Today we used five really large ones. Two or three would be fine for a smaller pâté, but use more if your gherkins are small or you are using cornichons. You can always taste and add more to your liking, so start with less if you are unsure. Chop them reasonably small, bearing in mind both these and the dill will be folded into the tuna pâté, not blended with it. So a little texture is nice. This is the second top tip – fold these two ingredients in at the end, for a nice bit of crunch; do not blend in.
Jake sticks his nose in
There are various types of dill pickles, ranging in size, and tasting from salty, to tangy to sweet. Use the ones you like best; we prefer either tangy or sweet ones in this tuna pâté. We also find cornichons tend to be firmer and tangier than larger pickles.
Now drain the tuna in a small colander or sieve. The third top tip is to get the tuna as dry as possible. This is best done by really pressing down on it with a fork while draining, so as much liquid as possible comes out. You’ll be surprised how much more you will get out by doing this! We said tuna in spring water is best. But if yours is in brine (or oil, which we don’t recommend) wash it well first, then drain thoroughly.
Your preparation is done, and you are ready to make your tuna pâté!
Add the tuna to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Also add the cream cheese. We use about 60g of cheese per can of tuna (standard 145g can), so today we used 240g for our large pâté with 4 cans of tuna. Also add the chopped garlic, lemon zest and juice (you can start with about half of the juice, then add more if needed), and season with a little salt and a generous grind of black pepper.
Jake sticks his nose in
Always season this tuna pâté well. It needs quite a lot of black pepper. It will also need a little salt, but how much will depend on your tuna. If it was in spring water you will need more, but if in brine it will need much less. Taste it to check!
Now blend the tuna pâté. Pulsing is best. You want the pâté to be smooth and combined, but still retain some texture. This is the next top tip – don’t over-blend it. The pâté is nicest if it still has some of the tuna texture, so blend until it just comes together. Taste, and adjust the seasoning and lemon if needed. Today we did add all the juice, but we also thought the tuna pâté could benefit from some heat. So we added a shake each of both green and red Tabasco, plus another good grind of pepper. Pulse again once or twice if you do add more flavourings, but don’t overwork.
Jake sticks his nose in
Green Tabasco goes very well with tuna. It is tangier and milder than the red. But red Tabasco gives the heat, so we like both. But they are optional if you don’t like it spicy. Taste often and adjust with any of the seasonings until you like it.
Scrape the tuna pâté into your serving bowl; a silicone spatula will help get it all out cleanly. Then add the chopped gherkins & chives. Mix well to combine.
We like to decorate our tuna pâté with a little sprinkling of both cayenne and sweet smoked paprika. Both are optional, but it looks pretty and adds another hit of flavour. Don’t overdo the cayenne however – it is very hot! Use paprika alone if you like less spice. Alternatively, you could decorate with a few more chopped chives.
Your tasty, tangy tuna pâté is ready! You can serve immediately, or keep in the fridge, covered, until you are ready. We tend to make it slightly ahead as the flavours do develop if you leave it for about an hour or so (but you can leave it longer, up to a few days). Just remember to get it out of the fridge about half an hour before you serve so it is not fridge-cold.
Enjoy! We like our tuna pâté with toast or crackers for a light meal. Or if you’re making it for a party, have a great time! Whichever way, it’s bound to be a hit.
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