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Fish Pâté

Fish pâté from Erken 1914: a thick white base of 125 g butter, 125 g flour, and 5 dl milk is cooled and enriched with 4 egg yolks, seasoned with mace, white pepper, and salt, mixed with about 500 g cooked, finely chopped fish, and 4 stiffly whipped egg whites folded in. Filled into greased, crumb-coated timbale molds and cooked in a water bath in the oven about 30 minutes. Served with whipped butter.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 134 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Fish pâté cooked in a water bath in timbale molds was a classic way to refine cooked fish in Norwegian middle-class homes around 1914. The dish was served as a hot starter or light main course with whipped butter.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Make the base

    Melt the butter, stir in the flour, and thin a little at a time with the milk. Give the mixture a good boil.

  2. 2

    Cool and season

    Take the pot off the heat and let the mixture cool. Stir in the egg yolks and add mace, white pepper, and salt to taste.

  3. 3

    Mix in the fish

    Stir in the cooked, cleaned, and finely chopped fish. Whip the egg whites stiff and fold them in last.

  4. 4

    Cook in a water bath

    Fill the mixture into greased and well crumb-coated timbale molds. Set the molds in a water bath in the oven at 160–175 °C (345 °F) and let the pâtés cook for about 30 minutes until firm.

  5. 5

    Serve

    Turn the pâtés out and serve them with whipped butter.

Changes from the original

Measures have been converted to modern units (dl, tsp). "1 large deep plate of fish" is estimated at about 500 g of cooked fish. Mace can be replaced with grated nutmeg. Oven temperature for the water bath has been added (160–175 °C (345 °F)), since the original gives no degrees.

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Tidsmaskin – hva endret seg?

Velg to utgaver og se hva Henriette Schønberg Erken la til, fjernet eller endret mellom dem.

Fra19141949Modernisert
Til19141949Modernisert
1914 (korrekturlest, s. 134) → 1949 (korrekturlest, s. 163)~38% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til
125 gr. smør 125 gr. hvetemel 5 del. dl. melk 4 egg 1/2 teske ½ teskje muskatblomme salt 1 knivsod knivsodd hvit pepper 1 stor dyp tallerken fisk Smørret fisk. Smøret smeltes, irøres melet, spædes spedes litt efter litt med melken, gives gis et godt opkok. Tages Tas av ilden, varmen, avkjøles, jevnes med eggeblommerne, tilsættes eggeplommene, tilsettes muskat, pepper, salt efter smak, den kokte, rensede, finhakkede fisk og tilsidst tilsist de 4 stivvispede eggehviter. Fyldes eggwhiter. Fylles i smurt smurte og godt strøede strødde timbalformer, koker i vandbad vannbad i ovnen 1/2 ¾ time. Serveres med rørt smør.

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Frequently asked questions

Which fish can I use?
The recipe uses "1 large deep plate" of ready-cooked fish. The fish should be cooked, cleaned of skin and bones, and finely chopped – leftover cooked cod, haddock, or saithe works well.
How is the pâté prepared?
The mixture is made from a thick roux sauce (butter, flour, and milk), which is cooled and enriched with the egg yolks, seasoned with mace, white pepper, and salt, mixed with the fish, and finally 4 stiffly whipped egg whites. The filling is poured into greased, crumb-coated timbale molds and cooked in a water bath in the oven for 1/2 hour.
What is it served with?
The pâté is served with whipped butter, as stated in Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" from 1914 (p. 134).
Why a water bath?
The water bath gives even, mild heat so the egg mixture sets without separating or drying out, and the pâté stays fluffy.

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