quick wild salmon and leek pate blended with coconut cream and herbs into a spreadable pate

There are evenings on this protocol when cooking a real meal is more than you have left in you. This pate exists for those evenings. Fifteen minutes now, mostly poaching and a spin in the blender, buys you 3 or 4 days of something real to reach for without having to decide anything.

Wild salmon is where the medicine sits. Its omega-3 fats are involved in calming an inflammatory response that runs hot in autoimmune conditions, and poaching it gently rather than searing it hard is part of what keeps those fats intact instead of breaking down under high heat. The coconut cream folds in around that without dulling any of it.

Buy the fish fresh, the day you plan to poach it, and let that freshness be part of the care you are taking. Spread it on cucumber rounds or a plantain cracker, and take the 5 minutes to actually sit at the table with it instead of grazing straight from the fridge door.

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb wild salmon fillet, skin on
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 tbsp solid fat (lard or coconut oil)
• 3 oz piece of white leek, thinly sliced
• 1 cup coconut cream
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
• 1 tbsp finely chopped dill
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt

Method

Set the salmon fillet skin side down in a small pan with the bay leaf and just enough water to come partway up the fish. Bring it to a bare simmer, cover, and poach gently until the salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily, a few minutes depending on thickness. Lift it out, discard the bay leaf and the skin, and let the fish cool a little.

In the same pan, warm the solid fat over medium-low heat and add the sliced leek. Cook it slowly until soft and sweet without browning, then take it off the heat.

Put the poached salmon, the softened leek, the coconut cream and the sea salt into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and spreadable. Add the chopped chives and dill and pulse just to fold them through, so you keep flecks of green.

Scrape the pate into a dish, smooth the top, and chill until set and cold. Serve with cucumber rounds, sliced vegetables or AIP-friendly crackers. Keep it covered in the fridge and use within a few days.

*Adapted from healingfamilyeats.com*