This rustic pâté is an all-time favorite of ours and I’ve been making it forever. I always keep a few avocados stored in the refrigerator as we tend to use them often in various salads, sandwiches and on occasions, smoothies. And of course, who doesn’t love guacamole. My favorite variety is the bumpy skinned Hass avocado, just love the rich buttery and slightly nutty taste which pairs nicely with the pistachio crust on the pâté. Choose avocados that are firm and ripe and when making, let a hint of chilli shine through and season well, otherwise it could end up tasting a little bland. The lemon juice stops the avocado from discoloring and you can make this pâté at least eight hours in advance.
Melba toast and I go back a long time and as a child my mother would give me the job of watching the toast under the grill. My favorite part was watching the wafer thin pieces of bread bend upwards as they browned… moving almost as if they were alive… then shouting out to my mother, letting her know when they were ready.
There every so light and crispy and so easy to make. All you need do is; cut the crusts of sliced white bread and toast in a toaster. Next, lay a slice of toast on a cutting board and with a bread knife, cut through the slice horizontally , making two wafer thin slices. Cut each slice into four triangles and lay them flat (toasted side down) on a baking tray. Toast under a pre-heated grill until browned… watch careful, it only takes about thirty seconds. Cool the toasted bread on a wire rack. Store the Melba toast in an airtight container until needed.
I’ve served this easy to make pâté (also the smoked mackerel pâté with preserved lemons ) at various times throughout the day, so it really is a perfect recipe for serving at brunch, lunch, evening tea or for dinner parties.
Avocado Pistachio Pâte with Melba Toast
(Serves 6 as a starter)
Ingredients:
25g unsalted chopped pistachios
110g cream cheese
3 avocado
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes (more if needed)
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
a few twists of freshly ground black pepper
For garnish, tomato rose (optional)
To serve, Melba toast or other thin crackers
You will need: A rectangular container or mould (2 cup capacity) brushed with a little vegetable oil and lined with some cling film, overlapping the edges.
How to make:
Sprinkle the pistachios over the base of the lined container, set aside.
Add the cream cheese to a medium bowl and with a wooden spoon, beat until smooth and softened.
Place the avocado, lemon juice, garlic and crushed garlic into another bowl. Mash the ingredients together using a potato masher or a large fork, keeping some texture with small lumps throughout.
Add the avocado mixture to the cream cheese mixture, followed by the spring onion, sea salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine all the ingredients. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Scrape the avocado mixture into the prepared contain and smooth over the top. Cover with the overlapping cling film making sure the top is completely covered. Refrigerate for about 4 hours to firm.
To serve: Pull back the cling film and invert the container onto a serving plate to unmold the pâté. Remove the cling film covering and garnish with tomato rose, if using. Serve with Melba toast or other toasted bread and crackers of your choice.
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love this recipie tastes fab
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Thank you little sis… it’s so easy to make 🙂
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Moya, how simple and wonderful this dish is! I absolutely love avocado and cream cheese! I have to prepare it, the only question – how long can I keep it in the fridge, about 2 days? What do you think?
Cheers
Mila
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Hi Mila, best made and enjoyed on day of making for freshness and color. The pate needs time in the fridge (about 4 hours) to firm up after preparation. You could half the recipe if you required a smaller amount so as not to have any leftover. The pate eventually starts to discolor from the outside when removed from the container 🙂
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Love the retro look of this and I’m sure it tastes amazing
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Me too Sandra, it is a lovely recipe with simple flavors. Great for making when entertaining 🙂
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Hi Moya. Love the look of this one. Only a couple a days ago I picked our first avocado for the season. One question, how long is it before it starts to discolour once it is out of the container?
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How lovely to have grown your own avocados Glenda. I only remove the avocado pate out of the container just before serving and I’ve not had problems while serving it for occasions. So I guess about an hour and a half before you seen the outsides start to darken, but by then there probably wont be any left 🙂
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Thanks Moya. it sounds great.
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Gorgeous and genius! Although I’m not vegetarian, I’ve just never loved pate. This is a PERFECT alternative and avocado and pistachio are two of my favorite foods. Thanks for sharing!
Trish
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I’m not vegetarian either but it does make a delicious change. Thanks for stopping by Trish 🙂
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