I was intrigued by Castle MacLellan’s suggestion of hosting a Pate Party, in order to sample their pate range in the company of friends. Always a fan of alliteration, I was quickly persuaded to give their pates a try.
For our Pate Party, we got together on bonfire night (sorry for the delay in write up, dear reader!) We enjoyed pate, beer and banter as a way to catch up and insulate ourselves internally for the cold hour ahead building the bonfire.
Castle MacLellan pate party – a fine spread (see what I did there?)
We sampled Rannoch Smoked Duck and Bramley Apple Jelly, which was deep and smoky, with a slight sweetness. I paired it with a Sorachi Ace Black IPA; it’s dark maltiness complementing the duck and the bright hops matching the tangy apple jelly.
The Luxury Orkney Crab Terrine with Lemon Juice and Mustard was heavy in flavour, the richness of the crab making it dark and rounded. A little more presence of zing and fire from the lemon and mustard would have made for a nice contrast. Instead, our pairing with an Imperial Hefeweizen by De Molen brought a sweet sourness that was very pleasant.
Castle MacLellan pate – not an easy thing to photograph.
A clear favourite, the Scottish Smoked Salmon with Lemon Juice and Horseradish was absolutely delicious. Well balanced and fresh-flavoured, it went very well with the citrussy, full-bodied Six Degrees North Wanderlust Wheat beer we had chosen.
Finally, we found the Chicken Liver with Scottish Heather Honey a little uninspiring, too bland and traditional perhaps, although for some that might not be a bad thing. On the other hand, the creamy simplicity of the Oven Roasted Mushroom with Garlic and Thyme was flavourful and moreish.
All gone.
But Castle MacLellan also suggest that pate isn’t just for spreading on crackers; why not cook with it too?
Pondering this later whilst waving a sparkler in front of our bonfire, my pals and I thought the mushroom pate would be good stirred through hot spaghetti, or stuffed in chicken wrapped in Parma ham.
Or perhaps a strong-flavoured fish such as hake or monkfish, baked with chicken or crab pate spread on top, would also work well – although it would need to be accompanied by a rocket salad with a zesty lemon dressing.
So with party season now singing carols on our doorsteps, be sure to consider Castle MacLellan pate as part of your spread. And when you’re enjoying your pate with friends, share the fun online with #PateTogether.
Amy and chums enjoyed their pate and other party food at the generosity of Castle MacLellan.
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