Paté. It sounds like such a posh dish. In reality it’s just a spreadable mixture of cooked meat, fat and seasonings. So much for the elegant, French name, huh?

Originally, paté meant a baked, meat-filled pastry served hot or cold. It later referred to the chunky filling for this pie. Ultimately, it became known as the aforementioned spread.

What do you put in a paté? Among the most popular ingredients are goose liver, pork, veal and beef. Because I stopped eating meat long ago, I make less traditional patés featuring smoked fish, vegetables or mushrooms.

I served the following spread on Christmas Eve. Quick to make and equally fast to assemble, smoked trout paté is an easy hors d’oeuvre for the harried host.

SMOKED TROUT PATÉ
Whenever I forget to grab chives at the market, I substitute 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion for the chopped chives. Without that dash of green the paté will look a bit bland but it will still taste great.

Makes 1 1/4 cups

5 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch sweet paprika
Sea salt, to taste
Ground white pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
6 ounces smoked trout fillets, skins removed
Petite toast points or crackers
Fresh dill, optional, for serving

In a medium bowl beat together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper until well blended. Stir in the chives.

Using a fork or your fingers, flake chunks of smoked trout into the bowl, removing any pin bones that you may encounter as you work over the fish. With a rubber spatula fold the trout into the cream cheese mixture. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, spread over petite toast points or crackers, top with fresh dill and enjoy.