Mary Berry’s three fish terrine layers smoked trout, smoked salmon and smoked mackerel pâtés inside a smoked salmon shell. From her Complete Cookbook, it serves 10 at 424 calories per serving and chills overnight with no cooking required.
Berry’s headnote in the Complete Cookbook (2024) describes three kinds of smoked fish “blended with soft cheese, arranged in layers, then wrapped in smoked salmon.” Each layer has its own colour and taste, so every slice reveals a striped cross-section.
The assembly technique is what matters most here. Each pâté layer must be spread with a palette knife and levelled flat before adding the next. Berry suggests wetting the knife to stop it sticking, which is a small detail that makes a real difference.
Mary Berry Three Fish Terrine
Course: AppetizersCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy10
servings45
minutes424
kcalA showpiece cold starter from Berry’s Complete Cookbook that stacks three different smoked fish pâtés inside a smoked salmon lining. It freezes for up to a month, making it ideal for entertaining.
Ingredients
Sunflower oil, for greasing
175 to 250g (6 to 8 oz) smoked salmon slices
Salt and black pepper
Watercress, to garnish
- Trout pâté:
175g (6 oz) smoked trout
90g (3 oz) butter
90g (3 oz) full-fat soft cheese
1½ tbsp lemon juice
- 90g (3 oz) butter
125g (4 oz) smoked salmon pieces
60g (2 oz) butter
60g (2 oz) full-fat soft cheese
1½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- Mackerel pâté:
175g (6 oz) smoked mackerel
90g (3 oz) butter
90g (3 oz) full-fat soft cheese
1½ tbsp lemon juice
Directions
- Remove the skin and bones from the smoked trout. Purée with the butter, cheese, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor until smooth and well blended. Turn into a bowl, cover, and chill.
- Purée the smoked salmon pieces, butter, cheese, lemon juice, tomato purée, dill, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor until smooth and well blended. Turn into a bowl, cover, and chill.
- Remove the skin and bones from the mackerel. Purée with the butter, cheese, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor until smooth and well blended. Turn into a bowl, cover, and chill.
- Oil the loaf tin and line with overlapping slices of smoked salmon. Arrange them crosswise and allow 3.5 to 5cm (1½ to 2 in) to overhang the sides of the tin.
- Turn the trout pâté into the loaf tin and spread it evenly with a palette knife, levelling the surface. If necessary, wet the knife to prevent sticking. Add the salmon pâté in the same way, and then top with the mackerel pâté.
- Fold the smoked salmon over the mackerel pâté, tucking in the ends. Cover and chill overnight.
- To serve, carefully turn out the terrine, cut into thick slices, and arrange on individual serving plates with a watercress garnish.
FAQs
Can I use different smoked fish in each layer?
Berry chose trout, salmon and mackerel because each has a distinct colour and flavour that creates contrast. The trout layer is pale pink, the salmon pâté is deeper pink with tomato purée, and the mackerel is a golden brown. Swapping any of them changes the visual effect.
Hot-smoked salmon would work in place of the trout layer, since Berry uses it in her Hot-Smoked Salmon and Dill Pâté with the same soft cheese base. Peppered mackerel adds a spicy note if you want more punch in the bottom layer.
Why does only the salmon pâté layer include tomato purée and dill?
Berry adds tomato purée and dill to the salmon layer because smoked salmon pieces have a milder flavour than the trout or mackerel. Without them, the middle layer would taste flat between the two stronger fish. The purée also deepens the pink colour, so each stripe looks distinct when sliced.
This is the same flavour trick Berry uses in her smoked salmon mousse from Family Sunday Lunches. There, tomato purée and horseradish serve the same purpose: lifting the salmon so it holds its own against the cream.
How do I line the tin neatly with smoked salmon?
Berry arranges the salmon slices crosswise across the tin, overlapping them slightly. Leave 3.5 to 5cm hanging over each side so you can fold them back over the top once the pâtés are layered in. Any gaps can be patched with smaller offcuts.
The key is oiling the tin first. Berry specifies sunflower oil because it has no flavour. The oil helps the cling film or salmon sit flat against the tin walls, so the terrine slides out cleanly when you turn it out the next day.
How far ahead can I make this terrine?
Berry says to chill overnight, but a terrine like this keeps well for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. The flavours actually develop and meld together after the first night. She also notes it freezes for up to a month, which makes it a strong option for Christmas entertaining.
Slice it straight from the fridge rather than at room temperature. Cold slices hold their shape and show off the three layers cleanly. Berry’s Chilled Salmon Terrine from Cooks the Perfect uses the same approach: serve it cold for the neatest presentation.
What’s the difference between this and Berry’s other salmon terrines?
Berry has several salmon terrines across her books, but this is the only one that uses three different fish. Her Chilled Salmon Terrine uses a single salmon pâté with horseradish, while her Salmon and Asparagus Terrine adds whole asparagus spears through the centre.
This Three Fish Terrine is the most complex to assemble because you’re making three separate pâtés. The trade-off is that each slice looks like a work of art, with clean stripes of three different colours running through it.
What should I serve alongside this terrine?
Berry keeps it simple with watercress as a garnish and suggests thick slices on individual plates. Toast or crusty bread is the natural accompaniment for the rich pâté. Melba toast works well too, since it’s thin enough not to compete with the rich pâté.
A squeeze of lemon on the side brightens the rich fish flavours and adds freshness. Berry pairs most of her fish terrines with brown bread and lemon wedges across her other books, and this one suits the same treatment. A dressed green salad rounds things out without adding heaviness.
