Mackerel Pâté Recipe with Pickled Cucumber

Ingredients

• 4 fresh mackerel fillets
• 75g of butter, softened and whipped
• 3 tbsp of crème fraîche
• 1 pinch of smoked paprika, to taste
• 1/2 tsp horseradish
• 1000ml of fish stock
• 1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 600ml of water
• 1 cardamom pod
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, toasted
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of fresh tarragon
• 50ml of chardonnay vinegar, or good quality white wine vinegar
• 2 cloves
• 4 black peppercorns
• 10g of salt
• 100g of sourdough bread, frozen
• 1 head fennel
• 1g of agar agar