Smoked kipper pâté

Kippers (smoked herring) are brilliantly inexpensive and often overlooked. This pâté is great for Christmas canapés or as a starter to serve 4

Most of us will be trying to cut costs on food and drink bills this Christmas, but I am determined not to let it dampen the festive spirit. I have had my Christmas menu planned for a couple of weeks now – you can enjoy it all in next week’s magazine – and I’ve managed to make some very pleasing savings.

The biggest change for me is that I will serve up two chickens rather than a turkey. This means I can feed eight people perfectly (too many leftovers stress me out), buy higher-welfare birds and still spend less than I would on a turkey.

Other swaps I’m happy about, are using smoked kippers instead of smoked mackerel in my pâté. They are half the price, just as good, and a bowl of smoked fish

Kippers are half the price of smoked mackerel

pâté is always useful in the fridge if unexpected guests pop round. And I’ll be using granulated sugar instead of caster in my cakes and biscuits. It is also, remarkably, half the price (though you can’t directly swap it for caster in all baking recipes, so do check beforehand). I have been squirrelling things away in my freezer, too: lots of odds and ends of bread to make stuffing and bread sauce, and any discounted foods I spot at the supermarket – such as half-price bacon rashers, which will do nicely for pigs in blankets.

Do you have a great recipe for eating well and cutting food bills? Email editor@you.co.uk.

If we print it here, we’ll send you a bottle of champagne

METHOD

Heat the kippers according to the packet instructions, then remove from the packaging and leave to cool completely.

Discard the skin and flake the flesh into a small food processor. Add the soft cheese, horseradish,