Just like many children, mine like a picky/picnic/snack tea. These meals are popular because there are lots of bits to choose from, allowing them to take what they fancy from the offering, in varying amounts. When you’re serving family-style, this experience is what you’re recreating on a daily basis with all sorts of meals.  

One of my favourite picky teas, especially as the weather improves, is this smoked mackerel pate. I can make up some pate but leave some of the mackerel fillet plain and whole. Bread is always a winner, though I might offer some toasted and some not. I can prepare the cucumber for the pickle and keep some back easily enough. I can make up the remoulade but leave some sticks of celeriac without any dressing for the children to explore. And it is easy enough for me to add some carrot or pepper sticks or perhaps some apple slices to the table too, making the whole meal more accessible to my children.  

Switch up your picky tea offering this week with my smoked mackerel pate recipe.