• 75 g/3 oz butter
• 100 g/4 oz fresh soft herring roes
• salt and freshly milled pepper
• juice of ½ lemon
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley

Melt 25 g (1 oz) of the butter in a frying pan, add the roes and season with salt and pepper. Fry gently for about 5 minutes, turning the roes over to cook them evenly. Draw the pan off the heat and spoon the roes and butter from the pan into a mixing basin. Using a wooden spoon beat the mixture to a smooth paste. Gradually beat in the remaining butter, softened, lemon juice to taste and chopped parsley.

Alternatively the pâté may be mixed in a blender. In this case spoon the hot roes and butter from the pan into the container. Cover and blend until smooth, then blend in the remaining butter, 15 g (½ oz) at a time, and the lemon juice. When the mixture is smooth stir in the chopped parsley.

Spoon the prepared pâté into a small dish and chill for several hours. Serve with hot toast and butter.