Smoked Fish Dip
Smoked Fish Dip. Or not smoked! A staple Florida and Gulf coast favourite appetizer in a versatile recipe can use many types of fish, smoked or otherwise.
Todays recipe follows on the heels of this week's earlier new recipe for Copycat Old Bay Seasoning. We created a NO SODIUM version, meant to be a bit healthier yes, but a bit more versatile to use in recipes that would otherwise suffer from the high amount of salt in the original version.
Todays recipe falls exactly into this category, as smoked fish often is brined before smoking and brings enough salt to the recipe on its own.
The recipe will be familiar to people on a couple of fronts. Fish paté, particularly salmon paté, made with cream cheese and lemon has been a staple at Holiday parties and get togethers since back in the 80's at least, as that's when I remember first sampling it.
Other's may relate to it as that Old Florida staple appetizer, Smoked Fish Dip. It seems every beachfront cafe or diner as well as many inland restaurants boast their own version of this local favourite.
Smoked Fish Dip, our Florida connection.
We've travelled extensively in Florida over the last 30 years, from Jacksonville in the north to Miami and on to the tip of the Florida Keys. We've crossed the Everglades to Naples, Sarasota on up through the Panhandle to Destin on our way to New Orleans.
In recent visits, we have been based in the Tampa area, for the great entertainment, seeing quite a few shows at Amalie Arena, from Fleetwood Mac to Michael Bublé.
Of course the food there is also top notch, and I always have to visit Al's Finger Licking Good Bar-B-Que in Ybor City, the old Cuban enclave of Tampa. It's just some of the best BBQ in the state!
Another regular visit when in the area is a day at Clearwater beach and perhaps a dolphin watching boat tour. We always land back at Frenchy's Original Cafe where I love their spicy crabby fries and their famous Smoked Fish Spread.
It is famous along that stretch of coast and one of the most popular items on the menu. Served only with plain crackers and lemon wedges, look around the restaurant, and it's on practically every table.
The Amberjack ish they use is smoked in-house for their fish "spread". The fish flavour is pretty mellow, sort of like a less intense tuna and white fish blend.
It truly is delicious and always whets our appetite for the fried grouper, shrimp, clams, oysters or fish tacos that follow!
Use almost any fish in this recipe, smoked or not.
This recipe is very versatile when it comes to the type of fish that can be used in it.
I’ve used smoked mackerel here but any smoked fish can be substituted, including hot smoked salmon, haddock, herring, trout or steelhead trout, and meatier types of whitefish.
You can make this with unsmoked fish as well.
Grilled fish fillets that are seared and chilled are easy to use in this recipe. As I mentioned above we made a similar recipe with as a salmon and cream cheese paté, so salmon is a natural choice.
Grilled and chilled salmon fillets would be ideal as would any of the denser fish species. Some good choices to grill could include tuna or swordfish steaks, halibut, or mahi mahi.
However you make it, the other components are easily changed or omitted to suit your own taste. Use less seasoning, switch the mayo for sour cream, omit the horseradish...do your own thing.
The fish, lemon, cream cheese, onion and seasoning are the base of the recipe. Suit it to your own taste after that, but next time you serve it at any gathering, you're sure to be asked for the recipe!
(NOTE: PHOTOS OF THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE POSTED BELOW THE RECIPE.)
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Smoked Fish Dip
Smoked Fish Dip. Or not smoked! A staple Florida favourite appetizer in a versatile recipe can use many types of fish, smoked or otherwise.
Ingredients
- 8 oz smoked fish (see notes for unsmoked fish)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely minced lemon zest
- 1 shallot finely minced ( or ½ green onion)
- ¼ cup finely diced gherkins
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon horseradish (optional)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 2 tablespoon chopped dill or fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
- A pinch or two of salt (Note: if fish is brined, do not use any additional salt)
Instructions
- See note below about options for fish in this recipe. (Photos of the instruction steps are also in the notes below,)
- Peel the skins from the fish fillets.
- Using a fork flake the fish into small chunks, not too fine.
- Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice and zest to a small bowl.
- Cream together with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the flaked fish.
- Blend together until well combined.
- Add the flaked fish and fold in my hand, so that you don’t break the fish up too much.
- Chill in the fridge for at least a couple of hours. Chill overnight if you can to let the flavours meld really well.
- Serve with plain crackers and lemon wedges.
- Thinly cut baguette slices, fresh or toasted are great to use to make canpés for parties.
- The dip makes a delicious sandwich filling as well with fresh lettuce and tomato.
Notes
Liquid Smoke.
- If using unsmoked fish, some people like to add a few drops of liquid smoke. This is optional, of course, but always choose a natural wood smoke product, never artificial.
- Use it sparingly. It can be very strong.
- Add it at the end of the recipe and taste as you go. You can always add a little more but if you add too much there’s no going back.
Types of fish.
- This recipe is very versatile when it comes to the type of fish that can be used in it.
- I’ve used smoked mackerel here but any smoked fish can be substituted, including hot smoked salmon, haddock, herring, trout or steelhead trout, and d\meatier types of whitefish.
- You can make this with unsmoked fish as well. Grilled fish fillets that are seared and chilled are easy to use in this recipe.
- As I mentioned above we made a similar recipe with as a salmon and cream cheese paté, so salmon is a natural choice.
- Grilled and chilled salmon fillets would be ideal as would any of the denser fish species.
- Some good choices to grill could include tuna or swordfish steaks, halibut, or mahi-mahi.
Do your own thing!
However you make it, the other components are easily changed or omitted to suit your own taste. Ue less seasoning, switch the mayo for sour cream, omit the horseradish...do your own thing.
The fish, lemon, cream cheese, onion and seasoning are the base of the recipe. Suit it to your own taste after that, but next time you serve it at any gathering, you're sure to be asked for the recipe!
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
¼ cupAmount Per Serving Calories 150Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 4gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 27mgSodium 870mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 8g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
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