Smoked Trout Dip

One evening this summer Mike and I found ourselves in a fancy hotel bar hungry and slightly bent on strong cocktails. We had hit the bar too early for supper and too late for lunch. The bartender offered to wrangle up some smoked swordfish dip from the restaurant next door. Hazy and hungry we thought it a capital idea.

One year, well before the millennium, I spent some months working and living in a beach community in North Carolina. It seemed every restaurant had an award winning crab dip recipe they were eager to highlight. I fell for it every time but never was all that impressed. With that in the back of my mind, I was pretty sure, the fancy bar swordfish dip was going to be more of the same heavy on the mayo, scorched under the grill, molten cheese fonduta. Not complaining, but low expectations.

I was wrong. Dead wrong. It was delicious and haven’t stopped thinking about it yet. Fast forward a few months and I was presented with a similar made with smoked trout. Light on the mayo, served chilled with salty crackers it rang a bit different than the swordfish, but just as delicious. At the New Year I thought it time to crack on with coming up with my own version of a smoked fish dip.

What I like about this dip is that it isn’t “dippy”. The fish is the star of the show and keeping it in larger chunks with a light hand on the “dressing” keeps this on the lighter (and dare I say) healthier side. Measurements are approximate. Guide yourself on your personal taste…and in order to do that, you need to taste as you go. Be warned, smoked fish can be very salty…keep that in mind as you add ingredients that may also be salty. The creme fraiche in this recipe will help tame the brine, but if you taste as you go you can help mitigate having to play the balance game.
If you use a tinned fish packed in oil, draw off as much of the oil as possible, but don’t worry about blotting the fish. Some oil is fine and will add a nice touch to your dip. If you are using refrigerated fish, make sure, when you pick it, that you discard any of the pin bones and skin.

Smoked Trout Dip

8 oz smoked trout–picked through and left in nice-sized pieces
1/4 cup celery–minced
1/4 cup green onions (white and light green parts)–minced
1/8 cup finely chopped parsley
2 Tbs chopped chives
zest from 1/2 lemon
For Dressing
2 Tbs prepared horseradish
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup creme fraiche
2 Tbs pickle juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp white pepper
3-4 shakes green tabasco (more to serve)

Pick through the trout discarding skin and any pin bones you may find. Drop into a bowl. Add the celery, green onion, parsley, chives, and lemon zest. Lightly stir to not “mush” up the fish. In another bowl, whisk the horseradish, mayo, creme fraiche, pickle juice, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and white pepper. Taste. Add a couple of shakes of the green Tabasco. Taste and adjust. Being prudent, add to the fish in increments. You only want enough dressing to coat the ingredients well, not drench them. If you have dressing left, it makes a nice sandwich spread (more on that in a minute).
Pop in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld and chill. Best eaten on the day it is made and tastes delicious on simple saltine crackers. Serve with (green) Tabasco.
Will last another day or two in the refrigerator.

If you like a hot melty sandwich, any leftovers of this will do right by you. Use any leftover dressing as a sandwich spread. If you don’t have any left, a good dollop of mayo will do. Pile with trout dip, top with a nice melty cheese like Gruyere, pop it in the oven until it is hot, the bread is crispy, and the cheese is just threatening to roll off the mound. Sling a few shakes of the Tabasco and thank me later.