Smoked Fish Dip

We’ve been on a vacation and had a graduation. Now that we are home and the celebrating is finally over (I think) it’s time to share a vacation souvenir. My favorite thing to bring home from any trip is a new recipe and this one does not disappoint.

The vacation was a visit to Fernandina Beach in Florida, and the best part was getting to take the dogs, Cupcake and Chili Dog, with us. That meant less going out to eat, but we managed a few delicious trips to favorite places. One of the favorite appetizers offered at almost every restaurant in that part of Florida and along the Georgia coast is smoked seafood dip. That may not seem like a very catchy name but it makes up for it in taste. Each version is a little different, but basically, it’s creamy and delicious with bites of smoked fish, a hint of Old Bay seasoning and fresh lemon juice, plus heat from hot sauce. It’s always served with crackers and vegetables and it is just irresistible once you have that first bite.

After conferring with Charlie, my friend who owns Atlantic Seafood, hands down the best seafood shop on the coast (and he’s a Sewanee graduate) I think this is the perfect smoked seafood dip ever. I changed a couple of things. The first is the fish. Smoked salmon is available everywhere, but the dips I’ve sampled were made with local fish like cobia or snapper. Here in Tennessee we have trout and smoked trout is delicious. Secondly, you will appreciate this, most dips are served with hot sauce on the side which is a good idea, but an even better idea is to also serve them with Firecrackers (You’re Grown – Now You Can Throw a Party, p. 121) a double punch. Firecrackers make an appearance at almost every party here so they are always around.

We premiered the dip at Richard’s graduation party. His uncle and cousin loved it. My seafood expert friends proclaimed it delicious and even a couple of on the fence folks couldn’t resist. As usual we had enough food for at least a dozen more people, but had made extra expecting the graduates to drop by the next day. After cleaning up, I settled in with a glass of wine to have a well-deserved hostess snack. Guess what had completely disappeared — the smoked seafood dip? Too bad. This will be something to make again very soon. Hope you make it too – it’s marvelous! Enjoy!

Smoked Fish Dip

Ingredients

8 oz container whipped cream cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp prepared horseradish

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1-2 Tbsp chopped parsley

8 oz smoked trout (or other smoked fish – found at most seafood counters)

Directions

Mix together creamed cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, and chopped parsley in a bowl.

Remove any skin from fish and either chop by hand or pulse 8 to 10 times in a food processor until finely chopped.

Fold fish into cheese mixture and chill before serving.

Can be made 2 days in advance.

Serve with crackers and hot sauce (or Firecrackers!)