Smoked Fish Dip
This dip is a great way to make a small amount of smoked fish stretch further. I am a big fan of smoked fish as it uses oilier white-fleshed fish such as mackerel, trevally, and warehou that are stronger in flavour. When cooked fresh, they are not to everyone's liking, but once smoked, they truly come into their own. Curing and then smoking fish is also a way to extend the shelf life, resulting in less food waste. The dip comes together easily and can be adjusted to suit your taste. I like to go heavier on the herbs, mustard and lemon juice to balance the richness of the fish and cheese. You do you and adjust to taste.
Ingredients
- about 150g smoked fish - I like to use mackerel or kingfish
- 100 g (about 3 heaped tbsp) cream cheese
- 100 g (about 3 heaped tbsp) sour cream
- 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
- zest of half a lemon, about 1 tsp
- juice of half a lemon, 1-2 tbsp
- handful parsley, chives and/or dill, finely chopped
- cracked pepper to taste
- salt if needed
Instructions
- Remove the skin from the smoked fish if needed and use fingers or two forks to flake and break up the flesh into small pieces. Set aside.
- In a bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and chopped herbs. Mix well to combine.
- Add the smoked fish and a generous grind of cracked pepper and fold together. Taste and adjust the flavour with extra lemon juice and/or cracked pepper. It is unlikely to need salt as the smoked fish is quite salty so taste before adding.
- Keep chilled until ready to serve. Serve as a dip with crackers and slices of carrot and cucumber, also delicious as a toast or sandwich spread. Store in an airtight container and use within 5 days.