Smoked Whitefish Dip Recipe

• Difficulty: Easy
• Servings: 8 to 12 portions
• Nutritional Facts (per serving, based on 10 servings): Calories 242, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Carbohydrates 2 g, Dietary Fiber 0 g, Sugar 1 g, Protein 22 g, Cholesterol 52 mg, Sodium 1098 mg
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Hands-on Time: 20 minutes

Back when I lived in New Jersey, I frequented Jewish delis in New York City and always ordered whitefish dip. After moving to the South, I developed my own version of this classic spread. Smoked whole whitefish or fillets are often available in the seafood section of many grocery stores.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds smoked whitefish (or mullet, trout, or mahimahi)
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill, plus extra dill sprigs for garnish
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (about 2 dashes)
• A pinch of seafood seasoning
• 1 green onion, cut into large chunks
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• Juice of half a lemon (about 2 tablespoons), plus lemon slices for garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, radishes, and crackers for serving

Instructions

1. Remove all bones from the fish and break it into large flakes; set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce, dill, Worcestershire sauce, seafood seasoning, green onion, celery, and lemon juice; blend until smooth.
3. Add the flaked fish and pulse a few times to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and garnish with dill sprigs and lemon slices. Serve with celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber rounds, radishes, and crackers.