Smoked Trout Dip

A white bowl of smoked fish dip topped with minced chives and fish roe.

5 from 1 vote

This smokey trout dip makes for a delicious snack or appetizer alongside potato chips or homemade crostini. Add a dollop on top of warm potato latkes or maybe as a light lunch slathered across buttery toasted rye bread – à la Danish smørbrød.

Prep Time30

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 279kcal

Author: Leigh Anderson

Ingredients

8 ounces smoked trout
8 ounces whipped cream cheese room temperature
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika plus more for serving
2 tablespoons minced chives plus more for serving
trout roe optional
potato chips, bread, crackers, crostini or crudités for serving

Instructions

Flake the Fish: The best tool for this job is clean hands. Peel away and discard the skin from each filet. Place the filets in a mixing bowl and flake the fish apart into small pieces. As you go, keep an eye out for any stray bits of skin or pin bones. Just gently pull them out and discard. Keep in mind, flaking fish is a very forgiving process. There's no need to be precise. You can leave the fish in larger chunks or break it up into fine shreds – up to you.
Mix: Add the cream cheese along with the rest of the ingredients (shallot, lemon juice, zest, chives and paprika) to the mixing bowl with the flaked fish. Fold to combine. I typically find that this dip doesn’t need any additional salt as the fish is quite salty already. That said, give it a taste before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed. The dip is ready to be served immediately or stored in the fridge for later use. If possible, make this dip a few hours (or even a day) a head to give the flavors time to meld.
Serve: To serve, transfer the dip to a small serving bowl. Top with a sprinkle of paprika, chives and roe (if using). Serve with chips, crackers or crudités.

Notes

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

Smoked Trout: I'm partial to fresh smoked trout, rather than canned but honestly, either will work. You can also substitute other types of fish like salmon, whitefish, even mackerel.
Whipped Cream Cheese: whipped cream cheese is preferable for this recipe because it's light, airy and easy to mix. You can substitute regular "un-whipped" cream cheese. Start with six ounces and add more as needed.
Smoked Paprika: substitute: sweet paprika or a pinch of chili powder
Chives: substitute: green onion

Smoked Trout Dip will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Nutrition