SMOKED FISH DIP

[stonebriar]

Our children caught some King Fish while visiting the Florida Keys last Spring. I decided to make a Smoked Fish Dip using a recipe from the Keys they provided - a first for me.

BRINE

Started with Water, Kosher Salt, Worcestershire Sauce, Light Brown Sugar, Bay Leaves, Thawed Fish, and Ice - Brine for 24 hours.

Smoked Fish Dip - 6.JPG

• stonebriar
• Oct 30, 2013

SMOKE

Rinsed from the Brine and allowed to cabinet rest for 3 hours, forming the much needed pellicle. Dusted with Worcestershire Sauce and Black Pepper and placed skin down in fish baskets sprayed with Pam. With a total of 21 Fillets, I smoked them @ approx.175* for 3 hours using Apple Wood, making certain my temps never exceeded 200*.

Smoked Fish Dip - 3.JPG

• stonebriar
• Oct 30, 2013

FLAKE

Removed from the Smoker and then flaked the fish into a large bowl, being careful to remove the skin. The picture below is the result of flaking just 3 fillets. The fish goes a long way.

Smoked Fish Dip - 4.JPG

• stonebriar
• Oct 30, 2013

MIX

I then added more Worcestershire Sauce, Black Pepper, Lemon Juice, Diced Onion, Diced Pimento's, Sour Cream, and Miracle Whip. Folded gently.

Smoked Fish Dip -5.JPG

• stonebriar
• Oct 30, 2013

Ready to be chilled.

Smoked Fish Dip - 1.JPG

• stonebriar
• Oct 30, 2013

So very good...

Smoked Fish Dip - 2.JPG

• stonebriar
• Oct 30, 2013

 

[woodcutter]

Nice!

 

[so ms smoker]

 A great dip! Nice job!

   Mike

 

[leah elisheva]

How exciting that you received all that beautiful fish and then put it into such tasty use!!!! As a skin girl, (my favorite part of the fish), I must ask, did you save/eat that, or did it get cast away?

Regardless, I'm sure you enjoyed, and that is so fun to see what you came up with! Cheers! - Leah

 

[roadkill cafe]

Great job and looks delicious. I smoked some Kingfish about a month ago. Smoked is the only way I'll eat it. Made into a dip is da bomb and yours looks spot on!!

Steve

 

[stonebriar]

Leah -

I discarded the skin. It appeared it would take away from the consistency of the dip w/ its elasticity. Should I have kept it? Thanks for the comments everyone...

Steve

 

[leah elisheva]

Hi Steve! It all looked amazing and really fun!!! I just love SKIN so much, that I sometimes even chop it up, and sprinkle that, as "cracklings" (with a bacon bit texture if you will, albeit fish) over cooked fish or rice or pasta or even salad!

But I'm a zealous seafood, mollusk, and fish eater - from head to skin and so it goes - and so what YOU did, would probably please more crowds entirely! Well done!!!!

Regardless, how creative and fun, (what you did), and how amazing that you get that access and that much fish! A great blessing that is!!! Cheers and happy midweek! - Leah

 

[stonebriar]

Thanks again, Leah. However, could you explain how the skin could ever reach a crispy level when smoking at approx. 175* in order not to dry out the fish? Are you referring to frying the skin after flaking? Not wanting to waste anything the fish provides...

 

[leah elisheva]

Hi Great Steve!

I only smoke at a very high temperature, (and on a VEY humble, and little smoker for now, and so I'm not any smoke master by any stretch - let's make that clear), and so the skin of the fish is still sort of cooked and crispy enough to enjoy, when I smoke my fish.

If not, or if pan searing fish, or preparing a raw fish dish (Carpaccio, Crudo, Tartare, Sashimi), then I remove the skin first and then sear it up in a pan until crispy and then take scissors to that, and indeed cut it up into bits, and scatter that over my other food with some sea slat and pepper and I adore it!

But again, I am a newbie with SMOKING and am thus working with very simple machinery, grateful as I am. I am however, extremely seasoned as a food PASSIONATE chic, and thus share whatever speaks to me, and hope my skin fetish didn't seem too overbearing.

Cheers to what you did! I thought it was very, very creative!!! - Leah

 

[stonebriar]

Makes sense. Thank you again...

 

[neko]

That really looks great.

 

[stonebriar]

Any ideas how long it will keep refrigerated? Thanks...