One fish two fish red fish… Smoked Bluefish Pâté!
We had never even heard of bluefish before moving to New England, but since we discovered it, it might be our favorite fish. Bluefish has a fishier flavor that is similar to fattier fish like mackerel and sardines, but its flesh is firm like salmon, so it lends itself very well to being smoked.
Bluefish actually goes bad within a few days after being caught, and so it really does not travel well. If you live in the US Mid-Atlantic and can find it fresh, it means it probably was caught locally. Buying fish at the farmer’s market and knowing it was pulled from the ocean just yesterday is a genuinely wonderful novelty to those of us from the midwest. And to top it all off, it’s also a fairly sustainable seafood choice according to Seafood Watch!
All that said, there is a way you can have bluefish even if you don’t live on the east coast: smoking. Smoking the bluefish preserves the fish and allows it to travel just fine! Those smokey delicious flavors also are a huge bonus and make the fish so yummy.
This Smoked Bluefish Pâté can certainly be made with any smoked fish, or even leftover baked fish from last night’s dinner. Smoked salmon is commonly available in grocery stores and it would make a really nice dip following this recipe, substituting evenly for the smoked bluefish.
This recipe for Smoked Bluefish Pâté couldn’t really be easier to throw together once you have acquired the essential ingredients. Simply chop the bluefish and scallions and blend with the cream cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice to your taste preferences. Serve with crackers or small toasted baguette slices, garnish with more scallions and smoked paprika. Disclaimer: after serving Smoked Bluefish Pâté to your friends and family, they will be asking you to make this recipe for every gathering.
We have not yet tried it, but you can smoke your own fish on the grill. This is definitely on our cooking todo list, and we will probably follow the trusty NYT smoked fish instructions. Once we try smoking our own fish, we will be sure to post about it on Craft & Process! In the meantime, we have to keep the smoked bluefish coming, and the fishmonger on the corner of our block sells some from Fox Smoked Fish, and we were hooked (eh? eh?) from the first bite.
- 4 oz smoked bluefish skin removed, chopped
- 1/4 cup scallions chopped, more for garnish
- 3 oz cream cheese
- Lemon juice to taste
- Smoked paprika to taste
- fresh ground pepper to taste
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Mix ingredients until combined. Taste and add lemon juice and/or freshly ground pepper to taste. Garnish with more sliced scallions or smoked paprika.