Smoked whitefish dip is a classic around the Great Lakes. You hot-smoke the whitefish first, chill it, then flake it into a creamy, lemony spread. Serve it cold with crackers, rye bread or celery sticks.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb lake whitefish fillets, skin on, pin bones removed
- 4 cups cold water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or chives
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Hot sauce and black pepper, to taste
- Smoking wood: alder, apple or cherry (chips, chunks or pellets)
Steps
- Keep the whitefish in the fridge at 40°F or below. Thaw frozen fish in the fridge or in sealed bags under cold water.
- Stir the water, salt, brown sugar and garlic powder until dissolved. Add the fillets, cover and refrigerate 2–4 hours.
- Rinse the fillets, pat dry and set them skin side down on a rack over a sheet pan. Refrigerate uncovered about 1 hour, until the surface is dry and tacky.
- Heat your smoker to 180–200°F with alder, apple or cherry.
- Smoke the fillets skin side down until the thickest part reaches 145°F on a thermometer, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The fish must be fully hot-smoked for this dip.
- Move the fish to a plate in a single layer and refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, about 2 hours. Get it into the fridge within 2 hours of coming off the smoker.
- Pull the cold fish off the skin and flake it with a fork. Pick out any bones you find.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice and Worcestershire until smooth.
- Fold in the flaked fish, onion, celery and dill. Season with hot sauce and pepper. Taste before adding salt, since the fish is already brined.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour so the flavors blend. Serve cold.
Why this works
Whitefish is mild and a little sweet, with enough fat to stay moist in the smoker. Smoking it yourself means you control the salt and the smoke. Folding the fish into the dip by hand keeps some flaky texture instead of turning it to paste.
Use fully hot-smoked fish only
This dip starts with fish that has been hot-smoked to 145°F, the FDA safe temperature for fish. Do not make it with cold-smoked or under-cooked fish. The dip is never heated again, so the smoker is your only cooking step. Our guide on hot vs. cold smoking fish explains the difference.
Keep it cold
Chill the fish fully before you mix it, and keep the dip in the fridge until you serve it. At a party, set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice. Don't leave it out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour on a hot day above 90°F.
How to tell it's done
Check the fillets with a meat thermometer. They are ready at 145°F, when the flesh is opaque and flakes apart easily.
Make ahead / storage
The plain smoked whitefish keeps in the fridge at 38°F or below for about 1–2 weeks, or you can freeze it. Once you mix the dip with dairy, eat it within 4–5 days. The dip does not freeze well.
Variations
- Extra smoky: swap the plain cream cheese for our smoked cream cheese, chilled first.
- Other fish: smoked trout or hot-smoked salmon work the same way.
- Kick of heat: add 1 tbsp prepared horseradish.
First time smoking fish? Read how to smoke fish and the best fish for smoking.
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