Like Smoked Salmon Pots, Smoked Trout Dip or Spread are ideal for spreading onto crackers, crusty bread or even buttery brioche for an extra luxe touch. It can also be served as a dip for these as well as fresh, crunchy vegetables.
Smoked Trout Dip or Spread
“This is one of those starters that looks posh but only takes about 10 minutes to make. And it just gets better with time. You can make it up to a week ahead!” I like to read luxe food magazines (like Gourmet Traveller) and pick out the recipes that are do-able and affordable by “real” people with “real” budgets like me. That’s not to say that Gourmet Traveller recipes are all unrealistic. But generally they take time to make, require a certain level of confidence in the kitchen, special equipment, or gourmet/expensive ingredients. So I usually reserve Gourmet Traveller recipes for special occassions. So I get a bit of a kick out of finding a “gourmet” recipe in Gourmet Traveller that ticks my all boxes: easy, fast and affordable, as well as having the added bonus of being posh. This recipe for Smoked Trout Dip aka Potted Smoked Trout is one of these finds. At first I dismissed it as “looks delicious but expensive ingredients”. But later that day I passed the seafood store and noticed the price tag for Smoked Trout. It was one of the cheapest items there – $15/kg ($7.50/lb)! The trout is sold whole, with the skin, head and tail in tact (the skin peels off easily and the flesh is very easy to remove). Note: I did happen to pass the refrigerated seafood section at the supermarket later and noticed that the vacuum seal packs of smoked trout fillets costs about 3 times as much! So get it fresh from the fish shop if you live in Australia. But if you happen to live somewhere where vacuum sealed smoked trout fillets are as good value as whole smoked trout, get that instead – and I want to be you. 🙂
“This recipe calls for creme fraiche. But you can substitute with sour cream which is a very close substitute. The version I gave my mum to taste test which she LOVED was made with sour cream. :-)” This Potted Smoked Trout is smokey and creamy with the freshness of dill and lemon. It spreads like a pate (but no liver!) and while it is great served on the day, it just gets better and better with time (it can be kept for up to 1 week). This recipe serves 4 as a starter. You can serve one big pot to share, or make little ones. I made 2 medium size ones. So for your next dinner party, will you be going le Gourmet on le Budget? – Nagi SaveSave
