# Fish spread for crackers



## inchrisin

Please excuse my coarse words for what I'm about to undertake.  I want to make a fish spread along with cheese and crackers for an appetizer for Christmas.

I know that there are several fancy terms for fancy spread.  The only one that is coming to mind is rillettes.  I'm not sure that one even applies to fish. 

Regardless,  I need your help in making something along the lines of a walleye fish spread that would go well with cheese and crackers.


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## GotGarlic

Sounds like you're looking for mousse  Here are a couple of options:

http://www.wildtable.com/viewrecipe.asp?recid=1863

http://www.citypages.com/restaurants/savor-the-season-citizen-cafe-chef-pairs-walleye-morels-6601361


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## Aunt Bea

How about potted walleye!

https://alongthegrapevine.wordpress.com/tag/potted-fish/


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## puffin3

How odd.
When I read the thread title about a fish spread the first fish that came to mind was walleye.
I highly recommend using some type of smoked fish. Even smokes salmon would be good.
Smoked walleye and smoked whitefish are sold around Lake Superior.
For the 'spread' part I recommend using an aioli instead of mayo.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

How about good old gefilte fish, or would it be sacrilegious to serve a Jewish delicacy a Christmas party?


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## inchrisin

I'm open to any suggestions and recipes.


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## Roll_Bones

inchrisin said:


> I'm open to any suggestions and recipes.



When I am down in South Florida, they serve a fish dip at many restaurants that is made from any number of oily fishes.  Its always smoked. Its also available in Sam's down there.
Tuna, salmon, sailfish and marlin come to mind.  The ingredient list says it can contain one or all the species listed.
I cannot find it here in SC. 

Its served on crackers (you make these yourself at the table).
Topped with one slice of jalapeño and a few drops of your favorite hot sauce.
Maybe Craig can chime in on the brand name.
I had it in my memory bank.  But the bank is not what it used to be.

Oh....I think the brand name is 'Atlantis'. Its terrific!


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## CraigC

Smoked mullet dip/spread is very popular on the Florida west coast,especially around the Tampa/St. Pete area.


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## Whiskadoodle

I know this isn't what you asked-- we like small jars of Pickled herring, slice in halves if they herring pieces are too large,  add a slice or two of onion rings when you put in a serving bowl, add a few red pepper flakes and some whole all-spice. Marinate for a few hours before serving.  Must be served on a Ritz cracker.  

You can serve fish spreads on cucumber slices, celery  or stuffed in hollowed out cherry tomatoes.

We/ I make either hot smoked salmon, whitefish or lake trout pretty near every Christmas or NY's.   Can't say I have seen smoked walleye. If I have, it was probably too expensive and I kept on walking.  

Here's my recipe.  Feel free to tweak.

Smoked Salmon/ Smoked Fish Spread

8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature 
1/2 cup sour cream 
1 Tbs. lemon juice ( plus some zest)
1 Tbs. fresh dill, finely chopped,  I think I have used other herbs, tarragon, or just parsley 
3 tsp. prepared horseradish 
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt 
1/4 tsp. black pepper 
1 cup smoked salmon, finely chopped (or smoked trout)
green onion, tops or 2 tablespoons minced onion
A few shakes Tabasco,  enough to brighten the mx, not to add heat

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until ingredients are well-incorporated and mostly smooth. Chill until serving.


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## tenspeed

I've made this with smoked salmon instead of the bluefish that the recipe calls for.....

Smoked Bluefish Pate II Recipe - Allrecipes.com


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## Aunt Bea

tenspeed said:


> I've made this with smoked salmon instead of the bluefish that the recipe calls for.....
> 
> Smoked Bluefish Pate II Recipe - Allrecipes.com



If you like the dip try the Martha’s Vineyard mysteries, great little page turners! 

Smoked Bluefish Paté Â« American Toolbox

or the cookbook from the series!

Delish! The J.W. Jackson Recipes; A Martha's Vineyard Cookbook: Philip R. Craig and Shirley Prada Craig: 9780977138425: Amazon.com: Books


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## American Toolbox

Aunt Bea said:


> If you like the dip try the Martha’s Vineyard mysteries, great little page turners!



Thanks for the link to my USA-products online resource, Aunt Bea!

The Martha's Vineyard Mystery series indeed are great reading!

Also recommended are the series on CD, read by Tom Stechschulte.


Jim - _Forever a student of Time & Temperature_


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## inchrisin

Aunt Bea said:


> If you like the dip try the Martha’s Vineyard mysteries, great little page turners!
> 
> Smoked Bluefish Paté Â« American Toolbox
> 
> or the cookbook from the series!
> 
> Delish! The J.W. Jackson Recipes; A Martha's Vineyard Cookbook: Philip R. Craig and Shirley Prada Craig: 9780977138425: Amazon.com: Books



Would you do this with walleye, or a salmon?


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## American Toolbox

I've made this dip with both smoked salmon and trout. Perfect!


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## CharlieD

Costco sells white fish spread, it's awesome. But for some easy it all stores Cary that stuff. They also sell smoked salmon spread, also good. Personally I like chopped herring. 


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## Roll_Bones

Okay.
My friend gave me a smoked whole small fish yesterday and I was hoping for some feedback on it.
It came from Minnesota, so I assume its from the Great Lakes and is in a vacuum bag. It was frozen when he handed it to me.  Its in the fridge and thawed out.
*It says "Smoked Goldies" on the bag.  *Its hand written on the bag I mean.
Anyone familiar with this smoked fish. My friend does not know the difference between a sauce pan and a frying pan so he could tell me nothing.

TIA


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## GotGarlic

Roll_Bones said:


> Okay.
> My friend gave me a smoked whole small fish yesterday and I was hoping for some feedback on it.
> It came from Minnesota, so I assume its from the Great Lakes and is in a vacuum bag. It was frozen when he handed it to me.  Its in the fridge and thawed out.
> *It says "Smoked Goldies" on the bag.  *Its hand written on the bag I mean.
> Anyone familiar with this smoked fish. My friend does not know the difference between a sauce pan and a frying pan so he could tell me nothing.
> 
> TIA



Minnesota is known as "The Land of 10,000 Lakes." There are five Great Lakes, most of which don't border Minnesota, so it's unlikely your fish came from one of them 

Here's information on what I believe is your fish: "Morey’s Smoked Whiting (goldies) are hot-smoked, combining the large flaky meat and semi-moist texture with the smoky flavor from 100% hickory smoke."

Smoked Fish - Morey's


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## CharlieD

Not if it is hand written. 


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## GotGarlic

CharlieD said:


> Not if it is hand written.



I was thinking maybe his friend had repackaged some of the fish and written the contents on the new package.


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## CharlieD

Maybe, possibly, but why would anyone open an airtight package and put it in a plain bag?


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## GotGarlic

CharlieD said:


> Maybe, possibly, but why would anyone open an airtight package and put it in a plain bag?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Discuss Cooking



To divide the amount? RB said it was frozen, so his friend may have opened the package he bought, divided the fish into two new FoodSaver type bags and put them back in the freezer. 

It's just a guess. That type of smoked fish, sold in different places, was the only result from my Google search. 

Or maybe the friend got it from someone who made something like that product and just used the name, in which case there's no way to determine what it is without contacting whoever made it.


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## CharlieD

I guess we should go back to the question what are "goldies"?
There are some smoke houses, especially on the way to Duluth. Where they smoke all kind of fish that is cut in the lakes. So it could be the same fish as you posted but smoked in a small place rather than place like Morries 

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## GotGarlic

Yup. It's been a long time since I've had freshwater fish regularly, so I'm not as familiar with it. I grew up in Michigan but have lived in Virginia since 1985, so we have seafood more often.


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## Roll_Bones

GotGarlic said:


> Here's information on what I believe is your fish: "Morey’s Smoked Whiting (goldies) are hot-smoked, combining the large flaky meat and semi-moist texture with the smoky flavor from 100% hickory smoke."
> 
> Smoked Fish - Morey's



Thanks for the geography lesson. 
What I have looks exactly like what is pictured here from your link. http://www.moreys.com/product/smoked-whiting-goldies/  According to your link, this is a salt water fish which makes no sense at the moment.
Appreciate your help GG.



CharlieD said:


> Maybe, possibly, but why would anyone open an airtight package and put it in a plain bag?



Thats kinda why I asked.  We get some smoked fish here. Mainly trout that is smoked and vacuumed packed by the manufacturer. Needs no refrigeration that I am aware of.  I could be wrong on that.
I was a bit surprised to see the self vacuumed and labeled bag.  But they do look exactly like this. Smoked Whiting (Goldies) - Morey's
Exactly.



GotGarlic said:


> To divide the amount? RB said it was frozen, so his friend may have opened the package he bought, divided the fish into two new FoodSaver type bags and put them back in the freezer.
> It's just a guess. That type of smoked fish, sold in different places, was the only result from my Google search.
> Or maybe the friend got it from someone who made something like that product and just used the name, in which case there's no way to determine what it is without contacting whoever made it.



The picture from your link looks identical and I would put money its the exact same product.  Even the size is perfect and the color of the flesh showing at the big end is the same.  Its dark.



CharlieD said:


> I guess we should go back to the question what are "goldies"?
> There are some smoke houses, especially on the way to Duluth. Where they smoke all kind of fish that is cut in the lakes. So it could be the same fish as you posted but smoked in a small place rather than place like Morries



According to GG's link, this is white fish and a salt water fish.  I would never have thought that.
I guess its time to try it out.
I want to make a dip or spread with it.  I have not paid any attention to the thread, so I will look back and see how to make something with it.
If its very good, I may just serve it as is. With cold beer and some hot sauce on the side?


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## CharlieD

You can mix it with cream cheese or mayo. You can add chives, dill, parsley. What do you like?


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## GotGarlic

Interesting. I guess we both assumed it was a freshwater fish since it's from an inland state, but apparently they import and smoke them.

Btw, there's a Great Lakes fish called whitefish but this appears to be a type of white fish called whiting


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## GotGarlic

I just looked this up for my own edification and thought I'd share. From Wikipedia:

The fish originally known by the name "whiting" in English is Merlangius merlangus, in the family Gadidae. This species inhabits the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the North Sea on the East Coast of Britain. In the USA, it is commonly known as the English whiting.

The lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeiformis) is a species of freshwater whitefish from North America. Lake whitefish are found throughout much of Canada and parts of the northern United States, including all of the Great Lakes.


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## CraigC

There are many fish species that are euryhaline. Capable of living in fresh, brackish and saltwater.


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## puffin3

I haven't seen the fish in the link if there is one. 
There are freshwater fish called "Goldeyes'. They are often smoked.
Very common in Manitoba.https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourcei...=2&ie=UTF-8#newwindow=1&q=Goldeye+fish+photos


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## GotGarlic

I hope for RB's sake it's not goldeye he has. From http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/op...h---know-your-fish-fyi-sidebar-203886781.html



> Although some goldeye are caught in Manitoba as bycatch, most are imported frozen from northern Saskatchewan and then smoked in this province. After it's smoked, it'll turn to insipid mush if frozen.


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## Roll_Bones

GotGarlic said:


> Interesting. I guess we both assumed it was a freshwater fish since it's from an inland state, but apparently they import and smoke them.
> 
> Btw, there's a Great Lakes fish called whitefish but this appears to be a type of white fish called whiting



You were spot on with your link.  My friend verified yesterday that indeed it was the same fish and the same manufacturer.



GotGarlic said:


> I hope for RB's sake it's not goldeye he has. From Know your fish - Winnipeg Free Press



I hope i don't have that either.  It looks like this is settled.  Now, what to do with it.  I wish I had left it frozen. 
I guess it should last a good while in the fridge?


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## puffin3

GotGarlic said:


> I hope for RB's sake it's not goldeye he has. From Know your fish - Winnipeg Free Press


Whenever we drive through Winnipeg on the way to either side of the country my ritual is to buy some Kryopacked smoked Goldeye. They last forever in the fridge unopened. I did once have frozen then thawed GE. Yes it was awful!


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## Roll_Bones

puffin3 said:


> Whenever we drive through Winnipeg on the way to either side of the country my ritual is to buy some Kryopacked smoked Goldeye. They last forever in the fridge unopened. I did once have frozen then thawed GE. Yes it was awful!



Had this fish been in its original package, I would not have asked about it.
And yes, I'm concerned about it being frozen no matter the type of fish.
My friend and his wife are far from culinary masters. 
You would think this fish was separated from its original package as its in a vacuum bag from a roll.


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## puffin3

Roll_Bones said:


> Had this fish been in its original package, I would not have asked about it.
> And yes, I'm concerned about it being frozen no matter the type of fish.
> My friend and his wife are far from culinary masters.
> You would think this fish was separated from its original package as its in a vacuum bag from a roll.


Can your friend contact the person who gave him the fish to find out if it had been frozen?
If so the texture will not be the same as unfrozen fish.
I see 'Previously Frozen' packages of fish in the local stores sometimes. I don't buy it.


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## Roll_Bones

puffin3 said:


> Can your friend contact the person who gave him the fish to find out if it had been frozen?
> If so the texture will not be the same as unfrozen fish.
> I see 'Previously Frozen' packages of fish in the local stores sometimes. I don't buy it.



I came up with an excellent idea. I'm going to taste/try it!

Thanks for all the suggestions and merry Christmas to all.


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