Fish Tales
It’s not really a tale, but if you make this recipe from this past week’s Berkshire Eagle for a party, everyone will think it was a big effort, but it is quick and easy!
IT’S PARTY TIME
by Elizabeth Baer
It is that time of year filled with holiday gatherings and end-of-year parties! And at the same time, everyone is busy shopping, cooking, and baking for their own family celebrations, so it can be hard to squeeze everything in, especially when you’re asked to bring something to contribute to the potluck gathering. When life is hectic like this, it’s certainly tempting to buy a package of cookies at the supermarket and call it a day.
But if you want to bring something homemade and relatively easy, I’ve got you!
Back in the summer we were packing to head to Maine for a week where we’d rented a cabin. We’ve been going for years to the same lake where my husband’s childhood overnight camp is, where we can still hear the bugle calls, and he remembers his happy place.
We have several friends in the area, all connected in one way or another to the camp, who have bought cabins on the lake or nearby, and we always have a dinner together while we’re there. As we were making our final packing preparations, I got a text asking me to bring hors d’oeuvres. The problem was we were renting a different cabin this past summer, and I had no idea what kitchen utensils I’d find there.
I grabbed a tin of smoked trout and a small jar of capers from my pantry. At the last supermarket before we reached the lake, I got a lemon, some herbs, and a container of soft cream cheese, which was a wise decision as there was nothing in the kitchen that would have made quick, easy work softening a brick of cream cheese.
The resulting spread was so good, I put it on my list for future columns, and here it is! A can of smoked tinned fish works well, and there are plenty of wonderful brands out there, such as one of my favorites, Fishwife. Guido’s carries a wonderful selection as does Provisions in Williamstown, and surely other specialty stores in the area as well. You can really make it with any smoked fish that can be flaked, such as hot-smoked salmon (as opposed to cold-smoked that is customarily served on a bagel). I recently made it with smoked bluefish that I found vacuum packed from Mazzeo’s at Guido’s. Most importantly, you can make it even easier if you don’t have any capers or don’t even have the time to pull the leaves off the parsley stems and chop them!
On that note, do keep in mind that it’s absolutely fine to make your life easier in any way possible over the holiday season. You could buy a cheese board from High Lawn Farm, bring some cider doughnuts from Bartlett’s, or hire an outfit to provide the drinks, such as The Perfect Pour, run by Leena Schettini. (She makes all her own syrups for creative interesting drinks!)
Whatever your celebrations this season, I hope all your holiday festivities are joyous and all the attendant tasks are stress-free!
SMOKED FISH SPREAD
Makes about 1½ cups
INGREDIENTS:
3½-4 ounces (approximately) flaky smoked fish, such as bluefish or trout
8 ounces soft cream cheese (not whipped)
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed then chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil if needed for consistency
Other seasonings to taste as desired, such as fresh ground pepper, cayenne, or hot sauce
Crackers or pita chips for serving
Garnish as desired, such as chopped chives or caviar
DIRECTIONS:
If using tinned fish, carefully lift out the fillets and place in a medium bowl, reserving the oil or liquid in which it is packed in case it’s needed. Flake the fish in the bowl. If the piece of fish has skin or bones, be sure to remove them before adding to the bowl. Add the cream cheese, parsley, capers, and lemon juice.
Mix well with a fork until the fish, cream cheese and other ingredients are fully combined. Taste and add other seasonings as desired. Adjust the consistency if needed with oil or liquid from the tin, or olive oil, one teaspoon at a time. If serving as a spread, it can be a bit thicker than if serving as a dip with something like pita chips.
For a more elegant presentation (but not necessary at all), dollop on crackers and garnish with chopped chives or caviar.