Smoked salmon spread with lemon and dill
As hard as I try to change it, I’m just not a huge fan of salmon. It’d be the last thing I’d order off a menu, and I’ve had too many bad versions of it to leave me very hopeful about having my mind changed. However, I can name a lot of people whose favorite fish is salmon! It’s just a divisive taste, I suppose. I absolutely love, though, all of the flavors that are so often served alongside of it—dill, lemon, creamy yogurt and sour cream, red onion, etc. And I’ve discovered a particular kind of smoked salmon that I really, really enjoy. And as a result, this smoked salmon spread was born. It is mild enough, and complex enough (there’s a lot more going on than just salmon) to please those like myself, and of course salmon lovers, as well. It’s a really elegant dish to serve as an appetizer for dinner—I’m thinking about Thanksgiving!—or for a potluck brunch. It’s simple to construct and it can (and should) be made a couple hours ahead of time so that all the flavors can fester while it sits in the fridge.
Smoked salmon spread with lemon and dill
Yields enough to perfectly fill a 7x5 inch dish, which will serve 8-10 people
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
⅛ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T chopped capers
1 tsp horseradish
2 T chopped dill, plus a little extra for sprinkling as garnish
¼ cup finely diced red onion, plus a bit more for sprinkling as garnish
½ tsp salt or more to taste
Good amount of freshly cracked black pepper
6 oz or so Scottish Reserve smoked salmon (or any other smoked salmon you prefer), broken and pulled apart into small pieces (about ½ - 1 inch in size)
2 lemon slices and a couple of dill sprigs for garnishing
Crunchy crackers and/or toasted baguette for serving
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese on medium speed for a few minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add in sour cream, mayo, and yogurt, and whip again until thoroughly combined, using a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add in lemon juice, capers, horseradish, dill, red onion, salt and pepper, and mix again for a few seconds to incorporate. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt or pepper if necessary. Then add in smoked salmon pieces, and use a spatula to fold mixture together until salmon is distributed. Use the spatula to spread the mixture into your serving dish. Sprinkle entire dish with the extra dill and red onion. Then arrange lemon slices in the corner along with a couple of dill sprigs. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in fridge for at least an hour until flavors have melded and spread has firmed up a bit. Serve with crunchy crackers and/or toasted baguette slices, and feel free to use the lemon garnish to squeeze a little extra juice over the top of the spread.