These days quality hardwood-smoked salmon and trout in convenient Cryovac packages are easy to find. What we never expected was that even canned tuna, a product that has required little contemplation beyond water- versus oil-packed, would go through a major transformation with the new retort vacuum-packed foil pouch. No can opener, no draining, and new flavors to play with. A pouch or two of hickory-smoked tuna works for this spread. When we say any fish, we mean any fish or any shellfish, like smoked oysters or clams. We usually use a frozen pack of R. B.’s patio-smoked, fresh-caught Rhode Island bluefish courtesy of his friend and neighbor Chappy Pierce. Vary the ratio of seafood to cream cheese to your liking. If things taste fishy, add lemon juice. Serve the spread mounded in a bowl garnished with capers and lemon slices. We prefer plain water crackers for serving.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 3 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
PLACE the fish in a medium bowl. Break it up with a fork, if necessary.
Step 2
ADD the cream cheese and blend the mixture together. Stir in the onion, celery, parsley, lemon juice, and mustard.
Step 3
COVER and refrigerate until serving. Garnish with capers and serve with water crackers.
