Expecting lots of guests but don’t have much time to spare? This recipe for a broiled scallion and smoked fish appetizer is a crowd-pleaser and can be made in about 10 minutes. We made it with wild-caught smoked fish from Alaska, it elevates the typical party fare, making it the perfect nosh for a special holiday spread.
Whether you prefer something spreadable on toast or dippable with chips, our recipe combines the sweetly charred flavor of broiled scallions and salty smoked fish into a treat that can be adapted as a schmear or dip. What’s more, you can change up the flavor profile of the schmear or dip by making it with different types of smoked fish. Try using cold smoked sockeye or hot smoked sockeye if salmon is your jam.
Or for something a bit milder, stir in cold smoked Pacific halibut or cold smoked sablefish. The former is a little firmer in texture for a pleasant chew, while the latter practically dissolves into the schmear/dip as a rich, salty ribbon of flavor.
Cream cheese and yogurt combined with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice form the base of this smoked salmon dip/schmear. There are several recipes out there for charred scallion dip, using a variety of ingredients for their bases — mayo, sour cream, creme fraiche — but we found that cream cheese and yogurt blended together nicely while producing a good balance of creamy and tangy. If you don't have either cream cheese or yogurt, just work with what you have in the fridge and use your taste buds to guide you. A 1:1 ratio of something creamy to something tangy is usually a good start.
A note on using yogurt: Using a strained, Greek-style yogurt keeps this combo thick enough to spread onto a bagel or even scoop up with something substantial like carrot sticks. If dipping is more your style, the thinner consistency of regular, plain yogurt ensures that there won’t be any breakage when you dive in with chips, crackers, matzo, or breadsticks.
To this, you’ll add the key ingredients: scallions, broiled until they’re charred and sweet; and either cold or hot smoked sockeye. Cold smoked sockeye/Pacific halibut/sablefish makes things a little more briny, while hot smoked salmon imparts an almost bacon-like flavor to the schmear or dip.
Mix in some fresh herbs — tender green herbs like chervil, chives, dill, or tarragon are good options — to tweak the flavor profile even more.
