So, my first encounter with any fish dip was while on a trip in Georgia at a restaurant called Julep Kitchen, where they served smoked trout dip. To my surprise, it was delicious, and I’ve continued trying different fish dips whenever I get a chance. Anyway, on our trip to the Florida Keys this year for the holidays, I came across a variety of fish dips, and I started seeing which smoked fish I liked best. I immediately fell in love with wahoo fish dip, and wherever I went that they served it, I ordered it. I quickly realized that I needed to find a way to create our very own fish dip… OR we would be taking A LOT of trips down to the Keys (I wouldn’t complain, lol). Thankfully, at our local Publix, we can order certain types of fish, and within a couple of days, it’ll arrive. My mom, a seafood specialist at Publix, is the real MVP here because she usually orders us some wahoo and even removes the skin and bones so we wouldn’t have to (Thanks, Ma!). Also, if you don’t want to smoke the fish yourself, you can always ask for smoked fish in the seafood department. Some supermarkets have fish already smoked and ready for purchase. For this recipe, you need very basic ingredients which you either have on hand or can easily find at the supermarket. If you are smoking the fish yourself, this is the longest portion of the recipe; otherwise, the rest is just chopping and mixing the rest of the ingredients. I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family did!
Ingredients
- 1 lb of wahoo, skin, and bones removed
- 1/2 cup celery, finely minced
- 1/2 cup white onion, finely minced
- juice of 1 lemon & zest
- 1/2 tbsp of hot sauce, we use Tabasco
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tsp of paprika
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp of mayo
- salt and pepper, to taste
- dip crackers of choice
Instructions
- Prep your smoker and set it at a temperature of 200 degrees.
- Once it reaches 200 degrees, add the wahoo and smoke for 2-2 1/2 hours. The fish is done when it has a pinkish/tan color and easily breaks into flakes. (You should shoot for an internal temperature of 140 degrees).
- Set aside to cool.
- Grab your cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream and mix them in a bowl.
- Using a food processor, pulse the onion and the celery until they are finely chopped. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Now add the smoked fish to the food processor and pulse until the fish is chopped and broken up (you can leave it more chunky depending on your preference). Now, add the fish to the large mixing bowl.
- Add the hot sauce, lemon zest and juice, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning to the bowl and mix with a rubber spatula.
- Lastly, add the cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream mixture to the bowl and mix well until it is well combined.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Serve with your favorite crackers or on some toasted bread.
- Enjoy!
Note: You can also use yellowfin or ahi tuna, mahi mahi, or red snapper for this recipe. Feel free to serve this with additional hot sauce and lemon; it all depends on your preference of heat and zest. If you can wait longer than an hour to eat this, I would recommend overnight; it will really allow for the flavors to marry.
Did you try this recipe? Rate it below and leave a comment. I’d love to hear your feedback.
Hooked on Food 