Smoked Salmon & Scallion Cream Cheese
Tinned fish has taken the internet by storm. If you want to jump in but are still a little hesitant, this is a great beginners recipe.
There are a handful of artisanal brands that have led the charge in the tinned fish takeover, Fishwife and Patagonia Provisions. I bought some tins of Fishwife from a local shop in San Francisco called Epicurean Trader. They have two locations - one in Hayes Valley and the other at the Ferry Building. What I love about tinned fish is that you’re getting shelf-stable, high quality fish that is a great source of protein (especially when fresh meat and fish prices have ballooned to record highs). Both Fishwife and Patagonia Provisions source fish from responsibly managed fisheries and aquaculture farms from around the globe.
Tinned fish or conservas are not a new concept. Fish has been preserved in this fashion at ridiculously high standards for centuries on the Iberian Peninsula. Countries like Spain and Portugal have sustained these industries for years because of its close relationship to the tapas or small bites bar culture. I purchased a few cans from Jose Gourmet myself on a trip to Portugal back in 2019 and enjoyed a few key bites like white anchovies on crostinis with endless streams of chilly Albariño wine. Bonus, the packaging of premium tinned fish is always beautiful so they make for excellent gifts for your gourmet friend.
When Fishwife sent me a package of their Classic Smoky Trio, I knew I wanted to make something super simple that would be an easy sell to my friends and family that are new to tinned fish. I decided to make a whipped smoked salmon cream cheese that could be smeared onto some crusty bagels - a tribute to my favorite smoked fish shop in New York City, Russ & Daughters. The little gems of perfectly smoked fish will stand up to a prepared dish like this whipped cream cheese but are also amazing on their own on a tinned fish date night board served alongside your favorite pickled vegetables.
Ingredients
6 oz of whipped cream cheese*
3 scallions, thinly sliced
One 3.5 oz can of smoked salmon, Fishwife brand preferred
Thinly sliced radishes
Salt and pepper to taste
*I recommend using whipped cream cheese purchased from the store to cut out the step of whipped it in your own food processor. If you don’t have whipped cream cheese, allow a block of cream cheese to come to room temperature before whipping in your food processor for one minute.
Makes enough for 2 split and toasted bagels
Directions
Drain the liquid from the canned smoked salmon, remove and set aside.
Add salmon to a bowl. Break it up with the back of a fork into smaller strips. Then, add scallions, salt, pepper, and cream cheese. Fold all of the ingredient together until the mixture is homogenous.
Generously spread the whipped cream cheese on four pieces of toasted Everything bagels. Top with thinly sliced radishes and enjoy!