No visit to the Gulf beaches near my hometown of St. Pete is complete without a stop at Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish, which has been serving its famous smoked mullet and mackerel since 1951. Tom decided to come up with his own smoked fish dip after an especially successful day of fishing for rainbow and brown trout on the Chattahoochee River outside Atlanta. Before he fires up our smoker, Tom soaks the trout for about one hour in a saltwater brine, using ½ cup kosher salt and enough water to cover the fish. He cooks the fish on a rack in the smoker at a temperature between 240°F and 260°F for around two hours, less if the trout are small, being careful not to let the trout dry out. If you don’t have an angler in the family, buy trout at a trusted seafood market and smoke according to your smoker’s instructions. Or check to see if your local seafood market sells it already smoked.
8 oz. smoked trout, skinned, deboned, and coarsely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup minced sweet onion
2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. capers
Celery sticks, carrot sticks, red bell pepper strips, crackers (optional) for serving
Gently stir the trout, mayonnaise, onion, horseradish, chives, dill, lemon juice, and capers in a bowl until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with the dill and serve with the celery sticks, carrot sticks, red bell pepper strips, and crackers, if desired.