Smoked eel dip

SERVES 4 AS A STARTER

115 g (4 oz) smoked eel meat, skin removed (see note)

3 teaspoons cream cheese

3 teaspoons sour cream

1 teaspoon cream

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (not creamed)

2½ teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon chopped dill, plus extra, to garnish

toasted sourdough, to serve

Put the eel in a blender and pulse to break up the meat, then add all the other ingredients and blend to a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper, then blend again before turning it out into a serving bowl. Garnish with a little more chopped dill and serve the dip with thin slices of toasted sourdough.

You can buy smoked eel meat from specialist fishmongers or the fish market. If you don’t like the idea of eel, you can use smoked trout instead.