Whitefish salad time

My wife Leslie is quite the shopper, she finds the great stuff and deals all the time. 

She was at a local market last week and found two packages of smoked whitefish at giveaway prices.

Hot damn! $3.99. She stole it!

It was on a closeout sale endcap. I wish she had bought all seven packages. Wonder if any are left?

Whitefish is a delicious and traditional fare for our ashkenazim tribe.  It has always been a pricey treat!

It just so happens that the Lake Superior whitefish coregonus clupeaformis, not to be confused with the quite lesser Lake America whitefish, was very similar to the prized whitefish that could be found in the cold freshwater lakes of our ancestral homelands of Poland and the Ukraine. 

It became a major part of the Jewish American tradition, especially around special holidays like Yom Kippur.

The fish is found in deep icy waters, usually at a depth of 200' or more.

"The humble, silvery-brown fish has quietly sustained people in the Great Lakes for thousands of years — and continues to. Early Native Americans would make a powder of smoked Great Lakes Whitefish for use in stew, soups, and fish pies; they would also mix the powder with fresh blueberries. The Ojibwe word for Great Lakes whitefish is Atikamig."

Early explorers were introduced to the whitefish and lauded it as a great food source. Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac wrote, circa 1695: “Moreover, better fish can not be eaten, and they are bathed and nourished in the purest water, the clearest and the most pellucid you could see anywhere. That is the most delicate fish of the lakes.” (quote from The Indians of the Western Great Lakes 1615-1760 by Vernon Kinietz, University of Michigan Press, 1940).

The fish is brined and smoked until it gets a golden color. It is usually then made into a yummy salad. 

In New York you find it at places like my favorite Barney Greengrass, the Sturgeon King and Russ and Daughters. In Los Angeles I have found the best whitefish at Nate and Al's delicatessen.

I love the stuff and rarely find it around here. My friend Scott tells me that Acme smokes their fish in Canarsie. I read somewhere that most whitefish, sable and chub is still smoked in New York. Thank you, Brooklyn.

I decided to make a salad today.

There are various recipes, some use horseradish. I went pretty basic, followed Acme's own recipe, which calls for a hint of dijon mustard.

Mine is now chilling in the fridge for an hour at which time it will go on a sesame bagel from Albertsons, which are actually pretty good. Maybe a slice of tomato.

Here is my recipe:

7 oz. Acme Whitefish - Be cautious to remove all the tiny pin bones when breaking it apart with your fingers. Go over it a second time to make sure. They can ruin a great knosh.

Whisk up a 1/3 cup mayo
2 tablespoons sour cream
hint of dijon mustard
1 minced celery stalk
1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
juice from half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

The recipe called for white pepper, couldn't find ours, used black instead. Called for fresh parsley, I shook in a dash of dried. It is already salty, do not add salt! Give it a good mix with a fork, cover it with saran and let it chill for an hour.

Will let you know how it turns out!

Verdict? Yes! And note the underlying cream cheese layer which I forgot to mention...