- 16 OZ. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 C. sour cream
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- ½ LB (16 oz.) cold-smoked or hot-smoked salmon, skinremoved if needed and roughly chopped
- ½ C. water
- 1 one 1/4-ounce packet unflavored knox gelatin (about 1/2 tablespoon)
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 TBSP. fresh dill, chopped
- 1 TBSP. capers, roughly chopped, plus 2 more whole caper for decorating
- 1 TBSP. lemon juice
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced into half-moons, for decorating
- 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced, for decorating
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced, for decorating
- Fresh vegetables, crackers, pita chips, or toasted bagel slices, for serving
First, spray a 32-ounce fish mold or bowl with non-stick cooking spray, or coat evenly with neutral oil. Line the mold with plastic wrap with as few creases as possible, leaving a bit of an overhang around the lip.
In a large bowl (or food processor), whisk together softened cream cheese, sour cream, paprika, salt, and cayenne.
In a small bowl, whisk gelatin into boiling water until completely dissolved. Mix in the minced garlic.Let cool for no more than 5 minutes, then pour gelatin mixture into cream cheese mixture.
Fold in salmon, green onions, dill, capers, onion soup mix, and lemon juice. Blitz, taste, and season with more salt if needed.
Spread mixture into prepared fish mold or bowl and cover with overhanging plastic wrap (use more to cover any exposed areas). Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until set (or overnight if possible) Cover your serving dish or tray with a bed of lettuce. Then tug on the edges before flipping over to unmold onto a platter. Use the saran wrap to gently pull on the mold to get it moving if it is stuck at first. Now make your fish pretty.
Decorate to look like a smiling fish. Use sliced lemon to make a collar and tail fin, Arrange scales made of cucumber and radish disks. Use remaining capers to make eyes and a radish smile. Serve with sliced vegetables and crackers or bagels and enjoy.
This recipe was modified by me with easier to find ingredients, but is based on this one published at https://tastecooking.com/recipes/molded-smoked-salmon-dip
Use of this vintage fish mold for my potluck contribution appetizer (that uses a recipe from this century) was inspired by this 1973 recipe card. I thought to myself, "can we make this more approachable and appealing to the modern palate?"
