Hot Crab Dip, but for Tuna

ULTRAGOTHA · Jan 2, 2015

We bought some hot smoked tuna (as opposed to cold smoked, not spicy)the other day. It. Is. Fantastic!

The fish shop had smoked tuna salad which, as far as I can tell, was shredded smoked tuna with mayonaise. That was GOOD.

I made a cold dip that was two lumps of tuna (four ounces?) 1 cup of mayonaise, 1 cup of sour cream and four scallions. I made it in the food processor so the tuna was sort of obliterated except for the (yum!) taste. That was ok, but not as good as what I was anticipating.

I want to make a hot tuna dip like hot crab dip. Has anyone here ever done that? Advice or recipes?

Ari Meermans · Jan 2, 2015

Keeping in mind I'm what you might call a seat-of-the-pants kind of cook, usually going by taste and texture--and that I rarely measure anythin'--these are my thoughts:

I love really good smoked yellowfin and salmon, so I tend to prefer them coarsely chopped.

A cup of mayo plus a cup of sour cream seem a little overboard for 4 ounces of tuna. I'd cut that to about 2/3 cup of mayo plus 2 tablespoons of cream to start. Maybe add a tablespoon or two of white wine.

Still going on your 4 ounces of tuna, maybe kick it up a notch to enhance the flavor of the smoked tuna with something like the following (according to your own tastes, of course): 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce or worchester sauce, some chopped parsley to taste, cut back a bit on the scallions (even though I love the suckers, they can overwhelm more delicate flavors at times), add a dash of tobasco, and a little white pepper. Add this to the mayo and cream, and toss in the tuna. Mix well and add mayo if you need to a teaspoon or so at a time until it reaches your desired texture and consistency.

ULTRAGOTHA · Jan 2, 2015

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, delicately flavored about this smoked tuna. :e2fish:

I agree if I ever repeat that cold dip I'll cut back on the mayonnaise and sour cream. But this was for a largeish party and I didn't want to share toooo much of my wonderful tuna. (Mine. Mine, mine, mine.) :wag:

I was more looking for a hot dip with cream cheese? I wonder if that would even be a good pairing of flavors.

Ari Meermans · Jan 2, 2015

Ah, okaaay.

Yeah, actually you could do a nice baked dip with softened cream cheese and a couple tablespoons cream or milk. I'd go with cream, but that's just me and a general love of the decadence factor. Let's see--how about 8 ounces of cream cheese, 2-3 tablespoons of cream, 2 tablespoons minced chives (or green onions), a tablespoon horseradish (or to taste), and some white pepper. Mix it all together with the tuna and bake at 350F for about 15 minutes or until hot and jussst beginning to bubble. Garnish it with chopped parsley, or mebbe sliced almonds, or . . . better yet, chopped pistachios. Howzat?

ULTRAGOTHA · Jan 5, 2015

Well I tried it. It was kinda meh. Not enough tuna. I think I'll just EAT the tuna. My stretch-the-tuna-taste experiments haven't done that well.

I used 8 ounces of cream cheese, one chunk of tuna, some scallions, some horseradish and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Another chunk of tuna might have carried it, but I think I'll stick to tinned crab.

Thanks, though!

Hot Crab Dip, but for Tuna

ULTRAGOTHA

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Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter

ULTRAGOTHA

Merovingian Superhero

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter

ULTRAGOTHA

Merovingian Superhero