Bagels With Smoked Salmon And Whitefish Salad Food

BAGEL SALAD

Steps:

• For the dressing: Whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon and honey in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until creamy. Stir in the scallions and season with salt and pepper.
• For the salad: Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bagels and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden and crispy on the outside, about 7 minutes (they'll still be a little chewy on the inside, but that's good). Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with salt and set aside.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice water bath. Carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water, reduce to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath to cool (or run under cold water for a little). Peel and slice into halves or quarters.
• Place the everything bagel topping in a bowl. Roll the cream cheese cubes into little balls with your hands and then roll them around in the everything bagel topping.
• On a serving plate, arrange the mixed greens. Top with the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, bagel croutons, cream cheese balls, eggs, scallions, dill, a few pinches of salt and a few turns of pepper. Drizzle with the dressing.

SMOKED WHITEFISH SALAD

Steps:

• Place the onions in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak for 15 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, using a small knife and your hands, remove the skin, bones, and any brown bits from the whitefish and discard. Flake the whitefish into small pieces into a medium bowl, checking again for any bones.
• Add the egg and onion to the whitefish and mash together with a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise and lemon juice. (For a smoother textured salad, pulse the whitefish mixture in a food processor.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

SMOKED WHITEFISH DIP WITH BAGEL CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the bagels in half vertically through the center hole. Stand the bagel up on the flat side and cut 1/4-inch-thick slices. Add the slices to a rimmed baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Bake until the chips are crispy and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the smoked whitefish, cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, cayenne (if using) and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine.
• Serve the whitefish salad with bagel chips, endive, cucumbers and celery.

SPINACH SALAD WITH SMOKED SALMON, EVERYTHING BAGEL CROUTONS AND LEMON-CAPER VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the bagel pieces in a large bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, and toss to coat. Add the poppy seeds, sesame seeds and some salt; toss again. Spread the bagel pieces out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until light golden brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• For the vinaigrette: Put the lemon zest and juice, dill, capers, mustard, and some salt and pepper in a medium bowl; whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make a thick creamy dressing. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
• For the salad: Put the croutons, smoked salmon and cream cheese in a large bowl, and then mound the spinach, fennel, cucumber and red onion on top. Spoon some of the vinaigrette around the side of the bowl and toss gently to coat the salad with dressing. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette nicely on individual serving plates and gently mound some salad on top. Serve immediately.

EVERYTHING-BAGEL SMOKED SALMON DIP

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, trout, dill, lemon zest and juice and everything-bagel seasoning. Season with black pepper. (The fish and bagel seasoning are both salty, so you likely won't need additional salt.)
• Spoon into a serving bowl and top with more everything-bagel seasoning, black pepper and dill. Eat with any mix of dippers. (It keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, but season again with lemon, salt and pepper before eating.)

SMOKED WHITEFISH SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare the brine: Combine the salt, brown sugar, water, and vodka, if using, in a large shallow container such as a roasting pan. Add the whole gutted skin on whitefish, then cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. (If desired, keep the fish submerged in the brine by topping it with resealable bags of ice.).
• Remove the fish from the brine and rinse thoroughly, inside and out, under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. (Discard the brine.).
• When ready to cook, start your smoker and establish the lowest heat you can. (about 180 degrees.) Place the fish on the grill grate. Tuck 2 or 3 balls of foil in the cavity so the interior gets more exposure to the smoke. Smoke the fish for 3 to 4 hours, or until it flakes easily when pressed with a fork and has an internal temperature of 150 degrees F.
• Let cool, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Make the salad: Remove the skin and break the fish into flakes; remove any pin bones you find. (There are a lot of them!) Add the celery, red onion, lemon juice, dill, mayonnaise, sour cream, and pepper. Stir gently with a rubber spatula to combine.
• To serve, mound the salad into leaves of lettuce or radicchio, if desired, and accompany with bagels or bagel chips, crackers, or cocktail breads. Garnish with sprigs of fresh dill.