Easy smoked fish schmear

The only reason I made this delicious fish spread was because I had a craving that needed to be satiated and I wasn’t about to drive up to Daiter’s (where, besides the delectable smoked fish selection, their fine curd cottage cheese is still sold out of cheesecloth and tucked into their handmade blintzes), or fly to Newfoundland to get the job done. And don’t you just figure that that’s how some of the greatest recipes are created -- necessity being the mother of invention and all?

I schmeared this on a bagel, but you could spread it on crackers or even serve it with crudité.

Either way is kosher by me.

SMOKED WHITEFISH SPREAD

Ingredients:

8oz block of cream cheese, softened at room temp (can use light cream cheese if you want)

200 grams smoked whitefish or mackerel

1 tbsp mayonnaise

juice of half a lemon

few shakes onion salt

couple of shakes cayenne pepper

few grinds, black pepper

Method:

Remove skin and any bones from fish and flake into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Refrigerate for an hour to let the flavours meld. Schmear over a toasted bagel, or serve in a snappy bowl, sided by crackers.