Creamy Smoked Herring Dip – A Taste for Travel

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This creamy smoked herring dip blends rich, smoky flavour with cream cheese and herbs for the perfect seafood appetizer.

Serve it with crostini and cocktails for an elegant snack that’s ideal for holiday parties, brunch buffets or whenever you’re looking for something special.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Smoked herring recipes are popular throughout the world. During a trip to the fishing village of Cap-Pelé in New Brunswick, we learned that most of Canada’s smoked herring is exported to the Caribbean.

People love it for its rich, savoury flavour with a hint of saltiness, all wrapped up by the depth of natural wood smoke.

This recipe for smoked fish dip with cream cheese is inspired by the seafood spreads you’ll find in the Florida Keys.

Never tried smoked herring? If you like smoked salmon , you’ll like this dish too.

• It’s soft and creamy, with a fabulous fresh lemon and dill flavour. 
• Pack this fish dip in a container to enjoy on a picnic or as a boating snack. It’s highly portable, nutritious and not messy.
• You’ll love how easy it is to make.
• Whip it up a few days in advance and keep refrigerated until ready to enjoy.

So grab a stack of crackers, bagel chips or your favourite crostini, make this creamy smoked dip and discover the delicious flavour of smoked herring.

Ingredients

Here are the highlights of what you need to make this creamy smoked herring dip recipe. You’ll find the full ingredient list and quantities in the recipe card (please scroll down).

White Onion: Mild Spanish white onion contributes a pungent and crisp, slightly sweet flavour that complements the smoked herring.

Lemon: A splash of lemon and lemon zest provide a burst of citrusy freshness and also tenderizes the fish.

Sour Cream: Adds a tangy, creamy flavour and velvety texture that lightens the richness of the dip.

Cream Cheese: Contributes a rich, slightly tangy flavor with a dense texture that adds thickness and body to the dip. It should brought to room temperature for this recipe.

Paprika: Adds a mild, slightly sweet, and earthy flavour with a subtle warmth, along with a vibrant red colour that enhances the visual appeal of the dip. I prefer a hot Spanish paprika but Hungarian also works well.

Dill: Adds a fresh, herbaceous flavour and aromatics that complement the natural oils of the smoked herring.

Smoked Herring: This recipe calls for fillets of Canadian smoked herring, which has a drier, firmer texture than British smoked fish. Scottish kippers which have a milder flavour and are brine-dyed using natural annatto dye which gives them a yellow/orange colour.

What is Smoked Herring

Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), a member of the Clupeidae family, is one of the most abundant fish species globally.

During our New England cruise, we learned how the herring fishery has played a significant role in the economies of New England and the Atlantic provinces of Canada.

When you’re shopping for herring, look for Canadian smoked herring. It’s prized due to the pristine coastal waters, which produce herring with a clean, rich flavour.

The Acadian traditional smoking methods, emphasizing natural wood smoke and processes, enhances the fish’s natural taste.

Almost all of the smoked herring produced in Canada comes from smokehouses in Cap-Pelé in southeastern New Brunswick.

The Bas-Cap-Pelé region faces the Northumberland Strait, the body of water separating Prince Edward Island from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

The waters off this coast are an important spawning shoal for herring. For generations, local families have operated smokehouses, salting and smoking these tiny fish as both an important Acadian cultural tradition and commercial industry.

Today there are over 20 smokehouses (boucanières) in the Cap Pelé area producing 95% of Canada’s smoked herring.

Where to Buy Smoked Herring

You can buy smoked herring in the deli case of the fish department at major supermarkets or at your local fish monger. Smoked herring is sold refrigerated, unlike dried salted cod that’s stored at room temperature.

This recipe calls for herring fillets. If you can only find whole smoked herring, soak it in water in the refrigerator overnight and then drain. Much like salted cod it needs to be soaked and drained to remove the salt. Then remove the head and tail. 

In Cap-Pelé, New Brunswick, you can buy smoked herring fillets at the Marché au Corner Market Freshmart on Acadie Road (Google Map). It’s a 5-minute drive from the Smokehouse Museum (Musée de la Boucanière), one of the top attractions in Cap-Pelé.

How to Make Creamy Smoked Herring Dip

This smoked herring recipe is really easy to make, but let’s go through it step by step. For the full method, please scroll down to the recipe card.

Poach the smoked herring filets in simmering water in a covered saucepan for 7 minutes (or until fully cooked). Drain and allow it to cool.

Remove any thick skin from the fish. Debone by removing any large bones. Flake with your fingers or a fork until the herring is in small pieces. 

4. Combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, paprika, chopped onion, sea salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.

5. Fold in the flaked smoked herring, lemon zest and finely chopped dill.

6. Stir until fully incorporated. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. 

Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle with paprika. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and lemon slices.

Tips, Serving and Storage

• Taste the fish to determine level of saltiness after cooking it. If too salty, allow it to soak in cold water for 60 minutes and drain. It should be slightly salty but not overpowering.
• Smoked herring varies in the number of bones. Flaking the fish with your fingers will help you to find them easily.
• Don’t over mix the herring and cream cheese mixture. For the best texture, fold it in and stir rather than whip it.
• Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• I don’t recommend freezing this dip. But you can do much of the prep in advance. For example, cook the smoked herring, cool, shred and freeze it. Then just thaw and use in the recipe as indicated.

Popular Variations

Smoked herring recipes are enjoyed worldwide, with traditional dishes featuring this tasty fish found from Egypt to the Caribbean.

Here’s how you can bring some of those global flavours into your kitchen.

Smoked Fish Spread

• To make a spread similar to the one served at Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish Restaurant in St. Petersburg, FL (seen on Diners, Drive-In and Dives), substitute mayonnaise for the sour cream, add sweet relish, chopped celery and a dash of hot sauce. Serve it with saltines as you might with shrimp ceviche.

Florida Smoked Fish Dip

• To make this into a Florida Smoked Fish Dip similar to what you’d find in a Florida Keys restaurant, swap whitefish for herring. Add 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning, a few dashes of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Serve with saltine crackers.

Egyptian Renga (Ringa)

• Add plain yogurt and tahini (2:1 ratio), swap red onion for white, increase the lime juice and omit the paprika. Serve with pita chips.

Fish Dip (Not Smoked)

• If you’re not keen on smoked fish, just substitute it with a combo of equal parts white fish and tinned fish (like anchovies, tuna, salmon or canned sardines). Add capers or chopped chives and a teaspoon of olive oil.

Caribbean Dishes

Serving Suggestions

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Creamy Smoked Herring Dip

This creamy smoked herring dip blends rich, smoky flavour with cream cheese, lemon and fresh herbs for the perfect seafood appetizer. Serve with crostini or crackers at cocktail parties, brunch buffets or game day.

Prep Time8 minutes mins

Cook Time7 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Servings: 4

Calories: 311kcal

Author: Michele Peterson

Cost: $15

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Bring the cream cheese to room temperature.

• Poach the smoked herring in simmering water in a covered saucepan for 7 minutes (until fully cooked).

• Drain and allow to cool until able to handle.

• Remove any thick skin, debone by removing any large bones and flake with your fingers or a fork until the herring is in small pieces.

• Combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, paprika, onion, sea salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

• Fold in the flaked smoked herring, lemon zest and finely chopped dill. Stir until fully incorporated.

• Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

• Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with paprika. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and lemon slices.

• Serve with toasted bagel chips, crackers, pita chips or toasted baguette slices.

Notes

1. If you use Whole Smoked Herring, soak in water in the refrigerator over night and then drain. Much like salted cod it needs to be soaked and drained to remove the salt. Then remove the head and tail and begin the poaching process.  You’ll need 400 grams of Whole Smoked Herring to compensate for the the herring that will be discarded. 
2. After poaching the fish, taste the fish to determine level of saltiness. If too salty, allow it to soak in cold water for 60 minutes and drain. Repeat until it’s slightly salty but not overpowering. 
3. Store up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator. 

Note: Nutrition values are estimates only as they are done by an online calculator. 

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1182IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg

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Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.

Read more about Michele Peterson.