Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Spread Base
- 150 g smoked trout fillets, skin and bones removed
- 75 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 50 g sour cream, full fat
Flavorings
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 10 g creamed horseradish
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 97 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 1 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 152 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 19 mg
- Potassium
- 18 mg
- Calcium
- 9 mg
- Iron
- 0.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 2 mg
- Phosphorus
- 7 mg
- Zinc
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 59 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.0 mg
- Folate
- 2 mcg
- Water
- 8 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Remove the skin and any pin bones from the smoked trout fillets. Flake the meat into small pieces using your hands.
Place the flaked smoked trout, softened butter, sour cream, lemon juice, and horseradish into a food processor. Pulse briefly until the mixture is combined but still retains a slightly coarse texture.
Transfer the blended mixture to a mixing bowl using a spatula. Fold in the chopped fresh dill and black pepper. Taste the spread and add a pinch of salt only if the trout is not salty enough.
Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and the butter fat to solidify, creating a spreadable consistency.
Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before eating to soften slightly. Serve alongside toasted sourdough bread, crisp crackers, or fresh cucumber slices.
Chef's Notes
- For a rustic, highly textured variation, skip the food processor entirely and mash all the ingredients together in a bowl using a sturdy fork.
- Full fat sour cream is essential for the correct consistency. Reduced fat versions contain stabilizers and too much water, which will make the spread weep.
- Hot smoked trout works best for this recipe as it flakes beautifully and has a cooked texture, whereas cold smoked trout can become stringy and chewy when processed.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep tightly sealed to prevent oxidation and absorbing fridge odors.
Troubleshooting
Spread is too runny or greasy
Cause: Butter was melted instead of softened, or ingredients were over-processed in the food processor generating too much friction heat.
Fix: Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 2 hours to allow the butter fat to solidify, then gently fold to redistribute moisture.
Prevention: Ensure butter is naturally softened at room temperature and pulse the processor briefly.
Spread tastes overly salty
Cause: The specific brand of smoked trout used was heavily cured and extra salt was added before tasting.
Fix: Fold in an additional 15g to 25g of sour cream to dilute the saltiness.
Prevention: Always taste the combined mixture before adding any additional salt.
Cultural Context
Smoked fish spreads have a rich history in British and Northern European coastal cuisines, originally developed as a resourceful way to stretch expensive preserved catches. Blending the intensely smoky, oily fish with rich dairy cuts the intensity while creating a luxurious texture suitable for entertaining.
