Smoked Whitefish Salad

Adapted from a recipe by Jacques Pépin from his hit, Fast Food My Way.  I learned to smoke whitefish after catching them on streams in Colorado and finding that they were better smoked.  Better even than trout.  Hard to believe, I know.  This recipe makes 4 servings.  You can substitute any smoked fish including trout or bluefish.  You simply smoke the fish in an electric smoker for 4 hours over coals and wood shavings, after brining for 4 hours in 1 qt. fresh water, 1/4 c. salt, 1/2 c. honey, 1 t. white cracked white pepper, and 1/2 c. lemon juice.  Trout can be smoked the same way.

2 smoked whitefish about 8-12 oz. each
1 large hard-boiled egg, peeled
1 c. diced tomato
1 c. pitted mixed Italian olives roughly sliced
1/3 c. finely chopped Vidalia onion
5 T.s loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/2 t. French sea salt
1/2 t.n freshly ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil

HORSERADISH CREAM SAUCE (OR IF SHORT ON TIME, YOU CAN BUY MCCAFFERTY’S HORSERADISH SAUCE WHICH IS ALREADY PREPARED)
1/3 c. whipped cream cheese
1 T. prepared horseradish (comes in a bottle near in the mustards in your market)
1/4 t.freshly ground black pepper

Crunchy French bread, for serving

FOR THE SALAD: Remove the skin from the fish, which should slide off easily. Bone the fish by pulling the meat carefully off the bones.  Set aside.

Cut the egg horizontally, than vertically, to create thin egg strips. Put the egg, tomato, olives, onion, cilantro, salt, pepper, and oil in a bowl and toss together gently.

FOR THE HORSERADISH CREAM: Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Divide the tomato mixture among four plates. Make a well in the center of each mound. Spoon the sauce into the well in the center of each salad, dividing it evenly. Arrange pieces of trout on top of the sauce, using about half a trout per person. Serve with French bread.