Party Perfect: Smoked Salmon Dip

My mother has long made a smoked salmon dip for parties. A casual recipe, she chops up smoked salmon and stirs it into softened cream cheese with chives, lemon zest, salt and pepper. So when I saw a recipe for a smoked salmon dip in the December issue of Bon Appetit, I immediately thought of my mother's dish and decided to give BA's version a try. I am glad I did: It was delicious. I made the recipe to the letter, using a wild smoked salmon from Costco (which gave it a very salmon hue). The flavor of the spread improved quite a bit after sitting for a while, letting the flavors meld. I'd make it the day before a party, or at the very least a few hours prior, and I'd stir some of finely chopped zest into the dip to give it some lemon lift. We served the dip with Stacy's "Simply Naked" pita chips, which made for a nice, neutral based for the salmon-y goodness. Also, note that this recipe makes a lot of dip!

Smoked Salmon Dip

from Bon Appetit

Ingredients
2/3 cup crème fraîche
2/3 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
4 teaspoons Horseradish (white)
1 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives plus more
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
Pumpernickel toasts, flatbread crisps, or bagel chips

1. Whisk first 3 ingredients in a small bowl until well blended. Place salmon in a food processor; pulse just a few seconds at a time until salmon is reduced to pea-sized pieces. Add salmon and 2 tbsp. chives to crème fraîche mixture; fold to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made 3 days ahead.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from lemon (yellow part only). Cut lengthwise into thin strips. 3. Garnish dip with lemon zest and 2”-long pieces of fresh chives. Serve with pumpernickel toasts.