Here's a fishy dip for Christmas entertaining. It includes tuna and anchovies but don't worry, it's not all that "fishy" in taste. I found it fairly mild, but I guess if you're not a fish fan ... But I definitely am, and I also like a fishy phrase. One of my faves is about slapping an annoying person in the face with a wet herring. Which reminds me of that Monty Python sketch. But I digress ...
This recipe calls for Philly (cream) cheese, which I have not used in a very long time. I found that it is no longer the cheese I remember, sadly. Okay for dips and cheesecakes, but the texture has clearly been dumbed-down. After discussing it on a FaceBook group, we decided it is now full of water and 'fillers', rather than delicious milk from the cow. Sigh! ... And the texture is just so gummy and squishy and bluuuurrgghhh. Anyways, it's fine in a dip where it gets blitzed up.
Merry Christmas and happy festive season to all. See you in the New Year, my friends. Thank you for all your support this year!
c. Sherry M. |
Makes one good-sized bowlful: see Notes
ingredients:
185g./6.5 oz tuna in chilli oil - drain it but keep the oil
3 white anchovy fillets - see Notes
250g./8 oz Philly cream cheese (use any brand), cut into chunks
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs EV olive oil
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
dukkah, for sprinkling on top
baguette or ciabatta stick, to serve with
lemon wedges, if you fancy (I didn't)
Method:
Basically, you will chuck everything into your food processor, scraping down the sides as you go - for 3-4 minutes! says Donna. Now this seems like a very long time to me; I guess it's to emulsify the mixture but I only did it for 2-3 minutes max.
Whack it in the fridge for at least 1 hour (longer in humid QLD), then sprinkle with the reserved chilli oil, and throw on the dukkah
Serve with the sliced up bread, and lemon wedges if using
Notes:
Donna says this makes 2.5 cups of dip; I guess it did :=)
I hunted around for white anchovies but they were nowhere to be found, so I bought some good quality, organic regular variety
Add a bit of lemon zest, and maybe a few chilli flakes, if you fancy - 'cos I did!
ingredients gathered |
drain the oil, and set aside till later |
chuck everything into the food processor |
and give it a good blitz - for 2 or 3 (or 4) minutes :=); shove into the fridge |
chill it well, splash with chilli oil, sprinkle with dukkah, and serve with bread |
c. Sherry M. |
I absolutely LOVE this tuna dip! The Dukkah topping is such a great idea.
ReplyDeletethanks Angie! Merry Christmas to you.
DeleteMy husband and I looked for a recipe for tuna dip recently. This one looks good.
ReplyDeletethanks Marie. Merry Christmas!
DeleteI love the sound of this. I'm making something similar for Christmas lunch as I'm doing a meze. Have a lovely rest of the year xx
ReplyDeletefrom Tandy I Lavender and Lime https://tandysinclair.com
excellent. Have a great festive season! xx
Delete*laugh* Since I have daily eaten pickled and raw anchovies and herrings and smoked eel almost every day of my life there certainly are no fishy problems here !!! Thanks for the recipe . . . . and do hope you will have a fun and happy Yule and the beginning of a better year . . . bestest and thank you . . .
ReplyDeletewow Eha. raw herrings etc?? I love sashimi which is of course raw fish. Yep I love me some fishy goodness. Happy christmas to you and yours. Yes indeed, hoping for a better year.
DeleteAnchovies - Many people only know them as Spanish-style fillets in oil in small tins . . . Oh, my favourites I eat almost every day come, usually from Scandinavian countries, in glass jars and are lightly pickled - sometimes heads off but usually whole fish. Oh yes, every deli in Australia does keep for over 50 years already . . . take a slice of black bread, cover with butter or cottage cheese, then hard-boiled egg and then a cleaned anchovy plus dill on top! And the herrings come likewise . . . I buy whole fillets but rollmops may be easier initially! bestest . . .
Deletethat sounds like an amazing savoury treat Eha. Yes I only know anchovies in tins with oil. I do enjoy a rollmop now and then (my BIL was Dutch). Happy Christmas.
DeleteI would love this Sherry. Sadly my other half hates anchovies though. Still that would mean all the more for me. Ha ha! Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteoh no. who can hate an anchovy?:=) Yep definitely all the more for you Neil. Merry Christmas.
DeleteYour recipe sounds good. I love white anchovies and I love canned tuna. I've never seen it with chili oil.
ReplyDeleteHere in the US, Philadelphia Cream Cheese is a brand name, made by Kraft Foods. There's a full-fat version that is sold as a brick, and I haven't noticed any change in it (the original product was introduced in 1872, but I haven't been using it that long). The whipped and low-fat versions are different, definitely less dense.
Have a great Christmas!
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
they seem to stick many flavourings in tuna tins :) The blocks of Philly are definitely different here these days. Soft and squishy and watery ... aarrgghhh Merry Christmas.
DeleteThis sounds wonderful. I’ve never seen tuna packed in chili oil! Oh how I miss Monty Python… Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeletewe have tuna packed in many kinds of oil :=) Merry Christmas.
DeleteWhat a fabulous dip nom nom. Merry Christmas lovely 🎅 🎄
ReplyDeletethank you Ms. M.
Deletemy husband is real fan of Dukkah and anchoives.. he would probably enjoy this dip. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and blessed with good health, joy, and peace.
ReplyDeletemerry christmas to you and yours.
DeleteThis does sound like a good spread and especially with the dukkah topping. Karen (Back Road Journal) Merry Christmas
ReplyDeletethanks Karen. Merry Christmas to you.
DeleteYour Tuna Dip with Dukkah sounds like a delicious addition to Christmas entertaining! It's amusing how your thoughts on cream cheese took a humorous turn with a nod to Monty Python. The evolution of food textures can be a bittersweet discovery. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a joyous festive season. Looking forward to more culinary adventures in the New Year! Happy Boxing Day! Visit Melody Jacob blog.
ReplyDeletewell, thank you (or should I say thanks to AI) for this somewhat oddly phrased comment!! Happy festives to you too.
DeleteI love this recipe! I have never seen tuna in chili oil — but I can adjust bt adding some chili flakes. Also, I agree with you about Philadelphia cream cheese. It has changed, and I tend to use different brands that have fewer chemicals and fillers. Happy belated Christmas, Happy Boxing Day, and Happy New Year! David (C&L)
ReplyDeletethanks David. yep add some chilli flakes! That Philly cheese is truly disgusting now. I will try to find another brand. Happy festives to you!
DeleteThis sounds right up my eat street - I might have to give it a go. I have to agree with you about Philly - it's only good for baking into cheesecakes and whipping into dips these days. Hope you've had the happiest (and yummiest) of holidays!
ReplyDeleteyes Philly is very disappointing these days! We had a quiet and peaceful Xmas day. so hot here! Hope yours was fab.
DeleteYum! Cream cheese is one of my favorite go-to ingredients in treats. This looks delish.
ReplyDeletea shame about Philly cheese though. I must hunt up another (better) brand.
DeleteThis is such an amazing tuna dip especially with the addition of dukkah. Have a wonderful start to new year!
ReplyDeleteI saw your post before and wrote a comment but it failed to publish
thanks Balvinder. Blogger is soooo annoying with comments. so many don't come through!! Thanks for trying again. Happy new year!
DeleteI wish I'd seen this before Christmas, it would have been a lovely addition to our New Year's Eve fish dinner.. ! Ah well, it's New Year's Eve so maybe tonight!
ReplyDeletehi Frank, hope you had a great NYE!
DeleteAnd a wonderful New Year to you and yours, Sherry!
ReplyDeletethanks Frank.
DeleteI don't think I've ever had a fish dip before...I'm intrigued! This does sound quite tasty and unique. Also, I sadly agree with you about Philadelphia cream cheese. I've found that some of our other brands here still have pretty fantastic cream cheese...so it's worth trying out some new brands when you have a chance!
ReplyDeletei'm glad i'm not going crazy. Philly cream cheese is but a shadow of its former self!
DeleteThe dip looks delicious Sherry, I've made a similar one in the past, very tasty. I haven't used Philly cream cheese in a while wasn't aware of the difference, what a shame.
ReplyDeleteyes it's kinda nasty now Pauline.
DeleteTuna dip for Christmas? Not your average holiday spread, but I'm totally here for it! And fear not, your fishy phrase phobia is safe with me – that wet herring slap had me cackling like a hyena.
ReplyDeleteglad i gave you a good chuckle raymund.
Delete