I’ve been making this dip for every gathering since April last year, and my friends still request it.
I’ve made it with the suggested gorgonzola, with cambozola, with creamy feta, with a Danish blue; I’ve added fresh thyme to it, and freshly ground pepper; I’ve served it with snap peas, crackers, and with french baguette. All iterations were winners. (Although my favorite is the cambozola and pepper.) Just don’t be afraid to add as much heavy cream as you need, and a good drizzle of good evoo.
here’s one I made a few weeks ago, with gorgonzola:
(ok, maybe that’s more than a drizzle, but the bowl was licked clean.)
Smoked white fish because it’s the easiest to find and the most pleasing to our family/company. Look for bone in pieces still covered in golden skin. Peel against the bone and finger check for the tiny bones. Food processor after that.
These fish-based dips look like close cousins to me. Bluefish pate is another riff. Mentioning this because if the flavor of the dip is robust enough, scooping the dip onto toasted pumpernickel bread is tasty.
We were taught brandade by a friend with a French grandmother, Gascony area. Raw egg and shredded (soaked and cooked) salt cod, beat into hot crushed potatoes, along with lots of garlic and fruity olive oil… NO CREAM. Served warm as a main dish or cold later. Also fried up in cakes.
I finally tried (a slightly tweaked version of) @Rooster’s recommended tuna mousse and it was a Big Hit! Served with grissini, which were perfect given the texture.
Going into the permanent recipe bank.
Michael Chiarello has the same recipe on Food Network as well but with slightly different proportions of the ingredients.
Reminded me of this salmon mousse from Martha Stewart which I tried a few years ago - sounded weird because of the gelatin, but was also a Big Hit that needs to be revisited.
I love a simple salsa for tortilla chips. Chopped tomatoes, garlic, lime, cilantro is all it takes. The trick is to use freshly, made tortilla chips, hot-o’t-da-fryer.
Or I make a warm cheese dip.
|½ pound|Fresh Cheddar Cheese (shredded, smoked, sharp or American cheddar)|
|1 tablespoon|Butter|
|¾ cup|Green Onions (finely chopped)|
|2 large cloves|Garlic (minced)|
|3 ½ ounces|Tomatoes (diced, Roma, grape or cherry tomatoes)|
|½ teaspoon each|Ground Cumin And Onion Powder|
|½ teaspoon|Cayenne Pepper (add more to taste if desired)|
|1 tablespoon|Cornstarch
|13 ounces|Evaporated Milk (full fat)|
|4 ounces|Fire Roasted Green Chiles (or jalapenos)|
|¼ cup|Fresh Cilantro (finely chopped)|
I copied this one because it’s what I do. I use Hatch chiles for this one as my fire roasted green chiles. I’ll also roast a tomatillo or two and add that jelly to it, and reduce the tomato a bit.
I’ve tried others that don’t have flour/corn starch, but I like the bechamel love for consistency.
I believe it’s WI farmer’s cheese that they use in Chicago for upside down pizza. I think it’s The Grinder that uses farmer’s cheese exclusively. Famer’s cheese is amazing in a bechamel. Slight little funk to it I love.
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