A tasty dip always comes in handy, whether to set out for friends and family, or to bring to a holiday party. One dip that is a surefire hit is Baked Artichoke Parmesan Dip. And if you’re short on time, don’t hesitate to whip up a batch of Hidden Valley Party Dip — all you need is a packet of the party dip and an 8-ounce container of sour cream — and serve it with veggie sticks and Fritos. Trust me, no one will complain.
This year, I tried a new dip, and it’s a keeper. Smoked Salmon Dip, adapted from The English Kitchen, is wonderfully smoky, salty, and savory, owing to the lemon juice, green onions, capers, and dill. It comes together quickly in the food processor. One tip from the English Kitchen that I found interesting was: “You don’t need to use best quality smoked salmon . . . I usually use the smoked salmon scraps you can buy in the shops. You are going to chop it coarsely anyways, and the scraps are already chopped for you.” I had no idea I could buy smoked salmon scraps, but when I went to buy the smoked salmon at Kroger, sure enough, there they were. And they worked perfectly.
Smoked salmon scraps
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
- 4-5 ounces smoked salmon, coarsely chopped, any gray areas removed
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh dill sprig, for garnish
- Bagel chips, for serving
- Put the cream cheese, sour cream, Tabasco sauce, and lemon juice in a food processor, and process until smooth. Add the green onion, capers, salmon, dill, and pepper, and pulse to blend.
- Transfer to serving bowl, and refrigerate until ready to use. Garnish with dill sprig and serve with bagel chips.
