One of the many fun benefits of your kids growing up is that they shed their youthful fickleness, particularly about food. While ten or fifteen years ago, plain pasta, preferably wagon wheel in shape, was required (try explaining that to a server in Italy!), today my family eats much more broadly.
We have folded more adventurous foods into our rotation, including our holiday traditions. This Christmas we roasted a porchetta like the ones we have eaten while visiting family in Perugia. And for several years now, New Year’s Eve has meant smoked fish, bagels and cream cheese.
While that sounds like brunch to some, it is really anytime food. Think about blinis topped with crème fraîche and caviar: Are they any less good at midnight than at noon? The same principle applies here.
The point is to focus on the fish. Sure, you need the bready bagel and the creamy cheese, but they are really delivery vehicles for the strong flavor and velvety texture of fish sliced thinly enough that you can read the newspaper through it. Add a squeeze of lemon and a few capers if you like.
I have been accused of overbuying at my favorite food stores. In the case of Russ & Daughters, where I buy smoked fish, I plead guilty and throw myself to the mercy of the court. I am dispatched to buy just salmon, cream cheese and bagels. But I tend to buy a few types of salmon to compare, and I always get sturgeon, which is probably my favorite. Another food I add to my order—whole smoked trout—has become central to a follow-up meal.
Trout are related to salmon but are generally much smaller. The hot-smoked flesh does not take well to slicing like the richer salmon does, but it’s tender and packs a lot of flavor. You can buy fillets off the bone in vacuum packs—nothing wrong with that. I like them whole because there is a little more variation in texture from the thicker, moister head end to the firmer tail. But whole fish are more work, and you really have to keep an eye out for pin bones.
The cool thing about this recipe for a composed salad featuring trout is that it’s not just a vehicle for the fish. Instead, the fish is a linchpin holding together a few strong flavors. And with a hunk of crusty bread, it’s substantial enough to make an easy weeknight dinner for two. It’s like an echo of New Year’s Eve.
Which Wines Pair Well with Smoked Salmon?
Usually we like to give guidance while being sensitive to readers’ broad tastes. To that end, we might recommend a couple of categories or a few styles, hoping that people will find something they like or try something familiar enough but new to them.
Not today.
You know what I’m going to say, right? Sparkling wine. If you’re putting out a serve-yourself spread of a few kinds of fish with bagels or bread to carry the cream cheese and fish to the mouth, serve bubbles. (It bears repeating that you should get twice as much as the crowd might reasonably consume.) Bubbles just taste good with bread, especially when it’s toasted. They also help scrub away the mouthcoating cheese and give a kind of buoyancy to the smoky, oily fish.
Our Editors’ Recommended Wine Pairings for Smoked Fish
In a nod to inclusivity, our tasting department has given you a few options:
Bellavista Extra Brut Franciacorta Alma Assemblage 2 NV (92 points, $40). A graceful Franciacorta, with a fine, lacy quality to the mousse as it carries a delicate weave of patisserie pear and apple flavor, rich hints of pastry and almond biscotti, and candied ginger and spun honey accents. Mouthwatering and harmonious, animated by well-cut acidity and an underlying streak of tangy salinity. Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco.—Alison Napjus
Argyle Blanc de Blancs Willamette Valley 2021 (91 points, $30) Brisk and elegantly layered with fragrant lemon, lime and mint accents that glide on the steely finish.—Tim Fish
Marie Weiss Brut Champagne NV (91 points, $47) A lovely nose of lime blossoms and exotic spices—ground cardamom, cumin and clove—is an enticing thread lacing flavors of ripe yellow peach, tangerine, black cherry and toasted almond as they ride the lively bead. Mouthwatering. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Disgorged February 2024.—A.N.
Going Beyond Salmon: Smoked Trout Salad with Riesling
That said, do not serve sparkling wine with the below trout recipe. The dish succeeds because of the tensile relationship between several strong flavors. Bubbles are not ideal here. You want something fruity, off-dry even, but with a decent acid backbone too. That would be Riesling. Crisp acidity will stand up to the lemon, and expressive fruit will emphasize fruity flavors in the oil. The right wine can insinuate itself, knitting into the flavors. Here are three of our favorite options:
Forge Riesling Seneca Lake Dry Tango Oaks 2023 (92 points, $25) This is taut and nervy, with dried lemon peel and bitter orange notes framing a core of white nectarine, star fruit and yuzu fruit. Keeps good tension through the finish.—James Molesworth
Dr. Loosen Riesling Spätlese Mosel Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2023 (91 points, $34) Offering a fresh burst of elderflower and chrysanthemum, this white is perfumed and juicy, with an appealing core of apple, melon and pink grapefruit, plus an earthy tang. A succulent burst of plush acidity makes for a balanced, refreshing finish that isn’t tiring at all—this is a refined version of the spätlese style.—Kristen Bieler
Tenuta San Leonardo Riesling Trentino 2022 (91 points, $40) Fragrant with petrol and crushed pine accents, this creamy, mineral-driven white layers flavors of apricot, star fruit and Macadamia nut with a spine of finely-honed acidity and a salty underpinning.—A.N.
How to Make Smoked Trout and White Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons minced shallot
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can of white beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 trout fillets (see below)
- Enough lettuce for two, cleaned and torn into pieces to taste
1. Bring the first six ingredients to a hard simmer, then add the beans. Stir to coat evenly and reduce heat so that they warm gently for a few minutes. Do not overcook, or the beans will lose texture. Remove from heat and let steep and cool while you prepare the trout.
2. If you bought fillets, just flake them apart into pieces and remove the skin as needed. For a whole fish, first remove the fillets from the skeleton, and then remove any pin bones. If you’re lucky, they will cling to a membrane under the fillet and you can carefully zip that off. But do use your fingers and eyes to check for stragglers. Then flake the meat.
3. Put the lettuce in a big bowl with the meat. Pour the dressing over and toss well. Serve with bread and a warning to watch out for bones.
Where to Buy Smoked Salmon, Trout and Other Fish
If you love smoked fish, you probably already have a reliable source or a favored brand at your gourmet store. (Pre-packaged fish has gotten much better in recent years.) If you want to try something new, here are some of our favorites:
Russ & Daughters has a great selection of top-quality fish.
As does Browne Trading in Maine.
Petrossian is a European classic.
Zabar’s, like Russ & Daughters, is a New York classic.
Acme does a lot of the smoking for other brands, but they also package their own fish. Available at retailers only. Enter your location on their website to find stores near you.
Catsmo has their own line and a collaboration with chef Daniel Boulud.
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