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Whitefish Salad Bagel Melt
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This open-face bagel recipe made with whitefish salad, marinated tomato slices, cucumber and melted Swiss cheese is inspired by a sandwich I had at Gertrude in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. I love the contrast of the warm, melted cheese with the chilled, creamy salad. While most whitefish salad recipes use mayonnaise, I prefer the combination of cream cheese and sour cream – especially when the salad is going on a bagel.
Because smoked fish, like whitefish or trout, can be a bit dry on its own in comparison to some other varieties, I prefer it mixed into the creamy salad with a base of cream cheese, sour cream and a combination of herbs. Want some more easy bagel breakfast recipes? Check out this chopped salmon bagel or this classic smoked salmon bagel.
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Smoked whitefish – Smoked whitefish is a hot smoked freshwater fish known for its mild flavor. The term refers to fish in the Coregoninae family with shiny gold skin and white flesh. You can also use smoked trout in its place in this recipe.
- Cream cheese – I always recommend using regular cream cheese rather than non-fat varieties. Allowing the cream cheese to soften at room temperature makes it much easier to combine with the other ingredients.
- Sour cream – Sour cream adds a great texture to this whitefish salad as well as a tangy flavor that works well with the cream cheese.
- Bagel – Choose your favorite bagel as your base. I prefer everything bagels though plain or garlic also pair well with the whitefish salad.
- Swiss cheese – Swiss cheese is a semi-hard cheese with a mild and nutty flavor. I prefer deli-sliced cheese to hand sliced cheese in this recipe so the cheese evenly melts over the bagel.
- Tomatoes – Marinating the tomato in a bit of olive oil and kosher salt for just a few minutes before serving enhances the sweet natural flavor and brings out the sweet juices of the tomato. This small step adds lots of flavor!
- Cucumber – Since the cucumber is simply sliced, I prefer to use English hothouse cucumber for this recipe. The seeds are smaller and less noticeable than American slicing cucumbers. English cucumbers are long and thin and can typically be found wrapped in plastic at grocery stores.
How to Make This Whitefish Salad Bagel Melt
Step 1: Make the whitefish salad.
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice until thoroughly combined, then fold in the smoked whitefish, chives, dill and season with black pepper. The fish should still have some texture.
Step 2: Marinate tomatoes.
Arrange the slices of tomato on a plate and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Set sit for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Step 3: Melt swiss cheese.
Heat broiler on high. Arrange the bagel halves, cut side up on a baking sheet. Broil until golden brown. Top each bagel with a slice of Swiss cheese and broil once again until the cheese has melted, about an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Step 4: Assemble sandwich.
Spread whitefish salad over the top of each followed by a slice of olive oil marinated tomato and slices of cucumber. Garnish with lemon zest, dill, flake salt and black pepper. Serve immediately, open face.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and substitutions
- Add additional veggies, like sliced avocados, over the whitefish salad.
- You can also use whole or canned smoked trout in place of the whitefish in this recipe. A store-bought whitefish salad also works fine.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this whitefish salad bagel melt recipe, give these a try and follow me on Instagram:
Whitefish Salad Bagel Melt
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Ingredients:
For the whitefish salad:
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 12 ounces smoked whitefish, skin and bones removed (or smoked trout)
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
For assembly:
- 1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Flake salt, as needed
- 1 everything bagel, halved
- 2 slices deli-sliced Swiss cheese
- 1 small Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Instructions:
For the whitefish salad:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice until thoroughly combined, then fold in the smoked whitefish, chives, dill and season with black pepper. The fish should still have some texture.
For assembly:
- Arrange the slices of tomato on a plate and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Set sit for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
- Heat broiler on high. Arrange the bagel halves, cut side up on a baking sheet. Broil until golden brown. Top each bagel with a slice of Swiss cheese and broil once again until the cheese has melted, about an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Spread whitefish salad over the top of each followed by a slice of olive oil marinated tomato and slices of cucumber. Garnish with lemon zest, dill, flake salt and black pepper.
- Serve immediately, open face.
Nutrition:
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Wow this was a hit for brunch!
So happy to hear it! Thanks for sharing!