Whitefish Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups coarsely flaked smoked whitefish (approx. ½ pound)
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground dill seed
• 4 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons whole milk or low-fat yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons minced chives
• 4 tablespoons diced celery
• 4 tablespoons onion diced (approximately ½ onion)
• 1 dill pickle diced (optional)
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. 1
   Flake the whitefish by removing the skin from the fish and using a fork and a knife to remove the meat from the bones. Larger fish tend to be more moist, smaller ones are often more smoky. Be careful not to let any big bones into the salad. Place the flakes in a bowl or plate and set aside.
2. 2
   Heat the dill seed for a few minutes over low heat in a cast iron or other heavy pan. When they're lightly toasted and you can begin to smell their fragrance, take the pan off the heat and pour the seeds into a dish. Cool and coarsely grind so they'll give a little crunch, use a mortar and pestle if possible, otherwise, just a couple of jolts in a spice grinder, so they don't turn into powder.
3. 3
   In a bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix the sour cream and the yogurt until they are nicely blended. Stir in the pepper, dill, chives, and dill seed. Add the celery, onion, and flaked fish and blend with a fork, keeping it a bit chunky for the texture. If you desire, add the dill pickle for more flavor.
4. 4
   Add salt to taste. Some smoked whitefish are very salty, others not.