Food and Recipes Recipes Smoked-Fish Dip 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews Time to up your dip game this holiday season. By Adam Evans Adam Evans Chef Adam Evans opened his first restaurant, Automatic Seafood & Oysters, in Birmingham, Alabama, in April 2019 (already earning national recognition as one of both Esquire's and Thrillist's Best New Restaurants in America for 2019). The restaurant, named for the building's past life as an Automatic Sprinkler Corporation manufacturing facility, is located in the Lakeview neighborhood of Birmingham. Working directly with local vendors, markets, and fisheries, Chef Evans' menu features simple, high-quality seafood dishes, primarily sourced from the Gulf, which he combines with bold flavors and classic technique. Comfortable, elegant, and classic, the space at Automatic lends itself to a coastal setting — not speaking directly to one specific body of water or region, but drawing inspiration from all shorelines. Previously, the Muscle Shoals, AL native made his mark on Atlanta's culinary landscape through his signature seafood dishes at The Optimist. In 2015, Adam opened Atlanta's Brezza Cucina with Chef Jonathan Waxman, and in 2017 he returned home to Birmingham, AL with the goal of opening his dream restaurant with his wife, interior designer Suzanne Humphries Evans. Follow him on Instagram. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on January 7, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 12 Smoked Fish Dip sounds quite elegant, but what if we told you that this dish comes together almost entirely in one bowl? We love serving dips at parties big and small for their simplicity and ease. This Smoked Fish Dip, which comes from the kitchen of Adam Evans, chef at award-winning Birmingham restaurant Automatic Seafood and Oysters, will be on the table in just 20 minutes (just stir all the ingredients together—it really is that easy) and makes a great gluten-free appetizer. This well-rounded dip is packed full of fresh herbs like scallions, parsley, and dill. Celery adds crunch, mayo and cream cheese bring ultimate creaminess, and smoked whitefish adds a salty, smoky flavor that will keep you coming back for more. All the flavors are balanced out with brine and acid from capers, lemon juice, and pickles. This rich, smoky spread is delicious spooned into endive leaves or served with crackers, baguette slices, and crudite. If you can't find any smoked whitefish, substitute an equal amount of smoked salmon. Pro tip: Mixing the mayo and cream cheese separately, then folding in the fish, helps prevent you from overmixing the dip and breaking up the fish too much. A good dip almost always disappears before the end of the night, but if you're lucky enough to have any leftovers, this Smoked Fish Dip will be amazing spread on a baguette for a sandwich the next day. Ingredients 2 (8-oz.) smoked whitefish fillets, skin removed 2 celery stalks, diced (about ½ cup) ½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup thinly sliced scallions (about 5 scallions) ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ¼ cup chopped fresh dill ¼ cup chopped dill pickles (from 2 pickles) ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons) 1 tablespoon drained capers, chopped 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste Directions Flake smoked fish into ¾-inch chunks in a medium bowl. Set aside. Stir together remaining ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Gently fold in smoked fish until incorporated, leaving some chunks intact and being careful not to overmix. Add more salt and black pepper to taste. Rate it Print