If you’re looking for a super simple lunch or snack recipe, this Smoky Seafood Spread takes minutes to make, is packed with nutrition and is delicious served with some speedy chopped veggies on the side.
People are always asking me what to do with smoked oysters. While some people love them straight up, they’re not the most subtle of flavors and have a pretty distinctive texture that you either love or, well, don’t love so much.
Enter the mini food processor! Blitzed up with some green onions, fresh herbs and lemon juice, they’re transformed into a smoky-savory dip with this seafood spread. To make the oysters go a little further, I like to pair them with a milder but just as nutritious canned seafood, like boneless skinless sardines. You can buy them online, but they’re much cheaper to buy in stores for some reason. I find this brand inexpensively at Costco.
For a quick lunch, I whip up this Smoky Seafood Spread, cut up some crunchy veggies like carrots, jicama and cucumber, then grab some plantain chips or sweet potato chips to serve on the side for crunch. You know what would also go great with this? My Lemon Garlic Plantain Chips!
You can make the Smoky Seafood Spread ahead of time because it keeps well in an airtight container or with a little plastic pressed onto the top to prevent it drying out. If you really, really love smoked seafood, you can double down on that smoky mojo by swapping the boneless skinless sardines for some whole smoked sardines.
If you want to get a little fancy, a sprinkling of a herbed coarse sea salt like this one is a lovely finishing touch just before serving!
Feeling more adventurous? Try these instead of the boneless skinless sardines:
- Whole Sardines
- Smoked Sardines
- Boneless Skinless Mackerel
- Whole Mackerel
- White Anchovies (not to be confused with anchovy fillets!)
- Smoked Kipper
Smoky Seafood Spread
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 2 (8 oz / 235 g) 1x
Ingredients
- 1 3.75 oz / 106 g can of boneless skinless sardines in olive oil OR smoked sardines (see notes)
- 1 3 oz / 85 g can of smoked oysters in olive oil
- 3 green onions, chopped
- Handful of fresh parsley or cilantro
- 1 tbsp / 15 ml lemon juice
- Fine sea salt or Himalayan salt, to taste
Instructions
- PROCESS: Flake the sardines into a mini food processor and spoon in the smoked oysters, too. Add a splash of the oil from either can and discard the rest. Add the green onions, fresh parsley or cilantro and lemon juice. Process, scraping down the sides once or twice. Taste and add salt, plus additional lemon juice if you like. Process until you have a smooth, creamy spread.
- SERVE: Spoon the spread into little bowls or ramekins and serve with chopped vegetables and plantain chips, sweet potato chips or plantain strips for dipping. My favorites? Jicama, endive, baby carrots and cucumbers. Delicious sprinkled with a lovely herbed coarse flavored salt just before digging in!
Notes
• Smoked vs unsmoked sardines: both work! For a more subtle flavor, use the unsmoked boneless skinless sardines. For more punch, add those smoked sardines.
• Upgrade to skin on, bone in whole sardines if you like.
• For extra texture, don’t process the sardines; flake or lightly mash them and fold into the spread for a chunkier bite.
Looking for other easy seafood lunches? Try these recipes:
Want to learn more about all the other exciting and easy canned seafood options out there?
Check out my Everything But The Tuna guide, complete with lots of easy AIP friendly recipes for everything from sardines and mackerel to smoked oysters and anchovies!
