This authentic Florida style fish dip is creamy and smoky with a bit of tang and heat from fresh lemon zest, pepperoncini peppers and pickled jalapenos. Traditional Florida fish dip is served with saltine crackers, but it's also good with whole grain crackers and flatbreads.
If your fish has skin still attached, remove it. Depending on the type of fish you have, there may be a bloodline -- dark colored flesh that runs the length of the fish. It can be "fishy", so I prefer to remove it. Just slice it out with a knife and discard.
Break the fish up into chunks and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to finely chop the fish. Transfer the fish to a large bowl.
Add the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper to the food processor. Zest the lemon with a microplane and add the zest to the food processor. Juice half of the lemon and add the juice to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
Transfer the cream cheese mixture to the chopped fish and stir to combine. Add the chopped bell pepper, celery, onion, pepperoncini, jalapenos & sun dried tomatoes. Mix to combine. Add hot sauce to taste.
Transfer the fish dip to a storage container and refrigerate for at least four hours, but preferably overnight.
Notes
Patience pays. Let the smoked fish dip chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. It gives the flavors a chance to marry.