Smoked Whitefish Pate

Smoked Whitefish is delicious by itself, but at the end of the day, this Whitefish Pate, fragrant with the great taste and flavor of fresh herbs and chives is even better.  Serve it on a toasted Bruschetta to accompany a tall cold drink.  Smoked fish of all kinds including Lake Trout, and Salmon, can easily be found in towns along Lake Michigan's shores.  The fishmongers in Frankfort and Fishtown in Leland offer freshly smoked fish that is delicious.  Try this pate on a piece of toast with scrambled eggs in the morning.  It is a great way to start the day.

Ingredients:

1 pound smoked Whitefish
8 ounces of cream cheese
juice and zest of one large lemon
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh thyme, leaves only
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or 1/2 teaspoon of Tabasco

Directions:

Carefully bone the whitefish and place in a bowl.  Add the cream cheese, lemon, lemon zest, chives and herbs.  Cream with the back of a spoon until smooth or use a food processor or mixer.  To serve, grate a little fresh lemon zest and sprinkle a few crushed red pepper flakes over the top.