You don’t have to be of Hebrew descent to love Jewish smoked herring fish – and sales of this delightfully delectable treat prove it! Whether you like it in pate form, as a stuffing for tomatoes, on a bagel with sour cream or cream cheese, grilled, marinated, in salads, whole or in fillets, nothing tastes quite like it. As one fan of Jewish smoked herring fish says, “Warning: Threat of serious addiction likely.”

Smoked herring turn red, and an interesting aside regarding them is that the term “red herring,” which means “false lead,” a term originating from the English practice of throwing off the hounds’ scent by dragging a smoked (red) herring across the hunting trail. Today’s Jewish smoked herring fish, no less powerfully (and deliciously) scented, would perhaps today incite a small riot if wasted in such a way!

To those of you not exactly familiar with Jewish smoked herring fish yet are willing to try your hand at preparing a simple, yet remarkably mouth-watering and appealing dish, here’s a recipe to get you started off in the right direction. For a terrifically tasty treat you can make right at home, try this:

Jewish Smoked Herring Fish Pate

½ lb. Jewish smoked herring fish fillets
¼ lb. cream cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon (reserve other half for slices to garnish)
1 tbsp. tomato paste
Fresh-ground pepper to taste
Toast or Plain Bagels (to serve on)

Flake the Jewish smoked herring fish, being careful to remove any bones. Add remaining ingredients and mix together well. Firmly back into a bowl (decorative, if serving for a party or for company), cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour. When ready to serve, dip bowl into larger bowl or sink filled with hot water for about 20 seconds. Place plate over bowl and invert. Arrange lemon slices along the edge for garnish. Serve with dry toast or plain bagels.

After you’ve tried this recipe, you’re sure to want to try more Jewish smoked herring fish – any way you can find it! And after doing so, you’ll see why the “threat of serious addiction” stands as a warning truly to be heeded!