Underbelly's (Houston) adaptation of Peche's tuna dip recipe

quote:

---

Shepherd loved the smoked tuna dip at Ryan Prewitt and Donald Link's restaurant, Pêche, in New Orleans enough to give its own slot on the menu. "We did three days in New Orleans not long ago and we went [to Pêche] every day," says Shepherd. "The food is incredible, and it's easy to eat there, but more than anything it's honest food."

Oddly, it was Prewitt's decision to include workaday Saltines on the side that most impressed Shepherd. "You sit back as a chef and start racking your brain, thinking, We can make lavash, or maybe our own version of Ritz crackers. But Prewitt said no to all that and consciously decided, 'We have to put Saltines on it. There's no other way.' It's what makes that dish perfect. That takes balls."

---

quote:

---

Shepherd's version (see the recipe) stays close to the original. While Prewitt uses smoked tuna, Shepherd goes for snapper, or golden tile, mostly because that's what his suppliers bring in. For a little heat, Shepherd opts for Korean chile flakes, an appropriate choice given the Houston-global point of view he brings to his cooking at Underbelly.

Some things, however, won't be touched: There will still be Saltines on the side.

---

quote:

---

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: N/A
Total Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon horseradish

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Creole mustard

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Zest and juice from 2 lemons

2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon cayenne powder

3 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

1 stalk celery, finely diced

½ jalapeño, finely chopped

½ medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 pound skinned and flaked smoked white fish

Salt and pepper, to taste

Saltine crackers to serve

1 tablespoons finely chopped chives, for garnish

---

quote:

---

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, Worcestershire, mustard, paprika, juice and zest from lemons, Tabasco sauce and cayenne. Stir in the green onions, celery, jalapeños and yellow onion. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the white fish until well combined. Season with salt and pepper and serve with Saltine crackers and garnish with chives.

---