Smoked Whitefish & Eggs
intro
Fluffy soft-scrambled eggs paired with briny, flaky smoked whitefish, brightened with fresh dill and capers for a protein-packed, satisfying quick meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep smoked whitefish
Gently pick through 225 grams of boneless, skinless smoked whitefish to remove any tiny remaining pin bones, then flake the fish into 1-inch bite-sized pieces in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside at room temperature for 10 minutes to take off the chill, taking care not to break the fish into fine crumbs.
Whisk egg base
Crack 8 large eggs into a medium mixing bowl, then add 2 tablespoons whole milk, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Whisk continuously for 45 seconds until yolks and whites are fully combined, with no streaks of clear egg white remaining, and the mixture is a uniform pale yellow.
Melt butter in skillet
Place a 10-inch nonstick skillet on the stovetop over low heat (heat level 2 out of 10), add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, and let it melt fully for 1 minute. Swirl the pan to coat the entire bottom evenly with butter, and do not let the butter brown, sizzle, or foam.
Soft-scramble the eggs
Pour the whisked egg mixture into the buttered skillet, and let it set undisturbed for 20 seconds. Use a silicone spatula to gently push set egg curds from the pan edges toward the center, tilting the pan to let uncooked egg flow into empty spaces. Repeat this push-and-tilt process every 15 seconds for 4 total minutes, until eggs form soft, moist curds and are just barely set (they will look slightly underdone, as they continue cooking off heat).
Fold in fish and herbs
Turn off the stovetop heat, then add the flaked smoked whitefish, 1.5 tablespoons of the chopped fresh dill, and 1 tablespoon of rinsed capers to the scrambled eggs. Gently fold the ingredients together for 30 seconds, taking care not to mash the fish or break up the soft egg curds too much, until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Plate and serve hot
Divide the egg and whitefish mixture evenly across 4 warm dinner plates, top each serving with the remaining 0.5 tablespoon of chopped dill and all of the thinly sliced chives, and serve immediately while hot.
Tips
2.Taste before adding extra salt: smoked whitefish is naturally briny, and rinsed capers add a subtle salty punch, so the small amount of salt in the egg base is enough for most palates.
3.Let flaked whitefish come to room temperature before adding it to hot eggs: ice-cold fish drops the pan temperature quickly, which can cause eggs to seize up and develop an uneven texture.
OMG this was the perfect lazy Sunday brunch! I added a little extra dill on top and served it with toasted everything bagels. SO good, my boyfriend thought I ordered it from our favorite corner deli. 10/10 will make again for our next brunch hang!
Made this for my three kids before school this week as a quick protein-packed breakfast and they ate every single bite! Even my picky 7 year old who turns his nose up at any fish asked for seconds. Super easy to throw together on a busy morning, no fancy skills required.
Really tasty overall! I overcooked my eggs a little first try so they weren’t as fluffy as the photos, but the smoked whitefish added such a great salty, smoky flavor that even slightly rubbery eggs still tasted great. Will definitely be more careful with the low heat next time I make this.
Y’all, I was skeptical about fish and eggs at first but this recipe converted me! We smoke our own whitefish up at the lake house every summer so I had a bunch stashed in the freezer, and this was the perfect way to use it. Served it with buttery grits for my husband and he said it’s his new favorite weekend breakfast.
As a broke college student with barely any cooking skills, this was so easy to pull off! I grabbed pre-shredded smoked whitefish from the grocery store seafood counter, eggs from the corner market, and had the whole thing done in less than 20 minutes. Way fancier than my usual microwave breakfast burrito, and it kept me full through my 3 hour lecture.
Finally a fancy-tasting brunch recipe that’s naturally gluten free without a million weird swaps! I served this at my last girls’ brunch with a side of roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh fruit, and everyone asked for the recipe. Will be adding this to my regular rotation for sure.
Nice, simple recipe with great flavor. I added a sprinkle of Old Bay and a squeeze of lemon because I love a little extra zing, and it turned out wonderful. My only note is that if you’re using extra salty smoked whitefish, go easy on added salt in the eggs, I overdid it my first go around.
Game. Changer. I’ve been buying smoked whitefish from my favorite fish market at Pike Place forever and never thought to pair it with scrambled eggs. The fluffy egg texture is perfect, not watery, not tough, just silky, and the flaked fish melts into every bite. Took my weekend breakfast to a whole new level.
Threw this together after an early morning surf session and it hit the spot! I smoked the whitefish myself on my pellet grill the night before, flaked it up, and folded it into the eggs right at the end like the recipe says. So much flavor, super light but filling, didn’t leave me feeling sluggish like a big pancake breakfast does.
Great meal prep option! I made a big batch on Sunday, portioned it into glass containers, and reheated it for breakfast all week. The eggs stay surprisingly fluffy if you reheat them low and slow in the microwave, and the whitefish doesn’t get weirdly fishy tasting when stored. Only knock is I wish it held a little more crunch, so next time I’ll add some chopped green onion on top when I reheat.
Just made this for the first time and WOW, so easy and so flavorful! I was running late for school drop off and soccer practice and still managed to get a hot, protein-heavy breakfast on the table for everyone in 20 minutes flat. Even my husband, who hates “fancy breakfast food”, went back for a second helping.
Took this to my office potluck breakfast last week and people were raving! I set it up on a platter with mini bagel halves, cream cheese, capers, and red onion so people could build their own little bites, and it was gone in 10 minutes. Way more of a hit than the usual donuts and muffins everyone brings.
Just made this before my morning hike and it’s perfect! So much protein to keep me going up the trails, no heavy grease to weigh me down, and the smoky fish feels like a treat instead of boring trail food. 10/10, will be making this before all my early summit days from now on.
This was solid, but I think I picked the wrong smoked whitefish from the grocery store? Mine was really strong and fishy tasting, it overpowered the eggs a little. The egg method for fluffy eggs worked perfectly though, those were the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever made, I’ll be using that trick even without the fish.
Made this for a quick poolside breakfast last weekend when we had friends over, and everyone was obsessed! We didn’t want anything heavy that would make us too full to swim, and this was light, flavorful, and came together so fast we didn’t even miss time in the water. Served with icy mimosas and it was the perfect summer morning.
If you’re on the fence about making this, DO IT. The trick of cooking the eggs super low and slow with a little crème fraîche makes them so unbelievably fluffy, I will never make scrambled eggs any other way again. The smoked whitefish adds such a nice depth of flavor that feels fancy without any of the hard work.
I never leave reviews but this recipe was too good not to! I’m a big smoked fish fan but always ate it on bagels with cream cheese, never thought to put it in eggs. Folded in a little chives at the end, served with a side of hash browns, and my roommate said it’s better than the brunch spot we wait 2 hours for every weekend. Game changer for real.
This takes me back to the breakfasts my dad used to make for us when we’d go fishing up in Michigan! He’d smoke the whitefish we caught that morning, scramble up eggs from our chickens, and we’d eat it on the porch before going back out on the lake. This recipe is spot on, exactly the flavors I remember, and so simple to make even for an old guy like me. My grandkids loved it too when they visited last weekend.