Smoked Walleye with Labneh, Potato Cake, and Harissa

This is the kind of first course that looks like it came out of a restaurant kitchen but is almost entirely made ahead. Crispy herbed potato cakes, cool thick labneh, warm-smoked fish broken into big flakes, and a slick of harissa oil that ties everything together with a slow, fragrant heat. Every component does something different — crunch, cream, smoke, spice — and the whole plate comes together in about two minutes of assembly once the prep is done.

Walleye is the ideal fish here — mild, sweet, and it takes smoke beautifully — but it can be hard to find outside the upper Midwest. Hot-smoked trout is the easiest substitute and widely available. Hot-smoked arctic char is even closer in texture and sweetness. Smoked whitefish works if you want to lean into a Great Lakes feel. Avoid cold-smoked fish like lox or smoked salmon — you want the firm, flaky texture of hot-smoked fish, not something silky and raw.

How to prepare

Start with the labneh, because it needs at least 12 hours to drain. Stir the salt (1 teaspoon) into the Greek yoghurt (500g) and spoon it into a sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth, set over a bowl deep enough to catch the whey without touching the sieve. Gather the cheesecloth loosely over the top and refrigerate. After 12 hours you'll have a thick, tangy, spreadable labneh that holds its shape on the plate — closer to cream cheese in consistency than yoghurt. After 24 hours it's even thicker and more concentrated, which is better here. If you're short on time, you can find pre-made labneh at Middle Eastern grocers — it's the same thing.

Next, the potato cakes. Boil the potatoes (600g) in well-salted water for 15-18 minutes until completely tender — test with a knife, and if there's any resistance at all, keep going. Drain them thoroughly and return them to the pot over low heat for 1-2 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally. You're driving off surface moisture, and you'll see steam rising — that's the water leaving. This step is what makes the difference between potato cakes that hold together and ones that fall apart in the pan.

Mash until smooth. A ricer gives the best results, but a traditional masher works if you're thorough. Let the mash cool for 5 minutes — hot mash will cook the egg yolk when you add it, and you want the yolk raw so it acts as a binder when the cakes hit the pan. Fold in the chives (2 tablespoons), dill (1 tablespoon), and egg yolk (1). Season generously with salt and pepper — the potato is the starchiest, blandest component on the plate, so it needs to be well seasoned on its own. Taste the mixture and adjust.

Shape into 8 cakes, about 7cm across and 2cm thick — use wet hands if the mixture is sticky. Dust both sides lightly with flour, which helps form the crust. Lay them on a lined tray and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Cold cakes hold their shape in the pan; room-temperature ones slump and stick. You can make these up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge.

The harissa oil takes 30 seconds. Stir the harissa paste (2 tablespoons) into the olive oil (3 tablespoons) with the lemon juice (1 teaspoon) and a pinch of salt. Rose harissa is the best choice here — it has a floral, complex heat that pairs beautifully with the smokiness of the fish. Standard harissa works fine, but if it's particularly fiery, start with 1 tablespoon and taste before adding more. You want warmth, not pain.

When you're ready to serve, heat the clarified butter (3 tablespoons) in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Clarified butter gives you a higher smoke point than whole butter, so the cakes get properly golden without the milk solids burning — neutral oil works too, but the butter flavour is worth it. Lay the potato cakes in without crowding the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Don't touch them once they're down — let the crust form. You're looking for a deep, even golden brown on both sides, with the centre warmed through. Lift them out onto kitchen paper to drain for a moment.

While the cakes cook, flake the smoked walleye (250g) into large, generous pieces. Remove any skin and feel for pin bones, but keep the flakes big — this isn't a dip, and the texture of substantial pieces of fish against the crispy cake is the whole point. If your smoked fish is cold from the fridge, let it come to room temperature for 15 minutes before serving, or warm it very gently in a low oven. Cold smoked fish on a hot potato cake is a missed opportunity.

Bonus points

• Smoke your own fish: If you have a stovetop smoker or outdoor smoker, cure a walleye fillet with a 3:1 mix of salt and brown sugar for 2 hours, rinse, air-dry until tacky, then smoke at 80°C over applewood or cherry for 45 minutes. Home-smoked fish is transformatively better than store-bought.
• Flavour the labneh: Fold finely grated lemon zest and a small crushed garlic clove into the labneh after it's drained. A tablespoon of good olive oil stirred through makes it glossier and richer on the plate.
• Crisp the potato cakes in duck fat: Replace the clarified butter with duck fat for a richer, more savoury crust. It's not traditional to any one cuisine here, but neither is this dish — and it works brilliantly.
• Add pickled shallots: Quick-pickle thinly sliced shallots in equal parts red wine vinegar and warm water with a pinch of sugar and salt, 20 minutes minimum. A few rings draped over the fish add acidity and colour.
• Za'atar sprinkle: Dust a pinch of za'atar over the labneh before plating. It echoes the Middle Eastern flavours and adds a herbal, sesame note that works with the dill.
• Make a dill oil: Blanch a large bunch of dill in boiling water for 10 seconds, shock in ice water, squeeze dry, and blend with 100ml neutral oil until vivid green. Strain through cheesecloth. A few drops on the plate alongside the harissa oil makes a striking two-tone drizzle.

Serving

This is a composed plate and it should look intentional. Use wide, shallow bowls or flat plates with a rim. Take a generous spoonful of labneh and drag it across the plate with the back of the spoon in a single sweep — you want a thick smear, not a thin wipe. Set two potato cakes on the labneh, slightly overlapping. Pile the smoked walleye flakes on top of and around the cakes, letting some pieces lean against each other for height. Drizzle the harissa oil over and around the plate — on the fish, on the labneh, on the exposed plate. Finish with dill fronds and a small tangle of pea shoots or frisée for freshness and colour.

Serve as soon as the cakes come out of the pan. The contrast between the hot, crispy potato and the cold, tangy labneh is the heartbeat of this dish — wait too long and you lose it.

For wine, a dry, minerally white with good acidity works best. A Grüner Veltliner from the Wachau has the herbal, peppery character that complements the dill and harissa. An Assyrtiko from Santorini is the bolder move — its salinity and citrus pair naturally with smoked fish. If you'd rather drink something unexpected, a dry rosé from Provence served cold is effortless and lets every component on the plate speak for itself.