Make the pâté: In a nonreactive medium bowl, combine the bluefish, cream cheese, onion, chives, Worcestershire, lemon juice, parsley, dill, and hot sauce. Using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture together until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl; the pâté will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make the lemon pickle relish: Rinse the preserved lemon well in cold water, remove and discard the pulp, and slice the lemon rind into very thin strips.
In a small saucepan, combine the sliced lemon rind, sugar, and ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the syrup has thickened and almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes.
Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the lemon strips to a small bowl to cool. Once cool, finely chop and return to the bowl. Add the olive oil and chives and stir to combine.
Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Season the crostini with salt and pepper.
Bake the crostini for 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The crostini should not brown, but they should be crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Rub each slice of bread with the garlic clove. (The intent here is to merely perfume the crostini, not make them overwhelmingly garlicky, so swipe each piece just once.)
To serve, spread the bluefish pâté on the crostini and garnish with the lemon pickle relish and chives.
Recipe Notes
For the complete gastronomical experience, we recommend pairing this rich Bluefish pâté with a wine packing some acidity and fruit to mellow it out. Hello, Chianti... Get yours here!