How to cook a herring? Herring dishes: simple recipes

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

S alting is a traditional way to preserve fish. For example, s alted herring is most often found on sale, because it spoils very quickly. Most often, the product is associated with Scandinavia, where this type of fish has been a traditional part of the diet for many centuries.

S alting herring is soaking it in a liquid with s alt, sugar and spices. S alted herring is a very popular traditional dish not only in Russia, but also in Holland, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and some other northern countries. In the former Soviet republics, this fish has always been s alted in large quantities in wooden barrels. Then it is peeled, chopped and served with chopped onions and boiled potatoes. This combination is known as a classic vodka snack. However, s alting whole herring at home requires a slightly different technique, mainly for safety reasons.

Precautions

Always remember that short-term s alting does not guarantee that freshthe fish will be free of parasites that may be present in marine fish and mammals. They are usually destroyed by processing at high temperatures or by deep freezing. To ensure safety, make sure that:

• You buy the freshest herring you can find on sale in your area.
• You must carefully remove all gills and entrails and wash each fish from the inside.

Cleaned and washed herring should be quick frozen at home at -16°C or the lowest temperature of your freezer. Fish must be frozen for at least 20 days. How to cook herring after freezing?

What you need:

• 3 medium herring;
• 1.5 teaspoons of s alt;
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar;
• 3 bay leaves (crushed);
• 1 tablespoon sunflower or olive oil;
• juice of 1/4 lemon;
• 1 large red onion.

How to cook s alted herring

Mix s alt, sugar and crushed bay leaf. Cover the herring with these spices on both sides, as well as on the inside. Place the herring in a glass container, close and refrigerate for 2 days. Around the middle of this period, turn the herrings to the other side.

After that, your dish is ready. Now you can cut and serve the herring. Cut the fish crosswise into pieces about 2-3 cm wide. Carefully arrange the pieces next to each other on a tray or large flat plate. When the fish willchopped and folded, chop the onion and put it on top. Serve this appetizer cold or at room temperature.

How to make pickled herring?

Unlike s alting, this method involves placing the fish in a spicy marinade. Such herring dishes are most often national among northern peoples. For example, the Scandinavian classic recipe is very simple to implement. It will need the following ingredients:

• 1/4 cup s alt;
• 5 glasses of water;
• 500 grams of herring fillet;
• 2 cups white wine vinegar;
• 1/4 cup sugar;
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds;
• 2 teaspoons allspice peas;
• 2 teaspoons black pepper;
• 3 bay leaves;
• 3 garlic cloves;
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced;
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced.

Heat 4 cups of water just hot enough to dissolve the s alt. Let the brine cool down to room temperature. Then, dip the herring fillets into it and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours. After this time, you will get lightly s alted herring, which can be eaten.

To prepare marinated fish, mix sugar, vinegar, a glass of water and all spices, bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the stove and let the marinade cool.

Remove the herring from the brine, put in a glass jar in layers with chopped lemon andred onion. Divide the spices between your containers if you are using more than one. Pour the chilled marinade over the fish and close the jars. Let it sit for at least a day. You can store pickled herring in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Second marinade option

Marinated herring, whose recipes are numerous, can also be prepared with mustard sauce. It is also the Swedish national snack, which may be of interest to many.

For this dish you will need:

• about 0.5 kg lightly s alted herring;
• 3 tablespoons sweet mustard;
• one tablespoon Dijon mustard;
• one tablespoon brown sugar;
• one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar;
• 50ml neutral vegetable oil (such as rapeseed or sunflower oil);
• ½ cup dill;
• shallots (1 pc.).

Mix mustard, apple cider vinegar and sugar very thoroughly. Add vegetable oil gradually while stirring. Chop the shallot and dill very finely and add to the sauce. Season with s alt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the herring pieces in the marinade and mix very thoroughly so that the fish is evenly coated on all sides. Leave the herring to marinate for several hours, preferably overnight. Delicious homemade herring is ready! Before serving, chop the green onions into small pieces and sprinkle them on top of the fish. Serve herring with new potatoes or simply on dark rye bread with slicedboiled eggs. Enjoy!

What is smoked herring?

Smoking is another way to preserve the product. In order to make a smoked herring, the fish is gutted, cut along the spine, divided into 2 parts along the carcass and s alted. Subsequently, s alted herring is hung on wooden pegs or "pikes". If cold smoking is expected, oak or beech sawdust is also used. Surprisingly, smoked herring in its current form did not appear until the early 19th century, when a vendor began offering it regularly in the London market, borrowing the term from a technique used with salmon. The best fish cooked in this way has an aroma that is a clever mixture of smoke and s alt. Also, smoked herring has a very soft, but juicy and oily texture.

Herring prepared in this way is traditionally served thinly sliced and drizzled with oil and lemon juice. How to cook smoked herring? This requires special smoking equipment, without which the cooking process cannot be implemented. Therefore, it is better to purchase this type of fish in finished form.

Cookery experts say the classic serving is thinly sliced smoked fish fillets, lined around the edges of well-buttered rye bread, with an egg yolk in the middle for sauce.

Dishes of smoked herring

If you wish, you can also make pate or “caviar” from smoked herring. For it you will need:

• 1.5 cups smoked herring fillets (shredded);
• ¼ cup uns alted butter, softened;
• 300 grams of cream cheese;
• juice of 1 lemon;
• cayenne pepper or paprika (to taste);
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley.

Mix or mash fish with butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, cayenne and parsley. Divide into serving bowls or into one large salad bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. Serve with crackers or toast with butter and lemon wedges.

What else can I cook?

Many housewives are wondering what to do with s alted herring because they are not familiar with the s alting process. How to cook a herring that has become very s alty? All you have to do is soak the fish in fresh water overnight and then cook it any way you like. Herring, the cooking recipes of which involve heat treatment, should become almost bland.

Sauteed herring

Place the s alted fish in a large bowl and pour a few glasses of water over it to cover it completely. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the bones from the herring with a sharp knife, cut off the head and tail. Divide the herring into two halves. Remove the skin and discard it.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke slightly, add the garlic. Puthalves of herring and fry them for three minutes on each side (or until they become opaque and soft). Add fresh ground pepper to taste and garnish with lemon wedges.

Deep-fried herring

Soak and clean the fish exactly as in the previous guide.

Heat 3 cups of olive oil in a deep skillet over high heat until boiling point. Dip herring fillets in milk, roll in flour or spiced oatmeal.

Place the fish in the pan and fry until lightly browned and crispy. Serve deep fried herring with parsley and lemon.

Baked herring

Soak the herring and fillet as in previous recipes. Brush each piece with olive oil on all sides and place in a baking dish. Bake for three minutes. Remove the herring from the oven and add fresh ground pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.