Oily fish works extremely well with the recipe, so if you are unable to source herring, then mackerel, sardines or fresh anchovies also work really well.
If you searched for pickled herring recipes, you would find literally hundred however, I like to use the below because I think the acidic twang of the vinegar and lemon counteract the rich fattiness of herring fillets superbly. Oily fish are among the foods highest in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, the addition of spices, sugar, shallots and onions add a personal touch.
You may think there is a lot of salt but it is fundamental to extract extra moisture from the fish and keep them firm.
Ingredients
2 ½ tbsp. Salt.
600ml water.
1kg herring fillets.
100ml of distilled or white wine vinegar.
300ml of caster sugar.
2 tsp. Mustard seed.
3 tsp. Whole allspice.
4 tsp. Black peppercorns.
4 small bay leaves.
2 lemons, thinly sliced.
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced.
2 shallots, thinly sliced.
Method
Mix 450ml of water and the salt together and bring to the boil.
Let the brine cool to room temperature.
When cooled submerge the herring fillets in the brine and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
Remove the herring from the liquid and wipe it dry.
Put sugar, vinegar and the remaining 15ml of water in a pan and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let this steep until cool.
Once the herrings have been brined, layer them in a container or a sterilised glass jar with the sliced lemon, shallots and red onion.
Divide the spices between your containers if you are using more than one.
Pour over the cooled pickling liquid and seal the jars. Wait at least a day before eating. Store in fridge for up to one month.
I like to eat the pickled herring with some buttered rye bread, boiled new potatoes with a mustard dressing, hard-boiled eggs and some fresh crispy lettuce leafs.
** Here are two pleasant sauces that will go well with the pickled fish.
Lime and coriander sauce
5 pickled herring fillets cup in pieces.
100ml of crème fraiche.
10ml of mayonnaise.
100ml natural yoghurt.
1 tbsp. Sweet chilli sauce.
½ lime juice and grate zest.
1 clove of garlic, grated.
1 tbsp. Chopped coriander.
Seasoning to taste.
Method
Mix the crème fraiche, mayonnaise and yogurt together.
Beat in the chilli sauce, lime juice with zest and garlic.
Add the coriander and mix with a stick blender.
Mustard sauce
5 pickled herring fillets cup in pieces.
100ml of Dijon mustard.
80g of caster sugar.
4 tbsp. White wine Vinegar.
1 tbsp. Honey.
200ml rapeseed oil.
1 tbsp. Cold filtered coffee.
Method
Mix the mustard, sugar, vinegar and honey together.
Beat until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth.
Add the oil, first a drop at a time then slowly whisk the rest in.
Add coffee to taste.
When adding seasoning to this sauces bear in mind that the herring is already salted. You can fold the herring into the sauces and leave in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Wine Recommendations
When it comes to wine pairing, salads can be very tricky: a salad that’s dressed with something tart can knock out the flavour of the wine which you are wanting to enjoy.
It could be a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire valley, Sancerre, Chablis or one of my favourites Gruner Veltliner.
The main concern here is making sure that the acid in the wine meets or overpowers the acidity found in the salad dressing.
Et voila fresh and healthy.
