Countdown to midsummer part IV – Marinated herring

Posted on by

From our perspective, the most important ingredients on the midsummer table, except from Snaps, are all different kinds of home-made herring. Unfortunately, if you use salted herring they need at least 60 h to get really tasty. If you live near a IKEA you can get hold of pre-marinated herring that you could spice up. The pre-marinated herring was salted and has been soaked. Then, just mix all ingredients, including the herring, at marinate for at least 12 hours. Herring without milk products last for a week in the fridge. Do you use milk products you should finish it within 4 days which won’t be a problem.

From left to right: Lemon herring, Onion herring, Curry herring, Ginger, lime and fennel herring, Bloody Björn herring

Lemon herring

  • 420 g pickled Herring
  • 1 dm Leek
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp Mustard
  • 1/2 dl Rape oil
  • 1 Lemon, juice and zest
  • 1-2 tbsp Sugar
  • 5 tbsp Crème Fraiche

Let the herring rest in water for 4-6 hours. Cut the herring in 2 centimeter pieces. Cut the leek in small cubes. Save some for garnish. Blend egg yolk with mustard and add rape oil until you get a smooth sauce. Add the leek cubes, lemon zest and juice, sugar and crème fraiche – stir and then add the herring. Keep in the fridge and before serving garnish with leek and lemon.

When you use salted herring you need to soak it before using it. Ask for salted herring fillets in your local fish store. Put the fillets in cold water and leave them over night. Remove the water the next day and your ready to start.

Onion herring

  • 2 Herring fillets, salted
  • 1 small Red Onion
  • 1 dm Leek
  • 1 Clove
  • 1 Allspice
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 1,5 dl Water
  • 1 dl Sugar
  • 0,5 dl Vinegar essence, 12%

Soak the herring in the fridge for at least 12 hours (can use pre-marinated herring instead). Start by letting water and sugar come to a boil. Let it cool off and add the vinegar essence. Put the herring in the fluid and add the rest of the ingredients. Keep in the fridge until serving.

Curry herring

  • 2 Herring fillets, salted
  • 1 tbsp Curry
  • 1 tbsp Rape oil
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 1 dl Sour cream
  • 1/2 Apple, Granny Smith, chopped
  • 3 cm Leek, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper

Blend curry, rape oil and egg yolk. Whisk or shake it to a smooth sauce. Add the rest of the ingredients. Keep in the fridge until serving, decorate with apple and curry.

Ginger, lime and fennel herring

  • 2 Herring fillets, salted
  • 2 tbsp Vinegar essence, 12%
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 2 dl Water
  • 1 Lime, the juice
  • 1/2 Fennel, thinly sliced
  • Dill
  • 1 cm Ginger, finely chopped
  • 5  Szechuan pepper corns
  • 1 Yellow Onion

Soak the herring for at least 12 hours in the fridge (you can use pre-marinated herring as a substitute). Let the water and sugar come to a boil, let cool off add vinegar essence and the herring. Add the rest of the ingredients. Keep in the fridge until serving.

Bloody Björn herring

  • 2 Herring fillets, salted
  • 1 dl Ketchup
  • 1/2 dl Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Rape oil
  • 1/2 tbsp Vinegar essence, 12%
  • 1 Garlic clove
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Capers
  • 1/2 Red onion, chopped
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Dill

Soak the herring for at least 12 hours in the fridge (you can use pre-marinated herring as a substitute). Blend all the ingredients to the sauce together. Add the herring. Keep in the fridge until serving.

Music: one snaps song per herring

Leave a comment