Prebe's pickled herring appreciation thread

[Prebe]

I thought I'd prevent the comfort foods thread from going too much off topic

Anyway, make sure when you get the jared version, that the herrings have been cured (raw-salted OR raw salted with sugar and spices (bay leaf, sandal wood, cardimon, cloves and pepper) as a basic preparation and NOT boiled in acetic acid which is how most (but not all) of the jared stuff is made.

Cured in the old fashioned way, means a little more salty, but also a much more savoury flavor, more bite, and more taste of the actual fish, in stead of a sweet'n sour sauce gone slightly fishy!

The proces of making pickled herrings is a long one. The first step (the curing) is essential to the finished result, and takes a minimum of three months. I assume from what little I know of herring biology, that you can't get fresh raw herrings anywhere in the US. But if you find the right shops, you might be able to get salt cured herrings (often an Icelandic product), which would make things a lot easier.

[Menolly]

Prebe, would I tell by looking at the ingredient list? I don't remember any of the jarred herring saying it is boiled in acetic acid...

[Prebe]

You are not required to write how the herrings have been prepared, so if the label says nothing assume the acetic acid variety.

If the herrings are salt cured the producers allways make sure that they write "Gammeldags modnet" on the jar (translates into "Cured the old fashioned way".

This makes the product about twice as expensive, and people are willing to pay the difference because it's easily twice as tasty.

So, if you have a Danish deli, look for the words "Gammeldags modnet".

Edit: This looks promissing (and cheap too):
www.murrayssturgeon.com/ShowMenu.tpl

Scroll down to find pickled herring.

[Menolly]

Thanks Prebe. Now to decide if I can swallow the shipping costs.

[stonemaybe]

I've seen pickled herring about (though obviously didn't know to check the preparation method but now I will) and to be honest, I've always thought "yuck - pickled fish!"

I'm intrigued now though, and I'm going to have to try them.

But what do you eat them with?

[Prebe]

Here we eat them on heavy whole grain rye bread, usually smeared with a thin layer of lard (a leftover from oven roast pork or even better: duck) in stead of butter. Butter is ok though.

Garnish depends on the type of marinade, but you usually can't go wrong with a combination of raw onion rings, dill and capers.

[Menolly]

Is the lard used to cut the brine flavor, Prebe? I've always had pickled herring straight, except for the cream or wine sauce and the onions packaged with it.

[Prebe]

You can say it is. The hint of grease supplements the vinaigre of the marinade and the slightly salty taste of the fish. It's not meant to be downright briny. If it is, it hasn't been watered out enough. Usually 24 hours in two changes of cold water is applied to the cured herrings before the marinade is added. It is then kept cool in the marinade for 24 to 48 hours depending on the marinade.

I can see how my last post can be misunderstood: It's not the herring but the bread that is smeared with a thin layer of lard. I think the word of choise was spread

[stonemaybe]

A new Swedish cafe openend in town a few weeks ago - we're gonna try it for lunch today, so hopefully in the next two hours I will have tried some pickled herring !

[Menolly]

I can be an acquired taste, Stoney. I hope you enjoy it though.

[Prebe]

Go for "Matjesfilét" if they've got it! An original Dutch recipe adopted by the Swedes.

[Menolly]

Matje herring, as I've seen it called here, is the reddish one, yes?

Now, there may be many reddish pickled herrings, but I have only seen with white wine and onions, cream sauce and onions, and what is labled matje herring, which is reddish.

[Prebe]

Correct Menolly, the redish spicy ones.

[Menolly]

*shaking head*

Then I haven't had good matje herring. The ones I've had are much blander than the other two types of herring, so I usually take very little of that when the other two are offered.

Of course, the brininess of the white wine and the cream sauce herrings are what I love about them. The matje herring is far less briney. But I do not remember any spice to it at all either.

[Prebe]

Then you haven't had the right variety. They are supposed to taste of allspice, cardamum, bay leaves and sandal wood and cloves.

[Menolly]

Nope.

Maybe a tiny bit of cloves. But not that I remember. It's more a herring texture, no brininess, and oil.

I'll have to start trying different brands.

[stonemaybe]

This man has lost his pickled herring virginity!!!!!

Here
www.sveacafe.co.uk/

Lovely country-kitchen style cafe, only open for lunch at the minute, and not too many choices, the only herring on the menu was called 'Kungshamn', so I got it: Boiled new potatoes, creme fraiche, chives, with pickled herring in a creamy mustard sauce, and pickled herring with red onions, and a wedge of crispy rye bread and butter.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Loved both types! Portions were a bit small though! (Maybe that's how it's normally served?)

On the way home I stopped off at a supermarket and bought 2 different types of tinned herring and some rye bead !

[Menolly]

So glad you liked it Stoney!!

I never had it in a mustard sauce. Sounds enticing!

[stonemaybe]

So glad you liked it Stoney!!

I never had it in a mustard sauce. Sounds enticing!

'Twas very strange mustard though - tasted cool rather than spicy.

[Menolly]

I've had tinned sardines (oh, I do so hope we use the same term) in a mustard sauce. If you know what I am talking about, was it similar to that?

I'll bet the mustard was cut either with more creme fraiche or with sour cream to make the sauce.