Pickled Herring with Danish Rye Bread
This post is dedicated to showing you how to pickle your own herring.Pickled herring is perhaps the most traditional Danish accompaniment to smørrebrød, so if you intend on learning about smørrebrød culture, pickled herring is a good place to start. I personally love all kinds of pickled herring, but the truth is that herring has a very strong fishy taste. The pickling process gives the herring a sweetness that compliments the fish perfectly, but admittedly, it is a bit of an acquired taste for many North Americans.
Pickled herring is available in different styles all across Europe. The Dutch devour maatjes, the Germans gorge on rollmops, the French feast on hareng mariné, and the Danes delight in marinerede sild. They are all based on the same concept, fatty herring filets pickled in a spiced solution of vinegar and varying degrees of sugar and/or salt.
Smørrebrød doesn't get any easier than this: slices of pickled herring on buttered Danish rye bread with a ring or two of red onion and a sprig of dill. Nothing more is needed – except perhaps a shot of Schnapps to wash the silvery fish down into the stomach (as they say in Denmark).
For North American readers, you can find pickled herring in grocery stores, but it will most likely be rollmops or maatjes (don't let this stop you - they are close enough). A selection of Scandinavian-style herring is available at Ikea. However, pickled herring is relatively easy to make, and tastes much better when you make it yourself.
Note that fresh herring can be difficult to find in fish markets (especially in the spring and summer), but you can often find salted herring, which can be used in place of fresh herring (after soaking in cold water for about 6-12 hours to remove the saltiness).
Incidentally, if you are in Denmark and want to experience Danish herring or other traditional fish dishes in a picturesque setting, head up the Zealand coast from Copenhagen to a small fishing village called Gilleleje (shown at left). Here you can purchase assorted products including fresh and smoked herring from locally caught fish, or you can enjoy prepared meals picnic-style at a number of different fish shacks.Here is the recipe for Danish-style pickled herring (known as Marinerede Sild). You will need:
- 12 herring filets
- 3 x 500ml mason jars, cleaned
- Marinade
For the marinade:
3 Shallots- 600 ml vinegar
- 400 ml sugar
- 5 Bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole Allspice
- ½ tsp Mustard seed
- Half inch piece of ginger, sliced
- 1 tsp Peppercorn
- ½ tsp Dill seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 4 sprigs of Thyme
- 2 chilis, crushed
You can adapt the recipe to your taste by adding small quantities of other flavorings: star anise, clove, horseradish, fennel seeds...
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the marinade. Slowly heat the vinegar and sugar in a steel or enamel-coated pot.
- Once the sugar is completely dissolved, add the other ingredients, and leave over low heat for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pickling marinade from the heat and allow to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, clean and fillet the herrings. With a sharp thin knife, cut off the head, and make an incision into the belly. Remove the innards.
- Cut off the tail and fins, and make a deep cut along the top of the fish.
- Working with your fingers, carefully pull one filet off the fish, then gently pull the spine off the second filet.
Use a small knife to cut out bones and trim off excess skin. Don't worry too much about the tiny bones. The pickling process softens them so that they are not noticeable when eaten. - Cut each filet into three or four pieces.
- Place the herring pieces in the jar, alternating between layers of fish and pickled onions.
- Fill the jar with pickling liquid. Warning that if the pickling liquid is still warm it can poach the fish, leaving you with a mushy mess.
- Place a lid on each jar and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before eating. The pickled herring will last at least a week in the refrigerator, but in my experience it can last much longer than that.
- Serve 2-3 pieces of herring on buttered Danish rye bread with a few slices of red onion and a dill sprig.
"Skål!"
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