Cooking corner: Pickled herring

David W. Cowles

Cooking corner

There are 15 species of herring, the most abundant of which is the Atlantic herring. Some fish sold as sardines or sprats may actually be herring. But those are canned — not pickled, salted or fresh.

Pickled herring is a universal treat. It’s served in places as disparate as Scandinavia, Iceland, Poland, England, Germany, Russia — even Japan. More to the point, pickled herring is available — with or without sour cream — in every delicatessen worthy of the name.

Pickled herring is delicious any time of the year as an appetizer, snack, cracker-topper or fish course. According to some, it will bring good luck if it’s eaten on New Year’s Eve.

Pickled herring can be made from either fresh or salted herring. The trouble these days is finding either in your grocery store.

Jarred pickled herring is usually quite good; however, and it’s generally available in supermarkets and wholesale food warehouses.

If the sour cream version is not stocked, pickled herring can be quickly and easily converted into it.

Pickled herring — from fresh herring

Ingredients

7 pounds fresh herring fillets

2 1/2 quarts white (distilled) or white wine vinegar

6 cinnamon sticks

6 bay leaves

1/4 cup allspice berries

1/4 cup mace

1/4 cup black peppercorns

2 tablespoons whole cloves

3 large onions, sliced thinly

1 3/4 cups sugar

Directions

Remove the scales from herring fillets; cut them into 3/4-inch to 1-inch pieces (bite-sized).

Combine all of the ingredients except the herring, and boil for 15 minutes. Add the herring, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Let it cool in the liquid, then refrigerate.

Pickled herring — from salt herring

Ingredients

6 salt herring fillets

3 large onions, thinly sliced

1 cup white (distilled) or white wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon pickling spice

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

4 bay leaves

Directions

Rinse the herring fillets well under running cold water. Soak in water to cover overnight, and change the water twice.

Cut the fillets into 3/4-inch to 1-inch pieces (bite-sized).

In a ceramic baking dish, glass bowl, jars or food-grade plastic containers, arrange layers of herring alternated with the sliced onions.

In a saucepan, make a marinade by combining the vinegar, water, sugar, pickling spice and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.

Pour the marinade over the herring fillets.

Cover and refrigerate. Marinate for 48 to 72 hours.

Pick out and remove the bay leaves and as much of the pickling spices as possible before you serve them.

Mort the Mensch’s grandma Gertrude’s famous creamed pickled herring

Ingredients

8 ounces (1 cup) pickled herring

1 medium-sized sweet onion (Walla Walla, Maui or Vidalia)

1 medium-sized tart apple, peeled and cored (Granny Smith preferred)

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

Thinly slice the apple and onion; cut into bite-sized pieces.

In a mixing bowl, combine the herring, apple and onion. Add the sour cream, sugar and enough of the pickling marinade to provide the consistency you desire.

Mix well. Refrigerate for at least one hour before you serve it, in order to give the flavors time to blend.

Store in glass or plastic containers in the refrigerator.

Chopped herring

Ingredients

8 ounces (1 cup) pickled herring fillets

1 small apple — peeled, cored and cut into chunks

1 slice of rye bread or challah (egg bread)

2 hard-cooked eggs, quartered

1 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Place herring fillets in a colander. Discard any pickling spices. Rinse the herring and onions well under cold running water.

Using the steel blade on a food processor, process the apple until it’s minced (about 10 seconds).

Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Moisten the bread with a little water and squeeze out the excess.

Add the bread, herring and onions to the food processor bowl. Process until it’s coarsely chopped (about eight seconds).

Add the eggs and sugar and process for six seconds longer, or until it’s finely chopped. Refrigerate.

Keeps about 10 days to two weeks. Do not freeze.

Cooking Corner columnist David W. Cowles, the Fastest Chef in the West, can be reached by e-mail at dwcowles-gateway@comcast.net.