The story behind the recipe
In Kashubia, herring has been a staple food for centuries. According to the description on the Traditional Products List by the Ministry of Agriculture, "for centuries, the most important food reserve for the coastal Kashubian population was salted herring," with the highest quality fish caught near the shore during spring or autumn spawning using a fixed gill net. After desalting, various dishes were made from it, especially on fasting days, and "the most popular way to prepare it was to serve filleted herring in cream with onions and apples." It was served with "pulkis," or potatoes boiled in their skins. This dish was added to the list on October 15, 2020, as "mancowy herring in Kashubian style." We did not find a separate entry under the name "herring in cream" on the list.
Not only in Pomerania. The Institute of the Box from the Poznań district wrote in 2022, announcing the "Taste of Herring" competition, that in Greater Poland, "herring in cream served with boiled potatoes is popular," that March, the time of Lent, is the season for herring, and that "Herring" is another name for Podkoziołek, marking the end of Carnival. Jan Babczyszyn from the institute recalled the words of Wojciech Młynarski: "There is also herring in cream – a metaphysical dish." Hanna Szymanderska told "Rzeczpospolita" that in the Middle Ages, herring was "cheap and common," and in the accounts of the Jagiełło court from March 25, 1389, it was recorded as "6 barrels of herring." Winiary writes that herring was "the basis of the fasting diet" for both the poor and the rich. Szymanderska also recommends herring arranged on grated sour apples and drizzled with a cream-mustard sauce.
Ania Gotuje writes that in her family, herring in cream has been "known forever" and is eaten "always on Christmas Eve," while the author of Kwestia Smaku states that in her home, herring in oil reigned on Christmas Eve, and other herring salads were eaten on the following days of the holiday. The recipes are similar, "although everyone makes it a little differently": some grate the apple, others chop it into cubes, some add vinegar or mayonnaise, others do not. The dish is also known among emigrants. Herring in cream has been photographed at Polish Christmas Eve dinners in Brisbane, Australia, and "herring in cream" was photographed by John Margolies in 1977 at Kutsher's in New York. In Germany, especially in the Rhineland, a similar dish is Heringsstipp, also known as Sahnehering.
Ingredients
Herring
-
400 g salted herring fillets (matias from brine) (5–6 fillets; can also use fillets in oil, then no soaking)
Abroad: USA and Canada: schmaltz herring; Germany: Salzheringsfilets or Matjesfilets (often already mild); Netherlands and UK: Dutch matjes, Hollandse Nieuwe
Sauce
-
250 g thick sour cream 18%
Abroad: USA, Canada, Australia: sour cream; UK: soured cream; Germany: Schmand or saure Sahne -
2 pcs tart apples (smaller, about 300 g total, preferably tart)
Abroad: Granny Smith; Germany: Boskoop -
1 pc onion (medium, about 200 g; sweet onion does not require blanching)
Abroad: USA: sweet onion, such as Vidalia -
1 handful chopped dill (or parsley)
Abroad: dill; Germany: Dill -
0.5 handful chopped chives
Abroad: chives; Germany: Schnittlauch - freshly ground black pepper
- salt (only after tasting, often unnecessary)
-
1 tsp (5 ml) spirit vinegar or lemon juice (not necessarily, to taste)
Abroad: USA: distilled white vinegar; UK: spirit vinegar; Germany: Branntweinessig
For serving (optional)
- 1 pc apple for frying in slices (or slices of pumpernickel)
-
1 tbsp (15 ml) clarified butter (for frying the apple)
Abroad: USA and UK: ghee; Germany: Butterschmalz - cinnamon or spice mix (for the apple)
- boiled potatoes in their skins
Method, step by step
-
Rinse the herring fillets from salt and place them in a bowl of cold water. After about 20 minutes, change the water for fresh, repeating if necessary, up to three times. With each water change, cut off a small piece and taste: the herring should be slightly salty. Do not soak fillets in oil, just proceed to drying them.
-
Remove the fillets, thoroughly dry them with a paper towel on both sides, and cut them into strips or pieces no wider than 1.5 cm (½ inch).
-
Peel the onion and finely chop it. Transfer it to a sieve and slowly pour boiling water over it: the sharper the onion, the more boiling water. Do not blanch sweet onion. Set the sieve aside until the onion cools completely and drains.
-
Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut them into small cubes. If you prefer a smoother sauce, grate them on a coarse grater.
-
In a bowl, mix the sour cream with the onion, apples, dill, and chives. Season with freshly ground black pepper, but do not add salt yet, as the brined herring will release salt into the sauce.
-
Add the chopped herring and gently mix to avoid breaking them. Set aside for 10 minutes, then taste. Only now, if necessary, add salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
-
Transfer the herring to a glass container or serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least a few hours, preferably overnight, to allow the herring to absorb the flavors of the apple and onion.
-
If you want to serve it on apple: from the third apple, remove the core, slice it, sprinkle with cinnamon or spice mix, and fry until golden on both sides in clarified butter. Cool.
-
Serve chilled, with boiled potatoes in their skins, on slices of fried apple, or on pumpernickel. Before serving, you can refresh the top with a spoonful of sour cream and sprinkle with pepper or dill.
Photos
