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Together with vinegared herring, lightly cured herring plays a big role in Northern European, German and Slavic countries and is also often associated with the Jewish cuisine.\u00a0People who didn’t grow up in these cultures may be put off at first\u00a0by the cured herring’s strong smell and taste, but they usually end up in succumbing to its addictive, complex flavour and mellow, meaty texture. While the vinegared herring is usually served on its own, in different sauces, the lightly cured herring is also often found in salads and this is the way I prefer it.<\/p>\n
Herring has been preserved in brine since the Middle Ages, but the salt concentration was so high, the fish had to be desalted bo soaking before it was consumed. In the XIIIth century the Dutch have improved this process creating a light brining technique, which doesn’t require desalting. “Maatjesharing”, often called “maatjes” is an example of this curing technique and is now readily available in many European countries, usually sold covered in oil.<\/p>\n
I love cured herring, but usually crave it on cold days. However, watching the infinite variety of herring dishes on Three-Cookies blog<\/a>, I simply couldn’t resist the temptation to make a herring salad in spite of the hot weather. Thus, I have discovered that a herring and potato salad is a very refreshing dish, well adapted to sunny Summer weather. This salad is probably the oldest and the simplest one I have ever made. I have been preparing it since I was a teenager and whenever I want a simple herring dish, it is the first thing I think of. The reason is simple: potatoes, onions and mayonnaise are simply the winning company for cured herring. I usually have this salad as a main dish with bread (black bread is particularly advised here!), but it can be also a starter, in which case it serves 6. I often combine it with brine-pickled (fermented) cucumbers (see the TIP below).<\/p>\n If you want to see myriads of herring cold and hot dishes ideas, visit either Three-Cookies<\/a> (a great day-by-day read) or Easily Good Eats<\/a> (a collection of recipes), both blogs by the same author, a real herring connoisseur, who I hope, will decide one day to write a herring cookery book. (I am already queueing up for a signed copy!).<\/p>\n Just before the recipe details I would like to share with you this funny and scary fragment of a Japanese cartoon, featuring not the herring but a very courageous potato:
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