Perhaps there is no fish in Russian cuisine more common and popular than herring. Well, what a festive feast will do without a fragrant cut seasoned with fragrant oil and sprinkled with a beam? It is not for nothing that the epithet “sincere” is so often used for this snack. Yes, and on weekdays it is good, because you cannot call herring expensive fish, even in difficult crisis times. But that does not make her less festive! Many families in general are full of confidence that the New Year will not fall at all without the traditional “fur coat”. And what is the main thing in this “fur coat”? Of course, herring fish!
Such an reverent attitude to this fish is experienced not only by admirers of Russian culinary traditions. Norwegians and Finns, Swedes and Germans love herring no less, and in the kitchens of other nations there are many wonderful dishes with this fish.
Experienced housewives claim that it is difficult to spoil this fish, but still it is possible. Therefore, we turn to the general principles and rules for the preparation of a wide variety of herring dishes.
Area of distribution and industrial value
Many people know that herring is a sea fish. It is a lot of in the Black, Caspian, Baltic and many other seas. It tolerates well and low temperatures. Herring is caught even on the Greenland coast.
Some types of herring feel great in fresh waters. Rich in this valuable commercial fish, for example, the Danube and the Don.
For many countries with access to the sea, industrial fishing for herring is a priority for the economy. In the natural habitats of this fish, Russian and Norwegian trawl vessels are most often found.
Features of the family and species
The herring family is quite extensive. All its members have a similar body structure - elongated and flattened from the sides. The herring apparatus has an enlarged lower jaw. The fins are usually colored darker than the silver body. A typical representative of the family is the familiar herring.
Species of fish belonging to this family are estimated at 188. In addition, there are also subspecies. Among the subspecies of herring available on our shelves, the following are most common:
- Atlantic and Pacific herring;
- herring;
- the Danube
- Baltic herring.
The first two subspecies are so similar that not every experienced fisherman distinguishes them from each other. The Pacific usually is not much larger. Baltic herring is smaller, lighter, there are very few bones in it. The Danube is even smaller, in a kilogram there are 5-7 fish, but it is fatter and more rich. There is also Don, but it is mainly sold and eaten immediately near the places of catch, like the Black Sea. Sea rocks are always smaller than oceanic.
Cooking use
Herring fish is used to make cold appetizers, salads, pastes. Fillers are also prepared from it for flounces, pancakes, profiteroles. Sliced herring, sliced, it is acceptable to serve as an independent snack for strong alcohol, although fish is usually served with white wines.
This fish is suitable for cooking various snacks of Asian cuisine, for example, “He” salad. The caviar and milk of this fish are no less valuable . The average calorie content of herring is 217 kcal per 100 g.
Herring is one of the few fish that, at a relatively low cost, holds positions in the gourmet menu. The ability to cook delicious herring is considered important and indicative for a cook of any level.
Salting Rules
Perhaps this is the most common recipe. Salted herring fish is an ideal addition to potato side dishes. You can salt whole fish, or cut into fillets or simply cut into convenient pieces along with the spine and ribs. The only condition is the removal of gill arches. They can make the brine bitter.
For salting a kilogram of herring you need 2.5 tbsp. l salt. It is not recommended to use the salt of grinding "extra", neither for herring, nor for other fish. But a large marine fits perfectly. You can use both brine and dry ambassador.
If you like spices, add 5 peppercorns, a couple of medium bay leaves, 3 cloves to the brine.
Rinse herring, put in a bowl, sprinkle with salt on all sides. Leave for a day if you want to get slightly salted. If you plan to use brine, add 600 ml of water and another half tablespoon of salt. Some recommend adding 1 tsp. sugar, but this is optional. Sugar will make the meat softer, but you should not be afraid of a sweet taste, it will not be.
Pickling herring
For the following recipe, many varieties of fish are suitable: herring, saury, mackerel, herring. Boil a liter of water, add 2 tbsp. l vinegar, a pinch of cardamom, 0.5 tsp. black pepper, 4 cloves, 3 bay leaves, 2 tsp. sugar and 1 tbsp. l salt. When the marinade has cooled, fill the fish, cover and let stand for 8-12 hours.
Myths and reality about fried herring
Fish herring is served in a heat-treated form much less often. And about fried herring jokes go. In fact, you can fry this fish, but only fresh, not salted. It is worth noting that such a product does not have special taste qualities. Another thing is herring cooked at the stake. This is a great alternative to the more expensive mackerel. Gut the fish, sprinkle with a mixture of salt and pepper outside and inside the cavity, sprinkle with lemon juice and leave for a couple of hours. Cook herring on the grill or on the grill, preventing flames from flaming up. The absence of red flowing juice and a golden hue of the skin are true signals of readiness.
Braised Herring
Herring fish is also good in braised form. And aromatic gravy will be a great addition to mashed potatoes, crumbly rice, buckwheat porridge or pasta.
Cut the herring into pieces 2 cm thick, put in a cauldron mixed with onions. Pour a mixture of refined sunflower oil and strong tea. Add spices, salt. Simmer for about 40 minutes. You can send the cauldron into the oven - the cooking time will be half an hour. If you use herring, you can cook it entirely with this recipe.
The proportions of the products are as follows:
- 0.5 kg of fish;
- 2 onions;
- 0.3 tbsp. oils;
- 1 tbsp. strong black tea (possible with bergamot or prunes);
- salt - 0.5 tsp;
- pepper - to taste;
- a handful of onion peel, turmeric - optional, to give a shade.
Dried herring
Salted herring, of course, is a delicious and versatile dish, but sometimes you can get tired even of your favorite treats. If you know how to salt herring, it will not be difficult to cook this fish in a dried form. You can use the very recipe that you use for salting. After a day, remove the fish, rinse with water, get wet. Stitch the carcass or just make a puncture through the eye to make a loop. Hang on the hood, above the included stove. The fire should be medium. Turn on the hood and leave the fish for an hour. After a while, repeat the procedure until the fish becomes what you want. Remember that herring is an oily fish, it is advisable to hang it not above the ring, but between them, setting a container for draining liquid under the fish.
You can dry it harder and get a great snack for a beer. Or you can just slightly wither, giving the meat an unusual elastic consistency. Residents of private houses with the opportunity to dry herring in the smoke of a bonfire will receive an unusually tasty product with a much more pronounced aroma.
Smoking at home
Perhaps the next recipe will be a real discovery for you? Home-made herring fish is in no way inferior to smokehouse delicacies purchased. Do not worry, you do not have to harvest firewood and fool your head with a pipe that removes smoke. All you need is probably at your fingertips.
Rinse and dry the two herring, cut the fillet along the ridges. Salt, pepper and set aside for the time being.
Spread a piece of foil about 30x30 cm in size in front of you and sprinkle in the center a teaspoon of dry tea leaves: green, black or even black with a fruit and flower supplement. Wrap it in an envelope, prick it with a needle on one side and lay it on the bottom of a large dry pan. Cover and start warming. When fragrant steam appears, place a plate on which the herring fillets lie directly on the envelope with tea. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Herring milk and caviar
These products are used as widely as pulp. Milk and caviar can be fried, smoked, dried, but many believe that there is nothing tastier than salt, chop finely and put on a sandwich with butter. If you pickle or salt herring, you can send caviar and milk to the same pickle (marinade) as carcasses.
How to serve herring?
Which fish is best suited to potatoes in rustic uniforms or young potatoes with greens or sour cream? Side dishes from this vegetable lead in this matter.
A combination of salted or pickled herring with butter and brown bread is popular. This fish is in perfect harmony with mustard and young onions. Homemade pickles, sauerkraut and cask mushrooms are also invariable allies of herring.