Jane Grigson's Fish Book - Jane Grigson [99]
Carême remarks that this dish was always a great success in Lent. People grew very tired of eating fish and were glad to have something particularly good to tempt their bored appetites.
HARENGS SAURS À L’IRLANDAISE A recipe from an American friend which is unusual and magnificent. Soak the fish if necessary and fillet them, or use kippers. Spread them out in a large dish and cover with Irish whiskey. Set it alight. When the alcohol has burnt away the fish are ready to eat.
HERRING WITH CREAM Here are several Scandinavian versions using cream as a modifier, see below. They are best made in a small quantity and served as a first course, provided the rest of the meal isn’t too heavy. Cook them in small individual ramekins or 8- to io-cm (3- to 4-inch) soufflé dishes.
Butter the dishes well. Put in a layer of pieces of buckling or kipper fillet, or very well soaked harengs saurs, or bloaters.
Cover with a layer of chopped leek and about 60 ml (2 fl oz) cream. Dot with butter. Bake in hot oven (gas 7, 220 °C/425 °F) for 15–20 minutes.
Or sprinkle with a teaspoon of dill weed, and then pour in the cream. Dot with butter. Bake in the same way. This is the version I like best: it really is delicious.
Or cover with a nice layer of potato cut into small matchstick strips. Pour over the cream. Dot with butter. Bake in a hot oven (gas 7, 220 °C/425 °F) for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and slightly browned.
Serve with rye bread and butter, or toast.
HERRING WITH POTATOES AND EGGS In hot dishes as in cold, potatoes and eggs are the most popular modifiers of salted herring. So it is not surprising that variations of the same recipe are found all over northern Europe. In Scotland, soaked salt herring were laid on top of potatoes, which were then boiled in the usual way and eaten with butter. Scandinavia has a more refined version – potatoes are set to boil, the fish is put on to a buttered plate, which fits nicely on top, covered with foil and left to steam. The dish is finally garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg and dill, chives or parsley.
SMOKED HERRING AND EGG SAUCE Follow the recipe for smoked Finnan haddock and egg sauce on p. 155. Ten minutes’ cooking time should be enough for the fish.
BISMARCK AND ROLLMOP HERRINGS
Like the Ceviche on p. 348, Bismarck and rollmop herrings are not cooked by heat, but by an acid liquid – this time vinegar which is better suited than citrus juice to an oily fish like herring.
Bismarck herrings are boned fillets, soaked in spiced vinegar, seasoned with slices of onion, cayenne pepper and salt. Rollmops are the whole boned herring, curled up round pieces of onion, pickled cucumber and peppercorns: they are packed into jars and covered with spiced vinegar, bay leaves and mustard seeds, more onion and cucumber being added to improve the flavour.
Here are two recipes for home-made rollmops – one using fresh herrings, the other salt or matjes fillets.
(1) Serves 6
6 herrings
60 g (2 oz) salt
600 ml (1 pt) water
MARINADE
600 ml (1 pt) white wine or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling spices, including chilli
peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 large onion, sliced
2–3 sweet-sour pickled cucumbers or gherkins
onion slices and parsley for garnish
Cut the head and tail from the herrings, bone and clean them. Mix the salt with the water and leave the fish in this brine for 2–3 hours. Meanwhile make the marinade: bring the vinegar and pickling spices to the boil slowly, with peppercorns and bay leaves. Leave to cool. Drain