Pickled Fresh Herring Food

SCOTTISH OAT-CRUSTED FRIED HERRING

Steps:

• Wash the herring fillets and salt them well. Mix the mustard and cream in bowl and submerge the herring in the mixture. Let this stand for at least 10 minutes, and as long as an hour.
• Put the oats in a food processor or blender and buzz until mostly broken up. You want some of the oats to be flour, and some to be still recognizable as oats. Put the oats in a large bowl.
• Heat the oil or butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Set out some paper towels nearby to allow the finished fish to drain. Dredge the herring in the oat mixture and fry until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on the paper towels.
• Serve with beer and mashed potatoes, champ, colcannon or just simple boiled potatoes.

PICKLED HERRING

Steps:

• Soak the herring in the milk for at least 12 hours or up to 24 to draw out a lot of the excess salt. Drain the herring, rinse, and pat dry. Cut off the fins and fillet the herring, leaving the skin on. Cut the fillets crosswise into 2-inch strips.
• In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vinegar, allspice, mustard seeds, caraway seeds, and peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and cool the pickling mixture completely.
• Arrange the herring fillets, onion, carrots, dill, bay leaves, and horseradish in a glass dish or funky Mason jar. Pour the cooled pickling mixture into the jar so that all the ingredients are completely covered with the liquid. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days before serving.

PICKLED HERRING

Steps:

• Soak the fillets in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
• Change water twice.
• To make the pickling solution, combine water, vinegar, seasonings and sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
• Stir to dissolve sugar; let cool.
• Rinse the fillets with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Cut fish in 1-inch pieces removing bones.
• Peel and slice onion.
• Separate slices into rings.
• Arrange herring and onion rings in alternate layers in sterilized jars.
• Cover with pickling solution and cap.
• Refrigerate at least 3 days before serving.
• The herring will keep up to 3 weeks refrigerated.

PICKLED HERRING

Steps:

• Put some salt in bottom of small bowl. Place fish skin down. Continue layering fish and salt finishing with a layer of salt. Put weight (dish or plate) on top and refrigerate for 4 to 5 days. Wash herring well and skin. Soak in cold water 1 hour, changing 3 to 4 times. Cut in 1-inch pieces. Drain and pat dry. Boil 3 tablespoons water with 1 teaspoon allspice. Add sugar, vinegar, bay leaves and pepper. Mix until sugar is dissolved. In a one quart jar put 2 cups pickling solution, some onions and herring pieces, laying them and topping with onions. Fill to top with solution. Keep in tightly closed jar in refrigerator 2 to 3 days until ready to serve.

PICKLED FRESH HERRING

Steps:

• Prepare brine by boiling together the vinegar, water, and sugar. Stir and cool. Clean, skin, bone and cut herring into slices. Place one layer sliced herring in wide mouth gallon jar. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoons pickling spices, 1 teaspoons peppercorns, and onion slices over herring. Repeat layers of herring, onion slices, and spices, using all the herring. Cover with cooled brine. Refrigerate 3 days before using.

PICKLING YOUR OWN HERRING

Steps:

• 1. Remove the heads from the herring and scale the fish. Wash well, open them, and remove the milt (roe of male fish). Clean the fish well, drain. Lay the herring and milt in water to cover in the refrigerator overnight.
• 2. The next day rub the milt glands through a sieve or mash them well, and mix with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and a few tablespoons of the vinegar.
• 3. Place in a 1 1/2-quart jar in layers the herring, onion, lemon slices, cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
• 4. Add the milt gland mixture, the remaining vinegar, and as much of the remaining sugar as your taste dictates.
• 5. Cover the jar and keep in the refrigerator for at least 4 days.