AI-generated
Kashubian-Style Herring with Onion in Tomato Sauce
Log in or create a free account to save recipes.
Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/snacks/kashubian-style-herring-with-onion-in-tomato-sauce
About this recipe
Kashubian-style herring pairs tender pieces of salted fish with soft onion in a sweet-and-sour tomato sauce. Choose ready-to-eat salted fillets without skin or bones; their saltiness determines whether they need soaking. Gently cook the onion until soft without much browning, and cool the sauce completely before combining it with the fish. The layers of herring and onion need at least 12 hours in the refrigerator, so prepare this appetizer the day before serving. The stated time includes making the sauce, chilling it and letting the herring's flavors develop; allow extra time for desalting the fillets if needed.
Ingredients
Herring and onion-tomato sauce
400 g salted herring fillets packed in brine, ready to eat, without skin or bones; drained weight before any optional soaking
300 g onion, weighed after peeling
60 ml rapeseed oil
60 g tomato paste
100 ml water for the sauce
20 ml white wine vinegar (6% acidity)
10 g sugar
1 dried bay leaf; remove after cooking the sauce
3 whole allspice berries; remove after cooking the sauce
0.5 g ground black pepper
2 l cold water for soaking the herring if needed, divided into two portions; discard the soaking water
Steps
Drain the ready-to-eat fillets from their brine and taste a small piece. If they are pleasantly salty, there is no need to soak them. Cover saltier fillets with half the cold soaking water and refrigerate for about 1–2 hours, replacing the water with the remaining half about halfway through. If they are still too salty, soak longer according to the manufacturer's recommendations; after soaking, discard the water and drain the fish thoroughly.
Keep the herring in the refrigerator while preparing and cooling the sauce. Halve the onion and cut into thin slices about 3 mm thick.
Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent. Reduce the heat if it starts browning heavily; it should stay soft and pale.
AI-generated Add the tomato paste to the onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in the 100 ml water for the sauce and the vinegar, then add the sugar, pepper, bay leaf and allspice. Cook over low heat without a lid for about 8–10 minutes, stirring, until a thick sauce coats the onion. The sauce should stay moist and easy to spread, without a pool of loose water.
AI-generated Remove the bay leaf and allspice berries. Transfer the sauce to a wide, shallow dish and spread it in a thin layer. Leave for about 20 minutes until it stops steaming heavily, then refrigerate for about 40 minutes until cold all the way through; chill longer if needed. Do not combine warm sauce with the herring.
Gently pat the well-drained herring dry with paper towels. Cut crosswise into pieces about 2–3 cm wide. Do this just before layering, once the sauce is completely chilled.
Spread a little cold sauce over the bottom of a clean container with a lid. Alternate layers of herring pieces and onion with sauce, finishing with a layer of sauce. Arrange the ingredients gently so the fish pieces keep their shape.
AI-generated Close the container and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. During this time, the flavors of the sauce and fish will blend. Keep the herring in the refrigerator throughout this resting period.
Divide the herring, onion and sauce into four appetizer portions. Serve straight from the refrigerator, gently scooping up the layers so the fish does not fall apart.
Estimated nutrition
Rate this recipe
0 ratings
Comments