Make Ahead

Herring with Sweet Carrots

by:
February 25, 2011
4
4 Ratings
Herring with Sweet Carrots
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

It's a traditional Lithuanian dish that is usually prepared for Christmas Eve, when no meat or dairy dishes are allowed. It is important to use the best herring you could find; you might want to visit a Eastern European or Russian food store, if you have one in your area, as they usually have an abundance of good quality herring available. —Ausra

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 6 large carrots
  • 1 sweet onion
  • 4 herring filets
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • freshly ground pepper
Directions
  1. Peel and shred the carrots using large holes of box shredder or a food processor.
  2. Slice the onion in 3 mm-thick half-circle slices (or you can chop it, if you wish)
  3. In saute pan heat the oil on medium high heat. Add carrots, onion, sugar and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are soft and the onion is translucent, about 7-10 minutes.
  4. Add ketchup to the pan, stir well to incorporate. Add cinnamon. Season with more salt and pepper. Off the heat - let it cool completely.
  5. Remove the skin and thin bones from herring filets. Slice filets into 5 mm-wide slices and lay them snugly in a single layer on a large serving plate.
  6. Top the layer of herring slices with cool carrot-onion mixture.
  7. Best served with steamed buttered potatoes, potato latkes or with thick slice of hearty rye bread. Enjoy!
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6 Reviews

Liam
Liam December 21, 2017
Ausra you just saved my bacon !! My mum is 87 and I have I have to make some of the food for Kūčios - she does not have this recipe written down. Thank you so much .
 
VanessaS
VanessaS February 26, 2011
This looks so interesting - we always have herring on Christmas Eve too and this seems like a great way to make it a little more exciting!
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen February 25, 2011
Lovely. This looks a little similar to the herring under a fur coat from Belarus with beets.
 
Ausra
Ausra February 25, 2011
Dear Greenstuff, I usually use brined herring (the one that comes out of the big wooden barrels), but you can successfully use pickled herring that is usually sold in jars, with white wine sauce, or with mustard seeds, or any other variety that you might like;
and about the use of ketchup in Lithuanian cooking - it is used EVERYWHERE, even on PIZZA!!!
 
Greenstuff
Greenstuff February 25, 2011
Thanks! I love herring. Ketchup, not so much, personally, but I had a feeling you might tell me it was a Baltic favorite!
 
Greenstuff
Greenstuff February 25, 2011
This recipe looks really interesting--I have a couple questions that I thought I'd post here rather than on Foodpickle. Is it with salt (brined) herring? Not pickled, canned, or fresh? And is ketchup used frequently in Lithuanian food? Thanks!