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Prep time
30 minutes
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Cook time
24 hours
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Serves
8 to 10
Author Notes
The versions of pickled herring in sour cream sauce that you find in supermarkets and delis are sloppy excuses for a dish which, as you will see, can be subtle, elegant, and just plain addictive. In this recipe, given to me by my grandmother Mildred Simon, the saltiness of the herring is held in check by a delicious sweet-and-sour combination of apple, onion, and lemon.
For me, Grandma Simon’s pickled herring was as essential to the annual Thanksgiving feast as the turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Well into her 90s, Grandma, who lived in Florida at the time, made the trip up to my parents’ home in New Jersey each year with a large jar of her prized herring. Since the herring is best when made a day or two ahead, she prepared it in her own kitchen, wrapped it tightly with a frozen Cornish game hen to keep it cold in transit (!), and packed it in her suitcase for the journey north. This is one of three recipes that I contributed to Molly O’Neill’s New York Cookbook. —Margot Mustich
Ingredients
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1
12-ounce jar herring fillets in wine sauce
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1
medium Bermuda onion, thinly sliced
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1
large McIntosh apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
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1 cup
sour cream
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½ teaspoons
granulated sugar
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1
splash distilled white vinegar
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½
lemon, thinly sliced
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lemon juice to taste (optional)
Directions
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Remove herring from the jar. Strain and reserve the juice. Scrape any black skin and membranes off the herring pieces with a knife.
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In a medium-size bowl mix the herring, onion, apple, sour cream, sugar, and vinegar.
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Cut the lemon slices into quarters and add to the herring mixture. Add reserved herring juice and stir to coat all ingredients evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
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Before serving taste for seasoning and add more vinegar, sugar, or fresh lemon juice to taste.
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Garnish with fresh dill or a sprig of parsley and serve cold with a good dark pumpernickel or rye bread cut into small squares.
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Note: Don’t despair when the last piece of herring is snapped up. In my family, we continue to dip into the bowl. The apples and onions in the intensely flavored sauce are delicious on bread or right from a spoon!
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