German cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Fried Marinated Herring

Herring fried in flour, placed still hot into a vinegar brine with onion rings and eaten cold.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 8 herring (dressed)
• 3 onions
• 100 g flour
• 80 g clarified butter
• 300 ml vinegar
• 300 ml water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Rinse the herring in cold water, pat very thoroughly dry, season inside and out with salt and pepper and let sit for 10 min.; cut the onions into fine rings.
2. For the brine, bring vinegar, water, sugar, bay leaves, mustard seeds and peppercorns to a boil with a third of the onion rings, simmer uncovered for 5 min. and remove from the heat.
3. Dredge the herring in flour, shake off any excess, and fry in the hot clarified butter for 4–5 min. per side until the skin is golden and crisp.
4. Layer the fish still hot into a tall bowl or earthenware dish, alternating with the raw onion rings.
5. Pour the hot brine over so all the herring are covered, let cool completely and chill covered for at least 24 hours, preferably 2 days, to marinate.
6. Lift the fried marinated herring cold out of the brine and serve with the pickled onion rings, fried potatoes or dark rye bread.