Regardless if it’s Christmas, Easter or a simple family reunion, marinated herring can pretty much always be found on a Polish table. In my family, we prepare it in a number of ways, but my favourite has always been the vinegar pickled version. Below, I present the recipe that I use.
Recipe
- 400 g (1 lb.) brined herring fillets, soaked in water for 24 hours
- 3 medium sized onions
- 10-15 allspice seeds
- 5 bay leaves
- 35 g (1 oz.) sugar
- 700 ml (3 US cups) white vinegar solution at 1.25% concentration
Pour water and vinegar for the pickling solution (the way to calculate the ratios can be found here) into a pot. Add sugar, bay leaves and allspice. Heat until the solution boils, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Gently simmer for a few minutes, then cool down to room temperature.
Peel and slice the onions. Cut the fillets into 4 bite sized pieces. Place in a jar in alternating layers. Pour the cooled down brine over the ingredients. Use a strainer to keep allspice and bay leaves from getting into the jar. Let the jar sit for 24 hours. The herring is ready and should be consumed within 24-48 hours.
Additional Information
The solution is heated up and simmered because this way it’s possible to extract aromas from the bay leaves and allspice. It needs to be cooled down because hot solution will soften the herring, making it fall apart when fished out of the jar.
The concentration of the solution is usually around 1.67%. I prefer a lower concentration, 1.25%, because it tastes milder.
The onions can be boiled in the pickling solution too, but this softens it. Other ingredients are possible too. Carrot is a frequent one, other herbs and spices are also a possibility.
The jar can be kept in the fridge to slow down the dissolution of the fish in acid. It’s worth considering this when the herring isn’t going to be consumed immediately.
Video Transcription
Vinegar pickled herring fillets are a popular dish in Poland. While disliked by many, it can be found on pretty much every table during family reunions and festive dinners. While they’re often accompanied by a shot of vodka, they are also a great supper or breakfast material. A full written recipe with exact ingredient amounts and more information can be found on the blog.
In order to pickle the herring fillets, I need several ingredients. Sugar, allspice and bay leaves will flavour the vinegar brine. My father also adds salt, and other ingredients are possible too: black peppercorns, mustard seeds, dill, carrot and so on. The herring fillets are an obvious ingredient. I will also need onions. The brine itself will require water and white distilled vinegar.
The herring fillets have been brined in salt in order to extract moisture. They’re available in every grocery store in Poland. I have soaked them in plain water, changing it every few hours, for a day to remove the excess of salt as well as some of the fish aroma.
I start by preparing the brine. I need to boil it, but I also have to give it time to cool down before pouring it over the fish. I start by pouring water into a pot. Vinegar goes in next. Then sugar, allspice and bay leaves. I turn the heat on and start stirring so that the sugar dissolves before it burns. When the brine reaches the boiling point, I cover the pot and let the liquid simmer gently for a few minutes.
The brine is ready. I can now turn the heat off. I’ll set the pot aside and wait until the brine cools down to room temperature. In the meantime, I’ll prepare the remaining ingredients.
First, I peel and slice the onions. There’s no correct or incorrect way to do this, but I prefer round slices or onion rings. They’re easy to pick up with a fork.
Once the onions are done, I proceed to cut the herring fillets. A single fillet tends to be large enough for four bites, so that’s the number of pieces I cut it into.
I then grab a jar. It has been sterilised via boiling, and so has its lid and gasket. A few slices of onion go on the bottom. Then, I place a few herring pieces on top. Onions again, and I keep alternating the layers until I run out of ingredients.
I like to place a fermentation weight on top to keep everything submerged. It’s not really necessary though.
When the brine is at room temperature, I can finally pour it over the fish and onions. I use a small sieve to stop the allspice and bay leaves from getting into the jar. I pour the brine so that it covers all of the ingredients. I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to use a cooled down brine. If it’s hot, the herring will disintegrate. No one likes mushy herring.
Finally, I close the jar. It will remain on the counter for 24 hours, though many people prefer to place it in the fridge.
Here I am 24 hours later. I’ve prepared some sourdough bread to go with the herring. I start by getting some pickled onions into my bowl. Then, a few pieces of herring. The aroma is pleasant, mostly from the brine. Quite mouth watering. I place a piece on the bread and check its firmness. I’ve seen firmer, but this is perfectly fine. The taste is really great. Not too vinegary due to a lower than usual acidity of the brine, a little sweet, with the herring subtly coming through. There are no detectable pin bones as they’ve become completely soft due to the acid in the brine removing calcium from them. The pickled onions add a nice crunch, which provides a very pleasant texture contrast. It’s really good!
The herring is only good to eat for a day or two, maybe a few days more if refrigerated. Afterwards, the vinegar will likely have made the fish too soft to eat.