Renga (smoked herring with lemon and tahini)
Renga: smoked herring dressed with lemon, onion and tahini, the essential Sham el-Nessim spring picnic dish
On Sham el-Nessim, the spring festival Egyptians of every faith celebrate on the Monday after Coptic Easter, families head to parks and the Nile banks with coloured eggs, spring onions, lettuce and fish, and renga is on almost every picnic cloth. Golden smoked herring is skinned, boned and flaked, then dressed with plenty of lemon, raw onion, chilli and a garlicky tahini sauce, so the salty, smoky fish is cut by sharp citrus and creamy sesame. It is scooped up with baladi bread and crunchy greens. Shop-bought renga is cold-smoked and eaten without cooking, so it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system unless you heat it first (see the last step). Buy it sealed from a reputable shop, within its date. Chef's tip: soak the fillets in cold water for 10 minutes to tame the salt before dressing them.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 smoked herringwhole renga, about 500 g together, from a reputable shop
- 2 lemonsjuiced
- 1 red onionthinly sliced
- 2 green chilliessliced
- 1 tomato (optional)diced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the tahini
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 1 garlic clovecrushed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp cold water
- 1 pinch salt
To serve
- 1 bunch spring onions (optional)
- 1 cos lettuce (optional)leaves separated
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Cut the head off each 2 smoked herring, slit the belly and peel off the skin. Lift the fillets off the backbone and pull out as many fine bones as you can; keep the roe if there is any. Wash your hands and board well afterwards.
Step 2: Soak the fillets in cold water for 10 minutes to draw out some salt, then drain, pat dry and break into large flakes. Taste a flake: the most common mistake is serving it too salty, so soak a few minutes longer if needed.
10 minStep 3: Toss the fish with 2 lemons, 1 red onion, 2 green chillies, 1 tomato, ½ tsp ground cumin and 2 tbsp olive oil in a shallow dish.
Step 4: Whisk 4 tbsp tahini with 1 garlic clove, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 4 tbsp cold water and 1 pinch salt until smooth and pourable. If it seizes and thickens at first, keep whisking and add a little more water.
Step 5: Spoon the tahini over the fish and serve at once with 1 bunch spring onions, 1 cos lettuce and bread. Keep the herring in the fridge until you dress it and eat it the same day.
Step 6: For vulnerable guests, wrap the fillets in foil and heat in a 400°F oven for 10–12 minutes until steaming hot all the way through (167°F), then let them cool a little before dressing.
12 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does renga (smoked herring with lemon and tahini) take?
- About 25 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lemons?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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