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Śledź po kaszubsku
Śledź po kaszubsku: Kashubian salted herring layered with onions in sweet-sour tomato sauce
Kashubian fishing families along the Baltic coast and the lakes near Kartuzy always kept a crock of herring in the cellar, and this layered version, with a thick sweet-and-sour sauce of slow-fried onion and tomato, is now a fixture of the Christmas Eve table across Pomerania. Mild salted fillets sit between spoonfuls of the soft, glossy sauce, and after a night in the fridge the two flavours merge into something savoury, tangy and gently spiced. Eat it cold with boiled potatoes or rye bread. Herring like this is cured but never cooked, so buy ready-salted or matjes fillets from a good fishmonger, keep them chilled, and note it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Pouring the sauce on while hot is a mistake: it partly cooks the fish and turns it grey and soft. Chef's tip: taste a corner of a fillet before soaking; mild matjes need only a short rinse, while barrel-salted herring needs hours.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the herring
- 2 cups cold water or milk for soaking (optional)only for very salty herring
For the sauce
- 5 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 3 onionsfinely sliced
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp spirit vinegar (10%)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
To serve
- 6 portions boiled potatoes (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Taste a small piece of the 1 ⅓ lb salted herring or matjes fillets, ready-cured (commercially prepared or previously frozen). If it is very salty, soak the fillets in the 2 cups cold water or milk for soaking or water in the fridge for 1–2 hours; mild matjes just need a quick rinse. Pat dry and cut into 3 cm pieces.
5 minStep 2: Heat the 5 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and fry the 3 onions for 12 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and pale gold but not brown.
12 minStep 3: Stir in the 4 tbsp tomato purée (double concentrate) and ½ tsp sweet paprika and fry for 1 minute, then add the ½ cup water, 1 tbsp spirit vinegar (10%), 1 tbsp sugar, 4 allspice berries and 2 bay leaves. Simmer for 3 minutes until thick and glossy; season with the ¼ tsp black pepper.
4 minStep 4: Take the pan off the heat and let the sauce cool completely to room temperature, about 20 minutes. It must be cold before it meets the fish.
20 minStep 5: In a clean glass or ceramic dish, spread a layer of sauce, then a layer of herring, and repeat, finishing with sauce.
4 minStep 6: Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, ideally overnight, so the flavours blend. Keep it chilled and eat within 4 days.
2 minStep 7: Serve cold, straight from the fridge, with 6 portions boiled potatoes (or rye bread, if gluten is not a concern).
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does śledź po kaszubsku take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomato purée (double concentrate)?
- Ketchup, same amount (sweeter).
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