Pickled herring (inlagd sill)

Dear Readers! 

Maybe you are tired of reading my repeated tributes to fish in general and herring in particular. But when it comes to Swedish food, herring is an important ingredient.

One of our specialties is pickled herring.

Mostly, we buy it ready in small glass jars as in the picture. It can be flavored with various spices and herbs, such as onion, pepper, dill and black currant. 

Sometimes pickled herring lies in spicy mayonnaise - preferably seasoned with mustard and fish eggs. I prefer the herring pickled in clear liquor, onion, pepper and maybe some additional spice.

If you want to put your personal touch on the pickled herring, you have to do it yourself.

The easiest way is to buy a can of salted herring fillets. These are hosed down with cold water and cut into thick slices.

Then make liquor. There are lots of recipes. The basic recipe consists of cold liquor with

• 2 cups of sugar
• 1.5 deciliter water
• 0.5 dl of vinegar (12%).

Stir until sugar dissolves. Cut a red onion into thin slices and crush 10 allspice.

Herring fillets are interspersed with onion rings and pepper e.g., in a glass jar. The liquor is poured over the herring. The dish should rest in refrigerator for two days before serving.

Delicious!

This dish is mandatory on the Christmas table, but equally welcome at any time.