I think I may have mentioned just a time or two here that my favourite fish is herring; you don’t see them so often in their naked state but they once used t be a principal fish in people’s diets. I guess many people don’t like preparing them, or the smell, or maybe the taste is not what many people like any more. I like them just plainly fried, or pickled or smoked, or made into paté or in salads, anyway, hot or cold!
Yesterday I shared a recipe I’d come across from Groningen in the Netherlands – we have Dutch friends and love visiting and always have delicious food, cooked by our lovely hostess or when we go out and about. However, I have never had herring and beetroot salad, which I know I would enjoy because beetroot is also a favourite of mine! To make it even better it has dill and has orange juice in the dressing – beetroot and orange is a lovely combo, and also jenever (Dutch gin – the only gin I like) and is served on rye bread.
Herring and beetroot salad from Zuid-Holland
- 4 raw herrings, cleaned and filleted (save the roe to coat in seasoned flour, fry and have on toast!) cut into cubes
- 2 beetroot, peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp finely chopped dill
- 1 tbsp yoghurt
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp jenever (Dutch gin)
- juice and zest of 1 orange
- salt and pepper
- 4 slices of rye bread
- mix all the dressing ingredients, adding the dill last and season to taste
- add the cubed beetroot and herring – the fish will cure in the acidic dressing
- enjoy on the rye bread with an extra glass of jenever – and as my Dutch friends would say, proost!
Lois Elsden 