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Donegal herring in oatmeal
Butterflied herring fried in a crisp pinhead-oat coat
Herring was the silver fortune of Killybegs and the Donegal coast, when the boats came in loaded through the autumn, and the cheapest supper in every fishing village was fresh herring rolled in oatmeal and fried. The oats make a nutty, crunchy crust around the rich, soft fish. Serve with boiled potatoes and a wedge of lemon or a spoonful of mustard. Chef's tip: press the oats on firmly and let the fish sit for 5 minutes before frying, so the coating sticks.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 fillets fresh herring, butterflied and boned
- 3 ½ oz pinhead or medium oatmeal
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp English mustardopt
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 lemoncut in wedges
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Check the 8 fillets fresh herring, butterflied and boned smell fresh and the eyes and skin are bright; rinse and pat completely dry.
3 minStep 2: Mix the 3 ½ oz pinhead or medium oatmeal with the ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper on a plate. Brush the flesh side of each fillet thinly with 1 tsp English mustard if you like.
2 minStep 3: Press both sides of each fillet firmly into the oats until well coated and leave on a plate for 5 minutes.
7 minStep 4: Heat the 3 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the fillets flesh-side down first for 3 minutes, until golden, then turn and fry 2–3 minutes more.
6 minStep 5: The herring is done when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily at the thickest part. A common mistake is a too-hot pan, which burns the oats before the fish cooks. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the 1 lemon.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does donegal herring in oatmeal take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
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