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Grilled kippers
Oak-smoked herring grilled with butter for breakfast
In the tiny harbour village of Craster on the Northumberland coast, herring have been split and oak-smoked in the same smokehouse for over a century, and kippers are the classic English breakfast fish in seaside hotels and on dining cars. A kipper is cold-smoked but not cooked, so it must be heated through; grilled with butter it turns rich, salty and smoky. Serve with brown bread and butter, a poached egg or a squeeze of lemon. Chef's tip: grill them skin-side up first so the skin crisps and the flesh stays juicy.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- ⅔ oz butter
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 4 slices brown bread and butterto serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat the grill to high and line the grill pan with foil.
3 minStep 2: Lay the 2 whole kippers skin-side up and grill for 2 minutes until the skin starts to bubble.
2 minStep 3: Turn them flesh-side up, dot with the ⅔ oz butter and grill 3–4 minutes more, until sizzling and the flesh flakes easily from the bones and is piping hot all through. A common mistake is overcooking, which makes them dry and very salty.
4 minStep 4: Grind over 1 pinch black pepper and serve with the buttery juices, 2 lemon wedges and 4 slices brown bread and butter. Watch for the fine bones as you eat.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does grilled kippers take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of brown bread and butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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