Matjes Hausfrauenart
Herring in apple cream sauce
Matjes nach Hausfrauenart: young herring in apple, onion and sour-cream sauce with potatoes
Matjes nach Hausfrauenart, 'housewife's matjes', is the early-summer plate of northern Germany, eaten when the new season's young herring arrives in June, from Glückstadt on the Elbe to the cafés of Emden. Mild, buttery matjes fillets are covered in a cool sauce of sour cream and yoghurt with crisp apple, onion and gherkin, and served with hot boiled new potatoes in their skins and sometimes green beans. Matjes is cured raw herring, so buy commercially prepared, previously frozen fillets from the chilled counter and keep them cold; it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Chef's tip: make the sauce first and let it chill for 20 minutes so the apple and onion flavour it before the fish goes in.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 7 oz sour cream
- 5 ½ oz plain yoghurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 tart applecored and cut into thin slices
- 1 red onionthinly sliced
- 3 pickled gherkinsdiced
- 2 tbsp gherkin pickling liquid
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the plate
- 1 ¾ lb small new potatoesscrubbed
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp dill or chiveschopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Stir the 7 oz sour cream, 5 ½ oz plain yoghurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 pinch sugar, 2 tbsp gherkin pickling liquid and ¼ tsp black pepper together until smooth. Fold in the 1 tart apple, 1 red onion and 3 pickled gherkins, cover and chill for 20 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Boil the 1 ¾ lb small new potatoes in water with the 1 tsp salt for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain and keep them hot.
18 minStep 3: Taste a corner of a 8 matjes herring fillets, chilled fillet. If it is very salty, soak the fillets in cold water in the fridge for 20 minutes, then pat dry. Common mistake: soaking at room temperature; keep cured fish chilled the whole time.
2 minStep 4: Lay two fillets on each plate, spoon the cold sauce over them and scatter with 2 tbsp dill or chives. Serve straight away with the hot potatoes; the contrast of cold fish and hot potato is the point.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does matjes Hausfrauenart take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- What can I use instead of sour cream?
- Greek yoghurt, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain yoghurt?
- Greek yoghurt loosened with a little milk.
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