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Matjessill
Matjes herring with potatoes
Swedish Midsummer matjes herring with sour cream, chives and new potatoes
No Swedish Midsummer table is complete without sill, and matjessill, the mild, sweet-cured herring, is the favourite: it is laid out on the long table in the garden with gräddfil (sour cream), chopped chives, red onion and a bowl of steaming new potatoes boiled with crown dill. Everyone eats it with crispbread and a little cheese before the strawberries. The herring is bought ready cured in jars or tins, so the only cooking is the potatoes. Cured herring is not cooked, so it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; buy it from a chilled, sealed pack, keep it in the fridge and serve it within its use-by date. For a safer, cooked option, serve the same plate with hot-smoked or pan-fried fresh herring, cooked until opaque and flaking. Chef's tip: drain the herring well and pat it dry so its brine does not water down the sour cream.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb small new potatoesscrubbed
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 ½ oz matjes herring filletsdrained
- 1 bunch chivesfinely chopped
- 1 small red onionvery finely chopped
- 1 oz butter
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put the 1 ¾ lb small new potatoes in a pan of cold water with the 1 tsp salt and half the 0.5 bunch dill sprigs, with flower heads if you can find them, bring to the boil and simmer for 15–20 minutes until a knife slides in easily. A common mistake is boiling them hard, which splits the thin skins.
20 minStep 2: Meanwhile cut the drained 10 ½ oz matjes herring fillets into 2–3 cm pieces and arrange them on a cold plate.
5 minStep 3: Put the ¾ cup sour cream (gräddfil or soured cream) in a bowl and scatter with the 1 bunch chives; put the 1 small red onion in a small bowl next to it.
3 minStep 4: Drain the potatoes, toss them with the 1 oz butter and the rest of the 0.5 bunch dill sprigs, with flower heads if you can find them, chopped, and serve them hot with the cold herring, sour cream, onion. Put leftover herring back in the fridge straight away.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does matjessill take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 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 small new potatoes?
- Any waxy potato, cut to the same size.
- What can I use instead of sour cream (gräddfil or soured cream)?
- Greek yoghurt, same amount.
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