Rollmops
Rollmops: north German pickled herring rolls with gherkin and onion, made the safe way at home
Rollmops are the pickled herring rolls of the North Sea and Baltic coasts, pinned with a wooden pick around gherkin and onion and kept in a jar of spiced vinegar; in Berlin and Hamburg they are the classic morning-after breakfast and a fixture of New Year's Day tables. Making them at home takes a week of fridge time but very little work. Because the fish is never cooked, use herring that has been frozen at −20 °C for at least 24 hours (most fresh 'sashimi-grade' or commercially frozen fillets qualify; ask your fishmonger), and keep everything chilled. Rollmops are not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Chef's tip: let the jars rest a full five days; the vinegar needs that long to firm the flesh and soften the tiny bones.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the salt cure
For the pickle
For the rolls
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Stir the 2 ⅛ oz fine sea salt into the 4 ¼ cups cold water until dissolved. Lay the 12 herring fillets, previously frozen, skin on in a dish, pour over the brine, cover and leave in the fridge for 24 hours. This firms the fish and draws out moisture.
10 minStep 2: Bring the 1 ¾ cups white spirit vinegar (5%), 1 ¾ cups water, 2 ⅛ oz sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds, 6 allspice berries, 3 bay leaves and 1 tsp black peppercorns to the boil, simmer 2 minutes, then cool completely and chill. Common mistake: pouring warm pickle over the fish, which turns it mushy and unsafe.
10 minStep 3: Rinse the fillets, pat dry and lay them skin down. Spread each thinly with 3 tbsp medium mustard, put a piece of 4 pickled gherkins and a few 1 onion rings at the wide end and roll up tightly towards the tail. Pin with a wooden cocktail stick.
25 minStep 4: Pack the rolls into clean jars, tuck the rest of the onion between them and pour over the cold pickle so they are fully covered. Close and keep in the fridge for 5 days before eating.
10 minStep 5: Serve cold, straight from the fridge, with rye bread or boiled potatoes. Keep the jars in the fridge and eat within 2 weeks; throw them away if the brine turns cloudy or smells off.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rollmops take?
- About 60 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white spirit vinegar (5%)?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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