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Śledzie w śmietanie
Herring in soured cream
Śledzie w śmietanie: Polish Christmas Eve herring in soured cream with apple and onion
Herring is a must at the Polish Wigilia, the meatless Christmas Eve supper, and śledzie w śmietanie, salted herring fillets in soured cream with crisp apple, onion and dill, is the favourite way to serve it, with boiled potatoes or rye bread. The herring is cured, not cooked: use good-quality salted or matjes fillets from a shop, which have been frozen to kill parasites, and keep the dish chilled. Cured fish is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; for them, make the safer version in the last step with hot-smoked mackerel or herring fillets baked until opaque. Chef's tip: dress the herring a few hours ahead so the cream picks up the flavour.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups milkfor soaking, if needed
- 1 red onionthinly sliced
- 1 tart applepeeled and diced
- 1 ¼ cups soured cream (18%)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 handful dillchopped
- 14 oz hot-smoked mackerel fillets (optional)for the safer version
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Taste a piece of 1 ⅛ lb salted or matjes herring fillets. If it is very salty, soak the fillets in 1 ¼ cups milk in the fridge for 1–2 hours, then drain and pat dry.
Step 2: Cut the fillets into 2–3 cm pieces.
Step 3: Mix 1 ¼ cups soured cream (18%), 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp sugar and ½ tsp black pepper, then fold in 1 red onion, 1 tart apple and most of 1 handful dill.
Step 4: Fold in the herring, cover and chill for at least 3 hours. A common mistake is serving it straight away: the onion is harsh and the cream tastes flat until they've rested together.
Step 5: Scatter with the last of the dill and serve cold with potatoes or rye bread. Keep chilled and eat within 2 days.
Step 6: Safer version (for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system): use 14 oz hot-smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and flaked, instead of the cured herring, and dress it the same way just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does śledzie w śmietanie take?
- About 20 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 milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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