Fried herring

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg fish(s) (green herring)
• 40 g flour (wholemeal wheat flour)
• 40 ml oil
• 80 g onion(s), peeled, cut into rings
• 4 tbsp yellow mustard seeds, coarsely ground
• 10 grains of white pepper, coarsely ground
• 2 onions, white, peeled, cut into rings
• 250 ml vinegar (white wine vinegar)
• 125 ml fish stock
• Sea salt
• 3 bay leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest period approx. 2 days; Total time approx. 2 days 40 minutes

in my grandmother’s style

Carefully gut, wash, and scale the herring. Remove the fins, tails, and heads (and use them to make the fish stock, if desired). Rinse the fish briefly under running water again. Salt well inside and out, coat in flour, and fry in hot sunflower oil until golden brown on both sides. Remove the fish from the pan and briefly fry the onions in the remaining fat, then remove from the pan. Place the fish in a stone pot with the toasted onions, spice seeds, and bay leaves. Bring the vinegar, fish stock, and fresh onions to a boil briefly and immediately pour over the herring. Once the herring has cooled, place them in the refrigerator and let them marinate for at least 24 hours. They taste best after 48 hours. They should be eaten after three days. Alternatively, you can also place the fish individually (cut into appropriate pieces) in preserving jars, pour the stock over them (then make at least double the amount of spiced stock; the fish must be covered), and sterilize them in the oven until bubbles appear in the jar. You can also use twist-off jars and, like when making jam, turn them upside down after sealing. The fish will then keep in the refrigerator for a good five days.