The Plain Fried Herring
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Clean the herring by removing the insides and scales.
Rinse the fish under cold water and pat dry.
Sprinkle the herring with coarse sea salt.
Fry and serve
Heat butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Fry the herring for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Serve hot.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Herring
- The main fish; its flesh cooks through and its skin crisps and browns in the hot fat.
- Butter or oil for frying
- Conducts heat evenly into the fish and promotes browning of the skin and surface.
The step that matters
Frying until golden brown. Frying over medium heat browns the surface through the Maillard reaction while the fish cooks through. Turning too early can tear the skin and make the fish stick, so wait until it releases easily.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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