Herring marinated in wine sauce, Icelandic style
10 servings
30 minutes
This recipe hails from traditional Icelandic cuisine, where pickled herring holds a special place. Prepared in a wine marinade with hints of cinnamon, clove, and ginger, this herring acquires a rich, slightly spicy flavor with a subtle sweet-sour note. Thanks to the special cooking technique, the fish remains tender while the spices harmoniously unfold in each piece. This dish pairs wonderfully with rye bread, boiled potatoes, or fresh vegetables, and its complex aroma makes it an excellent appetizer for festive tables. A true culinary journey to Iceland!
1
We buy salted herring. We make fillets. We divide the fish into two parts, remove the bones, and carefully pat it dry with a paper towel or napkin. We cut it into thin pieces.
- Norwegian lightly salted herring: 2 pieces
2
For 300 grams of water (for 2 herring, each 500 g) - 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger root, 1-1.5 cm of crushed cinnamon stick, etc. (spices as per the list).
- Fresh ginger: 1 piece
- Cinnamon: 1 piece
3
Salt must be added: if the herring is salted — 1 tablespoon (I usually do it this way to avoid over-salting), if it's lightly salted — 2 tablespoons.
- Salt: 1 tablespoon
4
Pour water into the pot, add sugar (4 tablespoons!!) and spices, grinding half of the cloves and pepper while leaving the other half whole.
- Sugar: 4 tablespoons
- Carnation: 6 pieces
- White peppercorns: to taste
5
Boil everything for 10-15 minutes. Cool down until you can hold your finger in it. Add a tablespoon of wine and regular vinegar.
- Red wine vinegar: 1 tablespoon
- Apple cider vinegar: 1 tablespoon
6
Now we layer herring in a container, drizzle a little vegetable oil, and CAREFULLY pour hot strained marinade over it. Then another layer, and so on until finished. After it cools down, place it in the fridge overnight. It can be eaten in the morning.
- Vegetable oil: 50 ml