Spiced Dry-Salted Herring
Description
So, here goes: It can be served warm or chilled.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
1. Prepare the ingredients and spices — let's get started! If the herring was frozen, thaw it completely at room temperature in advance.
- 2
Step 2
2. Break the bay leaf by hand into very small pieces. Put all the other spices in a mortar and grind them until you get small pieces, but not powder. Add the spices to the salt. Use the simplest salt—rock salt, without iodine added.
- 3
Step 3
3. Add the sugar to the salt and spices. Mix well with a spoon.
- 4
Step 4
4. Wash the herring and sprinkle it generously with spices on all sides. Open the gills and pour salt into them. About 20 g of the 100 g of salted spice mixture should go into the gills. Repeat this procedure with all the herring.
- 5
Step 5
5. Now about the container for salting. The ideal options are wooden barrels, glass containers, enameled ones (in that case, line the bottom with paper), or food-grade plastic. I have a special container for salting fish; I once bought salted herring in it and have been using it for this purpose ever since. Place the fish tightly next to each other belly-side up—that is, so that the backs are at the bottom. Cover with a lid and leave on the counter for 10 hours.
- 6
Step 6
6. Now the fish has released its juice; put it in the refrigerator for 10 hours.
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Step 7
7. And on the second day, the herring is ready. Cut it up and try it!
- 8
Step 8
8. Enjoy!