Baltic-Style Pickled Herring in Cream Sauce
Сельдь в сметанном соусе·(sel'd' v smetannom souse)
Sunday Morning Appetizing
A glass jar of supermarket herring sits on the counter. Paper-thin half-moons of white onion lie on the board. Full-fat sour cream waits to bind them together. This simple plate rivals anything in the glittering display cases of New York's iconic appetizing shops, like Russ & Daughters. By starting here, home cooks can bypass the grueling multi-day salt cure without losing the firm, briny bite of a traditional barrel. The true secret to this old-school flavor isn't just the cream—it's blanching the raw onions. It is a thirty-second trick that kills their harsh sulfurous bite, allowing the delicate fish and crisp tart apple to sing. Serve the fillets draped over a heel of dark pumpernickel.
Before you start
Blanch the onions.
Place the sliced onions in a fine-mesh strainer and pour boiling water over them for 10 seconds. Immediately run them under freezing cold tap water to stop the cooking, then pat them completely dry with a paper towel to remove their harsh sulfurous bite.
Ingredients
- pickled herring in wine sauce16 oz
- red onion1 small
- Granny Smith apple1 small
- fresh dill2 tbsp
- full-fat sour cream3/4 cup
- buttermilk2 tbsp
- herring pickling liquid2 tbsp
- white wine vinegar1 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Prepare the herring.
Drain the pickled herring on a paper towel, making sure to reserve 2 tablespoons of the clear pickling liquid, and discard any mushy onions that came in the jar. Cut the fillets into bite-sized, 1-inch pieces if they are not already pre-cut.
- 02
Build the cream sauce.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, reserved pickling liquid, white wine vinegar, sugar, and black pepper until the sugar is completely dissolved and the sauce is velvety smooth.
- 03
Combine and fold.
Add the blanched onions, diced Granny Smith apple, and chopped dill to the cream sauce, stirring well to coat. Gently fold in the herring pieces, taking care not to aggressively mash the fish, and taste for seasoning.
- 04
Rest the mixture.
Transfer the herring to a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, preferably 24. Do not skip this step, as the buttermilk's acidity needs time to physically tenderize the fish and allow the flavors to integrate.
- 05
Serve cold.
Remove the container from the fridge about 15 minutes before serving so the cream relaxes. Garnish with a final sprinkle of fresh dill and serve alongside thick slices of dark pumpernickel bread, toasted bagels, or boiled buttered potatoes.
Notes
The dairy substitution.
If you cannot find buttermilk, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of heavy cream mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice, allowed to sit for 5 minutes before mixing into the sour cream.