Gehakte Herring
געהאקטע הערינג·(geh-hak-tuh heh-ring)
Sunday Morning Appetizing
If you grew up in a first-generation Jewish-American household, Sunday mornings meant the Appetizing Spread. Before the bagels were toasted and the lox unrolled, there was herring. Born of necessity in the old country to stretch a single salty fish, this dish is a genius balance of oceanic brine, sharp raw onion, and the crisp snap of green apple. The trick to nailing that authentic, unpretentious flavor in a modern kitchen is simply washing the commercial sweetness off jarred herring, binding it with a soaked bread panade, and showing profound restraint with your food processor. You want a gorgeous, coarse hash, not baby food.
Ingredients
- white bread or challah1 slice
- apple cider vinegar1 tbsp
- pickled herring fillets in clear vinegar sauce12 oz
- Granny Smith apple1 small
- yellow or red onion1 small
- large eggs3 large
- sunflower oil2 tbsp
- granulated sugar1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- fresh dill1 small bunch
Method
- 01
Saturate the crustless bread in a small bowl with the apple cider vinegar and a splash of cold water.
Let it sit for five minutes, then aggressively squeeze it out with your hands until you have a damp, flavor-absorbing sponge.
- 02
Pulse the quartered onion and chopped apple in a food processor until finely minced.
Stop after four or five pulses; you are looking for a fine chop, not a pulverized puree.
- 03
Add the dried herring and squeezed bread to the processor and pulse until just incorporated.
Give it another four to five pulses and stop. The mixture must remain a coarse hash with distinct, tiny pieces of apple and fish visible.
- 04
Finely chop two of the hard-boiled eggs with a knife and gently fold them into the herring mixture.
Do not put the eggs in the food processor, or the yolks will turn the entire dish into a gummy, grey paste.
- 05
Stir in the sunflower oil, sugar, and black pepper.
Taste the mixture to ensure a tightrope balance of salty, sour, and a hint of sweet, adding a pinch more sugar if the apple was exceptionally tart.
- 06
Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour.
This resting period is mandatory. It stabilizes the fish lipids and allows the bread panade to absorb and marry the flavors.
- 07
Mound the chilled herring onto a serving dish and garnish with the remaining egg.
Separate the white and yolk of the third egg, finely grate them over the top, and sprinkle with fresh dill before serving with rye bread or bagels.
Notes
For Passover, swap the bread for crushed matzah.
Use half a cup of crushed matzah moistened with vinegar and water until soft in place of the bread panade.