Salted Herring Siberian-Style, Onion and Rye
Desalted herring fillets, glistening with oil, laid on onion rings and served with warm potatoes and rye bread. Straightforward, salty, iodized: the quintessence of Russian zakuska.
Desalted herring fillets, glistening with oil, laid on onion rings and served with warm potatoes and rye bread. Straightforward, salty, iodized: the quintessence of Russian zakuska.
In Siberia, where I come from, we do not joke about provisions: fish is salted to last the winter. A desalted herring fillet, a few rings of raw onion, a slice of rye bread underneath — that is enough to start a meal, or to make the whole meal on busy days. Pour a little oil on top, and let the salt and onion bite as they should: it is rough and honest, like our country.
- •Whole salted herring in brine — one or two (preserved fish)
- •Onion — one (raw bite)
- •Oil (sunflower — see note) — a drizzle (binder)
- •Black rye bread — slices (base)
- •Dill — a little (fragrance)
Salted Herring Siberian-Style, Onion and Rye
Desalted herring fillets, glistening with oil, laid on onion rings and served with warm potatoes and rye bread. Straightforward, salty, iodized: the quintessence of Russian zakuska.
Why this dish? Smoked or salted fish was Mendeleev's daily fare. Born in Tobolsk in western Siberia, he grew up in a region where salted river fish and preserved herring were the basic protein, eaten as zakuska before the meal, on black bread with onion.
In Siberia, where I come from, we do not joke about provisions: fish is salted to last the winter. A desalted herring fillet, a few rings of raw onion, a slice of rye bread underneath — that is enough to start a meal, or to make the whole meal on busy days. Pour a little oil on top, and let the salt and onion bite as they should: it is rough and honest, like our country.
Ingredients (period version)
- Whole salted herring in brine — one or two (preserved fish)
- Onion — one (raw bite)
- Oil (sunflower — see note) — a drizzle (binder)
- Black rye bread — slices (base)
- Dill — a little (fragrance)
Ingredients
- Salted herring fillets (or matjes) — 2 (200 g) (preserved fish)
- Red or sweet onion — 1 (raw bite)
- Neutral or sunflower oil — 2 tbsp (binder)
- Potatoes — 4 small, steamed (warm accompaniment)
- Rye bread — 4 slices (base)
- Fresh dill — a few sprigs (fragrance)
Method
- If the herring is very salty, soak it in cold water (or a little milk) for 1-2 hours, then pat dry.
- Slice the fillets on the bias into regular pieces, remove any remaining bones.
- Slice the onion into thin rings; steam the potatoes and keep them warm.
- Arrange the herring on the onions, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with dill, and let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Serve as zakuska on rye bread, with the warm potatoes on the side.
How it was made : Salting and smoking were the only ways to preserve fish out of season in 19th-century Russia: barrels of brine were filled in autumn. The zakuska table — covered with small salted items, pickles, and fish — preceded any formal meal and accompanied vodka.
The contemporary twist : Roll each piece of herring around a dice of potato and an onion ring, skewered with a toothpick: a 'molecule bite' to serve as an appetizer. (Note: potato being New World, keep it for the modern version only.)
Dmitri Mendeleev · Charactorium