flipSmoked Herring with Onions and Verjus
Smoked Herring with Onions and Verjus
Why this dish? Salted and smoked herring was the quintessential preserved food of northern France and Reformed cities: cheap, durable, it fed people year-round and served as the meat of lean days. For Calvin, a native of Picardy settled in Geneva, it was the fish of the modest table, without costly preparation.
A salted and smoked herring, desalted then tenderized, served with melted onions and enlivened with a splash of tart verjus — a powerful, salty, smoky dish that keeps for months.
Here is the fish of the poor and the wise: the herring, which is salted and smoked so that it lasts from one season to the next, and which requires neither great expense nor vain cooking. Soak it in clear water to remove the excess salt, then tenderize it and marry it to gently melted onions and a few drops of verjus. This is sufficient meat for a lean day, and it satisfies the sober man without flattering his gluttony. Let us give thanks for what the sea gives us, and ask no more.
- •Smoked herrings (salted and smoked) — two (preserved product)
- •Onions — two (melted garnish)
- •Verjus — a few drops (acidity)
- •Parsley — a pinch (freshness)
- •Dark bread — to accompany (support)
Smoked Herring with Onions and Verjus
A salted and smoked herring, desalted then tenderized, served with melted onions and enlivened with a splash of tart verjus — a powerful, salty, smoky dish that keeps for months.
Why this dish? Salted and smoked herring was the quintessential preserved food of northern France and Reformed cities: cheap, durable, it fed people year-round and served as the meat of lean days. For Calvin, a native of Picardy settled in Geneva, it was the fish of the modest table, without costly preparation.
Here is the fish of the poor and the wise: the herring, which is salted and smoked so that it lasts from one season to the next, and which requires neither great expense nor vain cooking. Soak it in clear water to remove the excess salt, then tenderize it and marry it to gently melted onions and a few drops of verjus. This is sufficient meat for a lean day, and it satisfies the sober man without flattering his gluttony. Let us give thanks for what the sea gives us, and ask no more.
Ingredients (period version)
- Smoked herrings (salted and smoked) — two (preserved product)
- Onions — two (melted garnish)
- Verjus — a few drops (acidity)
- Parsley — a pinch (freshness)
- Dark bread — to accompany (support)
Ingredients
- Smoked herring fillets (kippered) — 2 (approx. 200 g) (preserved product)
- Milk or water (for desalting) — enough to cover (to soften)
- Onions — 2 (melted garnish)
- Verjus (or green grape juice, or a little lemon juice diluted with water) — 2 tbsp (acidity)
- Oil — 2 tbsp (for cooking onions)
- Parsley — a few sprigs (freshness)
- Country bread — 4 slices (support)
Method
- Desalt the herring fillets in milk or cold water for 2 to 3 hours, changing the liquid once; drain and pat dry.
- Slice the onions and melt them very gently in oil, without browning, until translucent and tender.
- Deglaze the onions with a splash of verjus and let reduce for a few moments.
- Arrange the herring fillets on the onions, sprinkle with parsley, and drizzle with the remaining verjus.
- Serve warm or cold with country bread; left overnight in the cool, the dish is even better.
How it was made : Smoked herring (salted in brine then cold-smoked) was produced by the millions in the ports of the English Channel and North Sea. Its preservation allowed it to be transported far inland; it was for a long time the main source of protein on lean days in Northern Europe.
The contemporary twist : Served on a thin slice of rye bread with a dollop of sour cream, the "hareng pommes à l'huile" of Parisian bistros is a direct descendant of this preserved dish.
Jean Calvin · Charactorium
