CookEat Recipe
Milk-Soaked Grilled Herring
Salted herring mellowed in milk, dried and grilled, then dressed simply with olive oil and a little vinegar.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 2 commercially prepared salted Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), about 400 g total before heading and cleaning; About 1.2 litres pasteurized milk, divided between two soakings; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon wine vinegar.
Step 2
Choose food-grade salted herring from a reputable fishmonger and follow its storage instructions. Have the heads and entrails removed and the fish opened along the back and flattened. If edible milt or roe is supplied separately and confirmed suitable for eating, retain it for the optional preparation below. Do not use spoiled fish or attempt to make it safe by soaking.
Step 3
Put the flattened herring in a snug covered food-safe dish and add enough cold pasteurized milk to cover, about 600 ml. Refrigerate at 4°C or colder for 8–10 hours, changing to fresh cold milk halfway through. Keep the dish refrigerated throughout; discard both lots of used milk.
Step 4
Drain and pat the herring dry. Grill over medium-high heat in a clean fish basket if helpful for about 4–6 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until the flesh reaches at least 70°C. Dress with the olive oil and very little vinegar and serve hot, removing bones while eating. One teaspoon lemon juice may replace the vinegar.
Step 5
For the water-poached alternative, omit the milk and the grilling. Put the cleaned herring in cold water to cover, bring to a gentle boil and cook for 3 minutes, extending gently if necessary to reach 70°C. Cool the surface briefly in clean cold water, drain and pat dry, then open along the back and flatten if not already done. Dress with the same oil and vinegar or lemon and serve promptly.
Step 6
If retaining supplier-prepared edible milt or roe, keep it chilled with the fish. Pat dry and cook separately in a small lightly oiled pan until fully cooked and at least 74°C, then serve with the herring. The dish is also complete without it.
Cooked it? Rate it.
Cooked 0 times