Introduction
Heringsstipp is pieces of mild salted herring in a cold, creamy sauce with apple, onion and gherkin, served with hot potatoes boiled in their skins. Apart from the potatoes there is no cooking, and it tastes better after a few hours in the fridge, so it can be made in the morning for the evening.
It is a German dish, also called Sahnehering (“cream herring”). In the Rhineland and other Catholic regions it is a classic of Ash Wednesday and Fridays in Lent. It is usually made with matjes, young herring cured for a few days in a mild brine. The name comes from the Dutch maatjesharing, itself from maagdenharing, “maiden herring”. The sour apple and gherkin balance the fatty fish and cream.
Ingredients
- 1 kg waxy potatoes, unpeeled
- 8 matjes herring fillets (about 400 g)
- 200 g sour cream
- 100 ml cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or juice from the gherkin jar
- 1 pinch of sugar
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tart apple, cored and diced
- 3 gherkins, diced
- a small bunch of dill or chives, chopped
- salt and black pepper
Tools
- A saucepan for the potatoes
- A mixing bowl
Preparation
- Taste a piece of herring. If it is very salty, soak the fillets in cold water or milk for 30 minutes, then pat them dry.
- Cut the fillets into pieces about 2 cm wide.
- In the bowl, stir together the sour cream, cream, lemon juice, sugar and some pepper.
- Fold in the onion, apple, gherkins, herring and half the herbs. Taste before adding any salt: the herring may be salty enough.
- Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to a day.
- Boil the potatoes in their skins in salted water for 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Serve them hot, peeled or not, with the cold herring and the rest of the herbs on top.