Herring is as much a part of Dutch culture as tulips, windmills and cheese. The herring industry was one of the main pillars of the prosperous Dutch economy in the run up to and during its Golden Age. Typically it is eaten by grabbing the raw slippery fish by the tail, dipping it in onions, tilting the head back, and biting. But there are many other ways the Dutch enjoy the beloved fish, such as in this Herring and Beetroot Salad.
Ingredients:
- 1 12 oz jar herring in sour cream
- 2 beets, boiled and peeled
- 1 large potato, boiled and peeled
- 1 large, crisp apple
- 6 tiny dill pickles
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 small shallot or onion
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- four slices white bread
- butter
Preparation:
- Dice the beets and potato.
- Peel, core and dice the apple.
- Chop the shallot or onion.
- Chop the dill pickles.
- Remove the herring pieces from the jar and cut in half.
- Add the sour cream from the jar to the mayonnaise and toss carefully with the rest of the ingredients until it is creamy and purplish red.
- Taste, and adjust with additional sour cream or mayonnaise if needed.
- Toast the bread, let it cool, and butter on one side.
- Cut in two or three pieces and serve with the salad.
For more Dutch Seafood recipes, check out Issue 7 of Dutch the magazine.
Subscribe to Dutch the magazine for all our Dutch recipes!