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Herring Appetizer for the Holiday Table
Instructions
Get the products ready for the appetizer. Choose a fatty, spiced-salted herring – a "lean" one will be dry in the sandwich. For the rye bread, "Borodinsky" or "Riga" bread is best: they have a dense texture and a distinctive aroma that goes perfectly with herring.
Prepare the herring: cut off the head, slit the belly open, remove the entrails and the black film from the walls of the belly – it tastes bitter. Rinse the inside thoroughly with cold water. Make a cut along the back and separate the body into two halves. Take out the backbone with the rib bones and peel the skin off the fish. Feel the fillet with your fingers and remove any remaining small bones – this is an important step, otherwise guests could choke.
Cut both herring fillets into pieces – sized so there is one for each slice of bread. An even cut is the mark of a neat presentation.
Rinse the dill or parsley under running water. Fresh herbs give a distinctive fresh aroma and a pretty green accent. Pat them dry with a paper towel – wet herbs will not mix well into the soft butter.
Finely chop the herbs and add them to the butter. Ideally the butter should be at room temperature – it is easier to work with and the herbs spread through it evenly. Cold butter is hard to stir in, while melted butter loses the texture of a spread.
Add the crushed coriander seeds to the herb butter and mix thoroughly. Coriander gives a distinctive warm, spicy aroma that pairs perfectly with herring and rye bread. The seeds should be crushed – whole ones will not release as much aroma.
Spread the finished herb-and-coriander butter in a thin layer on the small pieces of rye bread. A thick layer of butter would make the appetizer too heavy – it is the thin layer that creates a balanced taste.
Take a sweet-and-sour apple. Wash it and remove the seeds. Cut the apple into wedges. If the skin is not tough, do not peel it – it gives a pleasant visual contrast. The apple adds freshness to the "heavy" duo of herring and rye bread.
So the apple wedges do not darken on the table, sprinkle them with lemon juice. This is an essential step if the appetizer is made 30+ minutes before serving – without lemon the apple quickly turns brown.
On each piece of buttered rye bread, place a piece of herring and a slice of apple. If you like, sprinkle some crushed coriander seed on top – this adds aroma. Arrange the finished sandwiches on a flat plate and decorate with sprigs of greens. The herring appetizer for the festive table is ready!
Tips
- 1
Clean the herring carefully of small bones – feel every piece of fillet with your fingers. At the festive table, bones turn the appetizer into a "hazard" for guests.
- 2
The butter must be at room temperature – it is easier to mix in the herbs and coriander. Cold butter will not blend in evenly, and melted butter will not be a spread.
- 3
Assemble the canapés no more than 1 hour before serving – over time the rye bread soaks up the butter and turns soft. A similar approach is used in other festive appetizers.
- 4
Sprinkle the apple wedges with lemon juice if you are making them in advance – without lemon the apple darkens within 20–30 minutes and the appetizer loses its look.
FAQ
Which herring is best for the appetizer? +
A fatty, lightly salted herring is ideal – Matjes (Dutch), iwashi, Atlantic or Caspian. In brine it is more tender than in oil. A "lean" herring will be dry. Choose fish that is shiny with clear eyes (if sold whole), or with nice pink fillet (if in a jar). Small herring (anchovy-type) gives too many bones – it is better to take medium or large fish. Home-salted herring is also excellent – it has the most aroma without preservatives.
What can replace rye bread? +
The classics are "Borodinsky" rye bread (with coriander – ideal in taste), "Riga" and ordinary "Darnitsky". Alternatives: "Stolichny" bread (a mix of rye and wheat), wheat toast (for a lighter version), thin lavash (for an original presentation), crackers or wholegrain crispbread (a diet option). I do not recommend white wheat bread – it gets "lost" against the bright taste of the herring. Rye gives the right slightly sour contrast.
How long does the finished appetizer keep? +
The finished canapés keep for 2–3 hours in the refrigerator, covered with cling film. Any longer and they lose their look: the bread gets soggy from the butter and apple juice, and the herring can dry out on top. It is best to assemble them right before serving (30–60 minutes before guests arrive). If you need to prepare in advance: get all the ingredients ready separately (the herb butter, the sliced herring, the apple wedges in lemon juice) and assemble the canapés an hour before serving.
What can be added to the canapés? +
Besides the apple, these go well too: pickled gherkins (in rings), pickled red onion (in half-rings), slices of salted cucumber, halves of quail eggs, red caviar (1 teaspoon on top – the premium option), frozen cranberries (a berry for colour). For a garnish on top – a sprig of dill, a thin slice of lemon, capers. Experimenting with additions gives "signature" versions of the appetizer while keeping the classic base.
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