"Silver Darlings"

[liketocook]

I was unexpectedly given a lovely gift today of 15 small, plump, very fresh, herring fillets- 9 have been "soused" and 6 vac packed and frozen in pairs. Much as I like a tub of "rollmops" to me nothing beats a baked soused herring. I cook these quite traditionally and if you can get fresh herring and have not tried them this way it's really worth it (works well with mackerel too ):
6-9 herring fillets - rolled and secured with cocktail sticks
A small onion very thinly sliced into halfmoons
3-4 dried bayleafs halved
Tsp peppercorns
A good grinding of seasalt
1/4 pint malt vinegar & 1/4 pint water combined
Sprinkle of paprika (optional but gives them a nice colour)

Place the rolled herring, tightly packed. in a dish deep enough to be just higher than the herring
Pop the onions, bayleafs & peppercorns inbetween the herring
Pour the vinegar/water over the herring until they are 2/3rds covered
Add salt and paprika over their tops.
Cover the dish loosely with foil then bake at 160C for 45-50 mins, turn off the oven and leave for a further 15 mins. Remove, cool and pop in the fridge (in the covered dish) overnight. They keep for 3-4 days and are gorgeous with new potatoes and green salad (or buttered green).

"Silver Darlings" - how do you like yours?

[suffolk]

Love them ... But the Silver Darlings won't arrive of our coast for a few months yet

[patpoyntz]

That’s exactly how I cook mine liketocook ......just as my Grandma and Mother did. They are delish, warm or cold.

[liketocook]

That's them just starting to come here suffs
Same here patpoyntz it's how my folks did them, they are so scruptious, I doubt they'll last very long

[patpoyntz]

I will ask my travelling fishman from Buckie, when they will be available. He comes every Tuesday, and always has great fish.

[liketocook]

Hopefully they've arrived in the NE too patpoyntz

[Seatallan]

[liketocook]

I had two for lunch today with salad and dill mustard sauce They were

[Catherine]

I saw Rick Stein enthusing over silver darlings on one of his many tv series. I have to say they looked lovely then, but I still haven't tried them. Another one on the list to try is gurnard

[patpoyntz]

Well. I eventually got my lovely herrings this morning. My lovely fishman didn’t have them the last two weeks, as he thought they were too expensive. They are still expensive, but slightly less, and I’m just glad to have them.
I’m going to bake four in the traditional way, and fry two in oatmeal for dinner with jerseys and salad.

[Seatallan]

Really makes me think of when Mr S and I went to 'babysit' my poorly friend last autumn (not long before she died) and one of her neighbours appeared with some lovely, freshly-caught herrings, which she thought my friend would enjoy. Friend was a veggie so Mr S and I had them (rolled in oatmeal and fried) for our tea.

[patpoyntz]

Aah, Seat, it was such a sad time for you...it’s nice that you have some memories which bring a wee smile to your face...

[liketocook]

Seatallan good memories to have
Patpoyntz - glad you managed to get some at last