Last updated: 16 December, 2024 @ 14:40
Ah, the ‘Silver Darlings’. Herring is a remarkable fish, one that is surprisingly overlooked by UK consumers. That’s a shame, as there about six billion herring recipes out there – and they’re all great.
Herring is an unfashionable fish, which is perfect for those willing to give herring a try as it keeps the price down.
Let’s celebrate the herring!
In many countries herring is celebrated. One of largest festivals in The Netherlands is Vlaggetjesdag, or Flag Day, which marks the arrival of the first new herrings of the year.
When herring arrive into Poole Bay, the event isn’t celebrated or even noticed outside of keen anglers and the few remaining inshore fishing vessels.
That’s a great shame, because herring is wonderful fish – even more so for a seafood beginner.
Herring recipes – endless possibilities
Herring is great to experiment with. Just last week we dry-cured some herring to use in a Viennese Herring Salad using a Rick Stein recipe – and it was one of the best things we’ve ever eaten.
Herring also opens up a whole new world of preserving fish – and it can be cold smoked, hot smoked, salted, canned and dried.
Of course, like all oily fish, herring is also great grilled or fried – and keep an eye out for herring soft roe (the roe of male herrings), which is fantastic when fried in butter.
There are so many possibilities with herring that experimenting with the fish could easily become a new hobby – much like Rigby and his self-built Encyclopaedia of the Herring.
Herring recipes
We’re trying to think of our all-time favourite herring recipe. It’s proving a difficult task. The aforementioned Viennese herring salad was out-of-this-world – we followed a Rick Stein recipe from the excellent book, Long Weekend, which you can buy at Amazon.
Another favourite is the simple Herring with Bacon from Floyd on Fish. Beautiful.
Other very good herring recipes we like include:
- Devilled herrings with green sauce, by The Hairy Bikers
- And this wonderful recipe by Delia Smith for Fried herring fillets with a lime pepper crust
Seasonality
Herring is available year-round, but the best time of year for herring all depends on where you live. Our advice would be to consult local resources – such as your fishmonger.
Sustainability
Read more on the latest Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide ratings.