Smiltsill (Melted Herring)
Submitted by aaaaaaaaaa
Smiltsill is a traditional Swedish dish where salted herring fillets steam over boiling potatoes, then get drizzled with browned butter and garnished with parsley, radishes, and egg.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minThis is Swedish home cooking at its most clever. Salted herring fillets sit on a plate balanced right on top of the pot while potatoes boil below. The rising steam gently warms the fish until it practically melts, all while the potatoes cook themselves.
One pot, two components, zero wasted effort.
The herring gets drizzled with nutty browned butter and garnished with chopped parsley, sliced radishes, and sieved egg yolks and whites for a plate that looks like it came from a Scandinavian grandmother’s kitchen. Because it did.
Chef Tips
- Use a heatproof plate that fits snugly over the pot. It acts as both a lid and a steamer. The tighter the fit, the better the steam circulates.
- Score the herring fillets diagonally before steaming. The slices let heat penetrate evenly without breaking the fillets apart.
- Brown the butter slowly over low heat. You want it golden and nutty, not burnt. Pull it off the heat the moment it smells like toasted hazelnuts.
Ingredients
Directions
Bring the water and salt to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan, add the potatoes and cook uncovered.
Select a heatproof plate the same diameter as the pot to serve as a lid. Lay the herring fillets on the plate side by side and make neat, diagonal slices through them every ½ inch without disturbing their original shape. When the potatoes are about half-cooked (after 10 minutes or so, but test now and then with the tip of a small, sharp knife), cover the pot with the plate of sliced herring and continue cooking the potatoes over medium heat for another 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender and the herring is heated through or ‘melted'.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Cook slowly over moderately low heat to brown the butter lightly.
Drain potatoes, return to pan and dry over low heat for a minute or two, shaking constantly. Place the herring on a serving plate and garnish with chopped parsley, radishs and egg whites and yolks. Pour the hot butter on the herring only and serve the potatoes in a separate bowl.
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