Śledzie is a popular Polish dish also known as “śledzie po Kaszubsku”. Śledzie consists of pickled herring often combined with sour cream, onions, apples and hard-boiled eggs.
Commonly served on Christmas Eve, Śledzie is well loved in Poland as well as other countries by the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.
The word “Śledzie” is literally a Polish-English word for herring. The name “Śledzie po kaszubsku” was derived from the Kashubian which was an Ethnic group who occupied Northern Poland.
So if you want to experience Śledzie at its best, just pop open a bottle of red wine and delve in the flavors of Poland.
Origin & Cultural Significance
The origin of Śledzie dates back to the medieval times when it was appropriate to stock and transport fish as now it is forbidden in many states.
The first time this dish was consumed was in the 12th century and it became so popular during the 13th & 14th century that it was a necessary dish even in times of famine. In the 19th century, Śledzie became a basic dinner and stores used to keep large barrels of herrings which were sold at high prices.
This luscious dish is not just enticingly delicious but very easy to prepare. So let’s give it a try.
Authentic Polish Śledzie Recipe
Ingredients
- Pickled herring - 12
- Crushed Garlic clove - 1
- Sliced onion - 1
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp
- Salt - ¼ tsp
- Fresh parsley - 2 tbsp
- Pepper - ¼ tbsp
- Dried bay leaf - 1
- Chopped apple - 1
- Allspice or cinnamon - ½ tsp
- Ground cloves - ½ tsp
- Hard-boiled eggs - 4
- Sour cream - 1 cup
Instructions
- Take pre-salted herrings and to remove the excess salt, soak them in cold water for a few hours (best if soaked overnight).
- Next cut the herrings into small pieces ready to be pickled.
- Create a pickle mixture of vinegar or oil combined with bay leaves, allspice, apples, and lemon juice. Seal tight and marinade for up to 2 days.
- After 2 days, mix onions, sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper in a separate bowl.
- Add your pickled herrings to this mixture and don’t forget to mix well to assure the proper flavoring of the herrings with the ingredients.
- Chill in fridge for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, take it out of the fridge and decorate it with sliced hard-boiled egg if you wish, sprinkle parsley and serve with bread.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 888Total Fat: 62gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 42gCholesterol: 183mgSodium: 2589mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 27gProtein: 45g