Senapssill: Mustard Herring
Senapssill means mustard herring in Swedish. There are so many ways to flavor pickled herring, but this is one of my favorites! It’s quick, easy, and flavorful—what more could you ask for?
My boyfriend, who is a cook here in Stockholm, gave me this recipe. Of course, there are a million different ways to do the same thing, but this is just the way we like it.
This recipe requires three different types of mustard: Dijon, whole grain, and hot mustard. Using all three allows the mustard flavor to be nuanced yet balanced. If you were to just use one type of mustard, like Dijon for example, the fish would taste more of “Dijon” and less of “mustard.” Using multiple types of mustard helps give the fish a rounder mustard flavor.
Dijon is pretty ubiquitous, but if you can’t get your hands on it, any smooth French mustard should work. Whole grain mustard is important for adding a little bit of texture to the sauce. The hot mustard is arguably the most important. In Sweden, this type of mustard is called “stark” or strong, and wow, is it strong! And very spicy! If the mustard doesn’t make you cough a bit when you taste it, it’s not hot enough!
As for the pickled herring, you can either use herring you’ve pickled yourself or buy already pickled herring. Either will work great. I used herring I had pickled myself, but only because I already had a jar sitting in the fridge.
Senapssill: Mustard Herring
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1 Tbsp hot mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 jar pickled herring
- Dill
- Salt
Instructions
- Finely chop the dill.
- Mix together the mustards, honey, and dill. Season to taste with salt.
- Take the fish out of the pickling liquid. Discard the liquid and any vegetables.
- Mix the pieces of fish in the mustard mixture, ensuring every piece is well coated.
- Pour the mustard herring into a clean jar and place it in the fridge.
- For best results, let it marinate for 24 hours before serving.