Salt-cured herring fillets marinated in a creamy, tangy sour cream and onion sauce, a classic cold appetizer.
Śledź w Śmietanie is a real, traditional Polish dish, known as Polish Herring in Sour Cream. Salt-cured herring fillets marinated in a creamy, tangy sour cream and onion sauce, a classic cold appetizer.\n\nHerring has been an important preserved fish in Polish cuisine for centuries, thanks to salt-curing techniques suited to a landlocked winter diet, and śledź w śmietanie remains a standard dish at Polish Christmas Eve and New Year's celebrations.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Polish home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Serves 6
Soak the salt-cured herring fillets in cold water or milk for several hours, changing the liquid once, to remove excess salt.
Drain thoroughly and slice the herring into bite-sized pieces.
Whisk together sour cream, lemon juice, sugar and black pepper.
Layer the herring pieces with sliced onion (and apple, if using) in a container, then pour the sour cream sauce over the top.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the flavors meld.
Garnish with fresh dill and serve cold with dark rye bread or boiled potatoes.
Soak the herring long enough to mellow its saltiness — under-soaked herring will overwhelm the sour cream sauce.
Let the dish marinate overnight for the best flavor; it tastes noticeably better on day two.
Slice the onion very thin so it softens slightly in the marinade rather than staying sharply raw.
Add thin apple slices for a sweeter, more textured version, common in some regional recipes.
Some households add a spoonful of prepared mustard to the sauce for extra tang.
Serve over boiled potatoes as a light meal rather than just an appetizer.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
Herring has been an important preserved fish in Polish cuisine for centuries, thanks to salt-curing techniques suited to a landlocked winter diet, and śledź w śmietanie remains a standard dish at Polish Christmas Eve and New Year's celebrations.
Polish and Scandinavian delis, and many well-stocked supermarkets, carry jarred or barrel-cured herring fillets.
It likely wasn't soaked long enough — soak for at least 6 hours, changing the water once or twice, especially for heavily salted fillets.
Yes, and it's actually recommended — the flavors improve significantly after marinating overnight.
Per serving (150g / 5.3 oz) · 6 servings total
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