Have you ever heard of a food called kipper fish? In fact, kipper is smoked herring which is commonly consumed as the main protein in the breakfast menu of the people of the United Kingdom (UK). While smoked herring can be purchased fresh or frozen in most supermarkets in the UK, in Indonesia itself, generally the products available in large supermarkets and online stores are packaged in cans and do not need to be cooked before eating. However, if what you have is smoked or frozen herring, make sure the fish is precooked, such as by braising in a saucepan, braising in glass jars as is the traditional recipe, grilling or broiling in the oven, or sautéing in a skillet.
Ingredients
Boiling Smoked Herring in a Pot
- Smoked herring
- Enough water to soak the fish
- Butter, optional
Boiling Smoked Herring in a Glass Jar
- Smoked herring
- Enough water to soak the fish
- Butter, optional
- Fresh chopped parsley, optional
- One slice of lemon for one fish, optional
- A drop of apple cider vinegar, optional
Grilling or Grilling Smoked Herring in the Oven
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- Smoked herring
- Lemon wedges, optional
- Parsley, optional
- Cayenne pepper, optional
Sauteed Smoked Herring
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- Smoked herring
Step
Method 1 of 4: Boiling Smoked Herring in a Pot
Step 1. Heat water in a saucepan
Place a pot of water on the stove and heat it over high heat until it boils. If you want, you can also use a frying pan instead of a pot to boil the fish, especially since the pan can bring the water to a boil in a shorter amount of time.
When compared to other cooking methods, this method is actually the most effective in getting rid of the fishy smell of smoked herring which is naturally very strong
Step 2. Turn off the stove before adding the fish
In contrast to how to boil fish in general, herring actually only needs to be soaked, instead of being cooked, in boiling water, so that the fish doesn't end up being overcooked and having a tough texture. Therefore, turn off the stove after the water boils, then put the fish in it.
Gently place the fish into the pan with your bare hands or tongs
Step 3. Boil the fish for 5 minutes
Since smoked herring is very easy to cook, try boiling it for 5 minutes. If the fish is not cooked after that, please increase the boiling time. Basically, cooked fish meat will be more brittle and easier to tear with a fork.
Step 4. Drain the water after 5 minutes
Use a colander or basket with holes to drain the fish stew. Be careful when doing this because the meat of the fish that has been cooked will be very fragile and break easily. If you want, you can also drain the fish using a slotted spoon or food tongs.
- Serve fish with scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. If you wish, you can also add a little butter to each surface of the fish to enhance the taste.
- Store leftover fish in an airtight container, then place the container in the refrigerator. Finish the fish within a few days.
Method 2 of 4: Boiling Smoked Herring in a Glass Jar
Step 1. Prepare a heat-resistant glass jar that is large enough to hold the entire serving of fish
If you prefer, use jars specifically designed to withstand very hot temperatures, such as ceramic jars, or regular heat-resistant glass jars that can hold about 1 liter of water.
- Don't worry if some of the fish are not submerged in the water.
- In fact, boiling smoked herring in a glass jar is the most traditional method of cooking smoked herring.
Step 2. Place the fish in the jar, starting with the head
Arrange the fish side by side vertically. If the jar used is not too tall, please tilt the fish or cut off the head and tail first.
Step 3. Pour enough boiling water to cover the entire body of the fish
If possible, make sure the fish is submerged up to the tail, although herring's tail doesn't really need to be submerged in water. Then, put the lid on the jar to maintain the very hot temperature inside. If the jar used is not equipped with a lid, please cover the mouth of the jar with a plate or aluminum foil.
You can also do this process at the dinner table. Believe me, the guests present will be impressed by the cooking and serving techniques you do, lo
Step 4. Soak the fish in boiling water for 5-8 minutes
Since smoked herring is very easy to cook, try checking after 5 minutes. Supposedly, the cooked meat of the fish can be easily torn with a fork.
Step 5. Drain the water and serve the fish immediately
Drain the fish-soaked water into the sink, then gently remove the fish from the jar and transfer it to a warmed serving plate. If you wish, the fish can also be drained over the sink with the help of a strainer.
- If the fish is directly on the table, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the fish and drain it.
- Serve the fish with a little butter and a squeeze of lemon. If you want, you can also sprinkle chopped fresh parsley or pour a drop of apple cider vinegar over the fish.
Method 3 of 4: Grilling or Grilling Smoked Herring in the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven and cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil
Remember, the oven has to be really hot before you put the baking sheet in it. Therefore, set the oven to the “broil” setting, then wait until the oven is completely hot. While waiting for the oven to heat up, line the bottom of the baking sheet with aluminum foil so it doesn't get contaminated with the fishy smell of fish.
In English recipes, the term “grilling”, which in Indonesian means “grilling”, refers to the process of cooking food directly under an oven heater known as “grill”. Meanwhile, in American recipes, this cooking method is better known as "broiling", or which in Indonesian can also be interpreted as "baking" or "burning", especially because the food will be cooked directly under very hot temperatures
Step 2. Melt the butter in a frying pan until it emits a distinctive nutty aroma and turns brown in color
Use 2-3 tablespoons of butter for one fish, then heat the butter over medium heat until it turns golden brown. Spread some butter on the bottom of the pan to prevent the fish from sticking while baking.
If you don't want to use a frying pan, you can also heat butter in the microwave, although the color and taste won't resemble the brown butter produced by a frying pan
Step 3. Arrange the fish on a baking sheet with the skin side up, then grease the surface with butter
If you are using skinned fish pieces, place the fish in the pan with the skins facing up. Otherwise, feel free to put the fish in any position. Then, brush the surface of the fish with melted chocolate butter to enrich the taste.
Step 4. Bake one side of the fish for 1 minute
Remember, the skin on the fish should be grilled for about a minute to get a crisp texture. After a minute, flip the fish over to cook the other side.
Step 5. Turn the fish over and brush the surface again with cocoa butter
Remove the pan, then flip the fish over with a spatula. Then, brush the surface of the fish with melted butter using a meat brush, and return the pan to the oven.
Step 6. Repeat the buttering process 2-3 times
After about 1-2 minutes, remove the pan and grease the surface of the fish again with butter. In this way, the delicious buttery taste will penetrate deeper into the fish meat. After that, re-cook the fish for about 4-6 minutes.
However, if you want to reduce the use of butter, feel free to apply it only once to each side of the fish
Step 7. Remove the cooked fish from the pan and serve immediately
Arrange the fish on a preheated plate, if desired. To season the fish, squeeze a small amount of lemon all over the fish or sprinkle the surface of the fish with a pinch of cayenne pepper and chopped fresh parsley.
If you wish, the fish can also be served with brown butter. To enrich the nutrition and taste, serve the fish on toast containing whole grains
Method 4 of 4: Sauteed Smoked Herring
Step 1. Melt the butter in a frying pan over low heat
Place the pot on the stove and heat it over low heat. Then, put 2-3 tablespoons of butter in the pan and wait for the butter to melt and coat the entire bottom of the pan.
Step 2. Put the fish in the pan
Once the butter has melted, place the fish on the skillet and cook on each side for 3 minutes. If the fish is not cooked after 3 minutes, please increase the time.
In fact, you can use crusted or skinless smoked herring in this recipe, depending on personal preference
Step 3. Turn off the stove and serve the fish
Once the fish meat is opaque and easy to tear with a fork, immediately turn off the stove and transfer the fish to a serving plate. Delicious herring stir-fry served with scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast.
