This was posted by "sudds" on dec 29. I have used this recipe twice already, and it is the best pickled herring that i have ever had. The only thing, is to use about one and a half times the amount of brine (the vinegar brine, not the water brine), because the amount called for in the recipe doesn't cover the fish enough.
"This is the best one yet obtained from The Wainscott Seafood Cookbook. 1 pound salt, 1/2 gallon cold water, 1 pound herring fillet, cut into 2 inch pieces, 1 teaspoon mixed pickling spices, tied into cheesecloth, 1/3 cup of sugar, 11/2 cups white vinegar, 1/2 medium onion, sliced into thin rings, 1 medium green or red bell pepper, sliced into thin rings, 1 small bunch of fresh dill, coarsely chopped
1. In a large bowl thoroughly dissolve salt in cold water. Add herring pieces and brine in the refridgerator for 45 minutes. Drain and discard brine. Return drained herring to bowl and store in the refridgerator.
2. In a saucepan bring pickling spices,sugar, and vinegar to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour over herring and stir. 3. Mix in onion, bell pepper, and dill.Cover and store in refridgerator, stirring occasionally, for three days until cured. Serve as a salad coarse or starter. Keeps up to 1 week in the refridgerator.
PICKLED HERRING IN SOUR CREAM
Drain pickled herring mixture in collander, discarding pickling liquid and spices. Turn mixture into a bowl and add enough sour cream to coat fish thoroughly."
~spinfreak~