Recipe for: Warm Herring with Mint and Grilled Apple - photo 1
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Recipe for: Warm Herring with Mint and Grilled Apple

Spicy Christmas Appetizers Appetizers 90 min Medium 0 views ~20.46 PLN * - (0)
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Description

A warm appetizer combining classic, salty herring with refreshing mint and sweet-sour grilled apple. The dish has a light spring note thanks to fresh herbs, while also fitting into the tradition of holiday appetizers — served warm with a velvety apple-lemon sauce that contrasts beautifully with typical winter flavors. Perfect as an unexpected starter for summer and holiday gatherings, it pairs well with whole grain bread or thin buckwheat pancakes, adding lightness and color to the table.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (14)

Servings:
4
  • Salted herring 400 g
  • Apple 1.7 pcs (~300 g)
  • Onion 1 pcs (~150 g)
  • Butter 40 g
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Apple cider vinegar 30 ml
  • Sugar 10 g
  • Mint 30 g
  • Garlic 2 clove (~10 g)
  • Lemon 0.2 pcs (~15 g)
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Salt 1 g
  • Black pepper 4 pinch (~2 g)
  • ✨ Optional
  • Walnuts 30 g
  • Thyme 30 g
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~20.46 PLN (5.11 PLN/serving)
* Prices missing for some ingredients

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Preparing the herring

1

Prepare the herring fillets for processing: place the fillets in a wide, flat dish and cover them with milk (or cold water) so that they are completely submerged. Set aside in a cool place (refrigerator or cool countertop) for 60 minutes to remove excess salt. After 30 minutes, change the liquid to fresh if it is very salty.

Ingredients: salted herring
Use a ceramic or glass dish; do not use metal as it may react with the brine. If you want to desalinate more strongly, soak for 90-120 minutes, but remember that soaking too long will wash out the flavor.

Grilled apple

2

Wash the apples, cut them into quarters and remove the cores. Slice each quarter into pieces about 1 cm thick. Preheat a grill pan or grill to medium-high heat. Lightly brush the slices with rapeseed oil and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, until clear grill marks and light caramelization appear.

Ingredients: Apple, Rapeseed oil
The best is a grill pan with a porous surface; if you are using a grill, keep the apples on the rack and watch out for burning. Use an oil brush or a sprayer.

Mint-lemon sauce

3

Finely chop the onion. In a medium skillet, heat 20 g of butter with 1 tablespoon of canola oil (15 g) over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it becomes translucent. Add the finely chopped garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the diced slices from half of a grilled apple and sauté for another 3-4 minutes until the apple softens and lightly caramelizes.

Ingredients: Onion, Garlic, Butter, Rapeseed oil, Apple
Use a wooden spoon for stirring. The onion should become translucent — if it starts to burn, lower the heat. Cutting the apple into even cubes makes it easier to sauté evenly.
4

Increase the heat to medium-high, pour in the apple cider vinegar (30 ml) and lemon juice (15 ml) — let the liquid evaporate for about 1 minute. Add the sugar (10 g) and stir until the sugar dissolves and a thicker, glossy sauce forms. Remove the pan from the heat and add the finely chopped mint (about 20 g of leaves). Stir vigorously with a spoon until the butter creates an emulsified sauce.

Ingredients: Apple cider vinegar, Lemon, Sugar, mint, Butter
Add the mint only after removing from heat to preserve its fresh aroma. If the sauce is too sour, add a bit of butter to soften the taste.

Frying and serving

5

Pat the herring fillets dry with a paper towel. In a large skillet, heat 10 g of butter with 1 tablespoon of oil (15 g) over medium heat. When the butter starts to sizzle slightly, place the fillets skin-side down (if they have skin). Fry for 1.5-2 minutes on each side — the goal is to warm them up and lightly brown them, not to overcook. Once the fillets are warm, transfer them to the skillet with the prepared sauce and gently turn them in the sauce for 1 minute to absorb the flavors. Add the grilled apple slices to the sauce and mix gently.

Ingredients: salted herring, Butter, Rapeseed oil, Apple, mint
Use a pan with a diameter of 26-28 cm so that the fillets do not overlap. The fillet is ready when the center is warm, soft, but not falling apart — if pieces start to break apart, reduce the frying time.

Assembly and decoration

6

On a large platter, arrange the warm herring fillets, drizzle them with the sauce from the pan, and place the grilled apple slices next to them. Sprinkle with finely chopped mint and optionally with toasted, chopped walnuts. Drizzle with a little lemon juice before serving and season lightly with pepper.

Ingredients: salted herring, Apple, mint, Black pepper, Lemon
Use a large flat serving plate so the elements do not overlap. Additionally, you can add thyme instead of some mint for a different aroma.

Fun Fact

💡

In Polish cuisine, herring is a traditional ingredient in Christmas Eve dishes; serving it warm with fresh herbs is a modern twist that combines tradition with summer flavors.

Best for

świąteczne przyjęcie letnie grillowanie wieczór z przekąskami

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve immediately after preparation, while the sauce is still warm. It pairs well with dark rye bread, slices of toasted bread, or thin buckwheat pancakes. A light, sparkling drink or chilled white wine will complement it nicely.

🥡 Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Gently reheat in a pan over very low heat for 2-3 minutes — do not allow it to boil vigorously, as the herring will fall apart. Grilled apples lose their texture with prolonged storage.

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