Jennifer Pemberton discovered that not only could she eat pickled fish after living in Sweden for 2 years, but she could eat it for dessert.
Listen to her not-so-sweet recollections of a great summer holiday tradition and then try your hand a making a no-bake Swedish Herring Cake.
Silltårta, or Swedish Herring Cake
Ingredients:
Crust
- 7 oz rye bread crumbs
- 2.5 oz butter
Filling
- 1 medium-size jar of pickled herring (not the baby food size jar and not the mayonnaise size jar...something in between)
- 1 packet of unflavored gelatin
- 1 red onion
- 1 package cream cheese
- 3 cups sour cream
- 1 cup finely chopped chives
- black pepper
To Prepare the Crust:
Finely chop the bread into crumbs. Melt butter and mix with crumbs. Cover bottom of a spring form pan with mixture. Press and let stand in refrigerator about 15 minutes.
To Prepare the Filling:
Soak the gelatin in cold water about 5 minutes. Drain the herring and save the liquid. Finely chop the onion and herring. Mix onion, herring, cream cheese, sour cream, herring juice and pepper.
Take the gelatin and melt it in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the herring mixture. Pour into mold. Let stand in refrigerator at least 3 hours until set.
Place herring cake on a platter and garnish with chives.
Note: this recipe is my translation from the Swedish grocery store, ICA's, website.