Stekt strömming – fried Baltic herring with mash and lingonberries
Serves 4 · 45 minutes · Ergonomic frying pan
Stekt strömming is pairs of small herring fillets with dill between them, coated in rye flour and fried crisp in butter. In a properly hot carbon steel pan the fish forms a golden crust and lifts away easily.
Stekt strömming is a Swedish home-cooking classic: butterflied Baltic herring fillets are sandwiched in pairs with dill, dipped in rye flour and fried golden in butter. It works best when the pan is really hot before the fish goes in and you let the crust set before turning.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 600 g butterflied Baltic herring fillets (about 16)
- 1 bunch dill
- 100 ml rye flour
- 1 tsp salt, plus a little for the fillets
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 75 g butter for frying
To serve
- 1 kg floury potatoes
- 100 ml milk
- 50 g butter for the mash
- 100 ml lingonberries or lingonberry jam
- 50 g melted butter
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Method
- Peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Pat the fillets dry with kitchen paper. Lay half of them skin side down, season lightly with salt and put a sprig of dill on each. Cover each with another fillet, skin side up, and press the pairs together.
- Mix the rye flour, salt and white pepper on a plate. Dip the herring pairs in the flour, pressing lightly so it sticks to both sides.
- Heat the pan over a medium-high heat with half the butter. When the foaming subsides, add half the pairs and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until crisp and golden. Only turn them once the crust releases. Fry the rest in the remaining butter.
- Drain the potatoes and mash with the warm milk and butter. Season with salt.
- Serve the herring with the mash, lingonberries, melted butter and lemon wedges.
Why it works
A well-seasoned carbon steel pan that has been allowed to get properly hot fries the rye flour into a crust instead of letting it stick. Once the crust is done the fish releases by itself, and that is your cue to turn it.
FAQ
Do you need dill between the herring fillets?
No, but dill is traditional. You can also spread a little mustard or scatter parsley between the fillets, or fry them single.
How do I stop the herring sticking to the pan?
Let the pan get properly hot, use enough butter and wait to turn the fish until the crust has set. It will then release easily.
Can I use ordinary herring instead of Baltic herring?
Yes, but Atlantic herring fillets are larger and thicker. Fry them 1–2 minutes longer on each side over a slightly lower heat.
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