Dutch potted herring

[caobao]

In travel diaries from 19th century Denmark, I keep running into this. Does anyone know what it is, Dutch potted herring?

Best,

CB

[Adam Balic]

I am not aware of any Dutch recipes, but from late 18th century Scotland a recipe for potted herrings is this:

"Scale them, and make them very clean; season then well with salt and spices; pack them neatly in your potting-can, laying the shoulders of one to the tail of the other. When you has as many as you intend, pour on as much vinegar as will cover them; bind them close up, and put them in a slow oven. They will take about four hour of doing".

So you can see that it is a way or preserving fish. After cooking the natural fat content and the vinegar would mean that they could be stored for weeks. Other less fatty fish cooked in this way often have butter added. Canned fish in oil can be thought of as an extention of this process.

[jayt90]

I think of potted as having a jar of meat preserved and sealed with a layer of butter or lard.

Elizabeth David mentions this a lot, and I'll have to check whether herring ever got potted in her books.

[Chufi]

Maybe Dutch potted herring does not refer to herring, potted the Dutch way, but to : Dutch herring, potted. Potted fish is not a traditional Dutch way of preparing fish. I don't know if in the 19th century, The Netherlands were as famous for their herring as they are now.

Edited January 28, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Adam Balic]

Yes they were, and they ran into conflict with the British over fishing grounds etc, but in Scotland a number of Dutch dishes were incorporated.

[Chufi]

Yes they were, and they ran into conflict with the British over fishing grounds etc, but in Scotland a number of Dutch dishes were incorporated.

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Adam, what do you mean, Dutch herring dishes? I would love to hear more about that. Or do you mean fish recipes in general, well, I would love to hear more about that too.

[jackal10]

From John Farley's London Art of Cookery, my edition is 1796

John Farley was a tavern keeper and great potter. Ive notated in square brackets

Herrings

Cut off the head of your herrings, and put them into an earthen pot.

Lay them close, and between every layer of herrings strew some salt, but not too much. Put in cloves, mace, whole pepper[corns] and nutmeg. Fill the pot up with vinegar, water and a quarter of a pint of white wine. Cover it with brown paper, tie it down, and bake it in an oven with brown bread. As soon s it be cold put it in your potting pots for use. [presumably put the herrings into pots and cover with clarified butter].

I remember my mother used to make something similar, with onions and bay leaf for flavouring. She would either serve whole fillets, or more usually mash them, and when cold serve them as a coarse pate, The stock would jelly. She would remove the coarse bones before cooking - backbones strip out with most of them The fine bones dissolved in the vinegar (dilute 1:1 with water)

[Adam Balic]

Yes they were, and they ran into conflict with the British over fishing grounds etc, but in Scotland a number of Dutch dishes were incorporated.

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Adam, what do you mean, Dutch herring dishes? I would love to hear more about that. Or do you mean fish recipes in general, well, I would love to hear more about that too.

←

Dutch recipes in general. I haven't got the book I need at the moment, but I will get in during the week and let you know what the recipes are.

[Adam Balic]

Jack, my recipe is a similar period to yours and the two recipes look similar. What type of 'vinegar' do you think they were using? Wine, cider or Malt?

[Chufi]

Yes they were, and they ran into conflict with the British over fishing grounds etc, but in Scotland a number of Dutch dishes were incorporated.

←

Adam, what do you mean, Dutch herring dishes? I would love to hear more about that. Or do you mean fish recipes in general, well, I would love to hear more about that too.

←

Dutch recipes in general. I haven't got the book I need at the moment, but I will get in during the week and let you know what the recipes are.

←

that would be great Adam. Growing up as a butcher's daughter, I was never really educated in the fish department, as you can see in the Dutch Cooking thread! maybe you can help me fix that. I can make some Dutch potted herring maybe!!

Edited January 28, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[jackal10]

Jack, my recipe is a similar period to yours and the two recipes look similar. What type of 'vinegar' do you think they were using? Wine, cider or Malt?

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Don't know. Farley doesn't specify. My mother used brown malt, and that is the taste I associate with "herring mush" as the family called it. Good stuff, though, on toast for a light winter supper. Think cooked rollmop.

[Adam Balic]

Yeh, I think that malt (alegar?) would work very well.

[Adam Balic]

Yes they were, and they ran into conflict with the British over fishing grounds etc, but in Scotland a number of Dutch dishes were incorporated.

←

Adam, what do you mean, Dutch herring dishes? I would love to hear more about that. Or do you mean fish recipes in general, well, I would love to hear more about that too.

←

Dutch recipes in general. I haven't got the book I need at the moment, but I will get in during the week and let you know what the recipes are.

←

that would be great Adam. Growing up as a butcher's daughter, I was never really educated in the fish department, as you can see in the Dutch Cooking thread! maybe you can help me fix that. I can make some Dutch potted herring maybe!!

←

Chufi - not a huge amount of information, but this is from Annette Hope's "A Caledonian Feast".

"Probably the most significant trade of all was with the Netherlands, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries. A few Scots dishes bear Dutch names, or a prepared ‘in the Dutch way’; and the availability of cheaper spices and dried fruits brought to Europe by the Dutch East India Company had a considerable effect on the housewife’s baking repertoire. The most important culinary lesson learnt from Holland, as we have seen, was how to pickle herring so that it kept well."

There a few recipes for very plainly poached cod, served with mustard sauce (which is 'in the Dutch way) and a recipe for Aberdeen "Crulla". Aparently the Dutch had a big inflence in Aberdeen, The Scots version of Crulla is not the same as the version made by American Dutch.