Nordic escabeche herring with juniper and mustard, warm scallion lentils

Ingredients

• 600 g fresh herring fillets, scaled and pin-boned
• 250 ml white wine vinegar
• 220 ml filtered water
• 2 tsp whole juniper berries
• 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 18 g coarse grey sea salt
• 20 g blond cane sugar
• 2 leaves dried bay leaves
• 2 pieces medium red onions
• 220 g Puy green lentils
• 1 bunch fresh scallions
• 60 ml virgin sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 piece fresh red chili
• 0.5 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns

Method

1. Inspect the herring fillets: run a finger along the centerline, remove any remaining pin bones with kitchen tweezers, and pat the flesh dry. The fish should look shiny and firm with a clean sea aroma. If the fillets are very thin, keep them skin-side down on the cutting board to avoid tearing.
2. Season the flesh side of the fillets with coarse grey sea salt, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up and draw out excess moisture. They are ready when the surface turns satiny and slightly firmer to the touch, without drying out. Rinse very briefly under cold water, then pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
3. Make the escabeche: combine the white wine vinegar, filtered water, blond cane sugar, lightly crushed juniper berries, mustard seeds, bay leaves, and black peppercorns in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer around 85 °C to 90 °C over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the juniper aromas are released, without boiling vigorously.
4. Add the sliced red onions to the hot escabeche, turn off the heat, and let infuse off the stove for 5 minutes. The slices should soften and become translucent at the edges while retaining their purple hue and a slight bite.
5. Pack the herring fillets snugly in a single layer in a shallow dish, skin-side down, then pour the warm escabeche cooled to about 50 °C over them along with all the aromatics to submerge the fish completely. Let cool for 45 minutes at room temperature, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (ideally overnight). The flesh should turn opaque on the surface, firm, pearlescent, and fragrant, without becoming mealy.
6. Place the Puy green lentils in a saucepan of cold unsalted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to maintain a steady simmer at 90-95 °C for 25 minutes. The lentils are done when tender to the bite without bursting. Season with salt at the very end of cooking, drain, and let rest for 5 minutes so they remain warm.
7. Whisk the Dijon mustard with a spoonful of the warm, strained escabeche liquid, then slowly whisk in the virgin sunflower oil and sweet smoked paprika to create a light emulsion. The vinaigrette should be smooth, glossy, orange-tinted, and cohesive.
8. Gently fold the warm lentils with the mustard vinaigrette, finely sliced scallions, chopped flat-leaf parsley, and a small portion of the drained pickled red onion. Let stand for 3 minutes to allow the lentils to absorb the flavors.
9. Remove the herring fillets from the chilled marinade and drain for 1 minute on paper towels. Slice on a bias into neat pieces about 2 to 3 cm wide. Strain a few pickled mustard seeds and red onion slices through a fine sieve to use for garnish.
10. Spoon a bed of warm lentils into the center of shallow bowls. Arrange the herring slices on top, skin-side up. Garnish with the reserved mustard seeds, pickled red onion, scallion greens, flat-leaf parsley leaves, and thinly sliced fresh red chili. Finish with a light drizzle of strained marinade around the edge of the plate.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

457.5 kcal

Protein

32.24 g

Carbohydrate

14.94 g

Fat

29.29 g

Fibre

4.84 g

Calcium

50.25 mg

Iron

4.03 mg

Magnesium

67.05 mg