Vodka Battered Herring, house salt n’ vinegar chips, farm herbs, tom-olive tartar from Thackeray Café & Bar on Lower Stone Way for Alaska Herring Week 2017!
Wanna make this at home? You can purchase the same Alaska Herring fillets being used by Seattle’s top chefs for Alaska Herring Week from Central Coop on Capitol Hill, Freshy’s Seafood Market on Mercer Island, Old Ballard Liquor Co. in Ballard, and Wild Salmon Seafood Market at Fisherman’s Terminal! Once you’ve done that, here’s the recipe:
Vodka Battered Herring, house salt n’ vinegar chips, farm herbs, tom-olive tartar
Basic Bone Softening Brine:
- 1 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
Brine herring fillets for 2-3 hours, then pour off brine.
For the batter:
- 3 TB cornstarch : 1 cup Drake’s crispy fry mix, make a double batch of this so you have some to dredge the fish in.
- 2-3 oz vodka
- 2-3 oz sparkling mineral water
Mix together the dry ingredients with two thirds of the wet. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients until light, runny batter with no clumps has formed. Set aside no longer than an hour in advance and chill.
Lightly dredge the fish in some of the dry mix then dip into the batter and scrape the excess with your index and middle fingers. There should be an uncomfortably little amount of batter left on the fish. This is ok!
Fry at 350 degrees until light golden brown and crispy.
Season with fleur de sel to taste
For the tartar:
- 3 oz mayo
- 1 tsp minced shallot
- 1 tsp minced celery
- 2 oz chopped tom-olives
- 1 tsp tom-olive brine
- Pinch cayenne
Simply mix together all ingredients
For the chips:
- 1 ea large russet potato
- 1 tsp salt and vinegar powder
Slice the potatoes about one eighth of an inch thick on a mandolin and soak in lightly acidulated water
Fry at 250 degrees until golden brown and crispy
Remove from oil, drain onto paper towel, and immediately season with salt and vinegar powder
Plate on large round with smear of tartar on one side, and chips topped with the fried herring on the other. Garnish with fresh herbs of your choice, but we recommend celery leaves, lovage, basil, flowering chives, shaved fennel and fennel fronds.
Alaska Herring Week 