
Pickled Alaska Herring Panzanella with roasted beets, micro arugula and sweet corn shoots from Orfeo for Alaska Herring Week 2017!

Pickled Alaska Herring Panzanella with roasted beets, micro arugula and sweet corn shoots from Orfeo for Alaska Herring Week 2017!

Presenting Smoked Herring Salad with butter lettuce, potato, cucumber, and herb aioli, from Dahlia Lounge for Alaska Herring Week 2017!

Introducing Alaska Herring with radish and charred scallion salad, and radish green salsa verde, from Poppy on Capitol Hill for Alaska Herring Week.
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:
Alaska Herring with radish and charred scallion salad and radish green salsa verde
Ingredients:
For Brine:
For Salsa Verde:
For Radish Salad:
Brine Fish
Stir water and salt until salt is dissolved. Soak the herring in this brine for 24 hours. (Note: this is not a bone softening brine, as the pressure cooking in the next step will accomplish that.)
Pressure Cook
Put ½ cup water, ginger, and chopped scallion in the bottom of an electric pressure cooker. Lightly oil squares of parchment paper. Set a small rack in the cooker, cover with a piece of parchment and stack the herring fillets on top, placing a piece of parchment between each layer. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Release steam, open the cooker, carefully pull up the rack and place in a refrigerator until chilled.
Salsa Verde
Put all ingredients except oil in a food processor. While the machine is running, slowly pour in the oil.
Radish Salad
Preheat a grill until very hot. Toss the scallions with the oil. Grill until very charred and blackened. Cool and coarsely chop.
In a mixing bowl whisk the vinegar with the honey and salt. Toss in the radishes, fennel and charred scallion.
Serving
Lightly brush the herring with olive oil. Grill the fillets skin side up until marked and warmed through. Arrange the radish salad on serving plates. Place the gilled herring skin side down beside the salad and top with a spoonful of the salsa verde.

Meet Lemon Dill Herring from Central Coop’s Deli for Alaska Herring Week 2017, available all week from their deli counter!
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! In fact, Central Coop’s Meat & Seafood Department has pre-brined Alaska herring fillets available, if you want to skip the brining step! Once you’ve done that, here’s the recipe:
Bone Softening Brine
Combine liquids (enough for about 2 pounds of fillets — adjust proportionally, as needed)
Brine fillets for 3-4 hours (test one fillet for bones, if not soft enough, brine longer)
Pour off brine
Soak brined fillets in ice water for 30 minutes
Lemon Dill Herring
(Note: ingredients for marinade based on Deli’s 15 pounds of herring. Reduce proportionally, as needed.)
Heat up charbroiler/grill.
Combine oil, dill, salt and pepper and lemon juice.
Place brined and drained herring onto pan and brush on the marinade.
Spray charbroiler with oil.
Sear for about 2 minutes on each side, until herring is crackling.
Garnish with lemon slices.

Did you know that Alaska Herring Week 2017 features no less than eight James Beard Award winners? From James Beard Award winner, Cafe Juanita, in Kirkland, we have Alaskan herring in Saor on Hearth Bread crostini with shaved fennel 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:
Recipe: Herring in Saor on Crostini with Shaved Fennel
Ingredients:
To prepare the herring filets and place them ‘en saor:’
To make the crostini and assemble the dish:

The Swedish Pickled Herring Plate from Old Ballard Liquor Co. for Alaska Herring Week, features pickled herring five ways. While the perfect Midsommar treat, it is available year-round at Old Ballard, though flavors may vary. Wanna make this at home? At Old Ballard Liquor Co., you can also purchase the same Alaska Herring fillets being used by Seattle’s top chefs for Alaska Herring Week! Once you’ve done that, here’s the recipe:
Swedish Pickled Herring Plate (Allow 7 days)
Step 1: Salt the Herring
Make a 25% salt brine using the following proportions, and scale up to whatever quantity is needed:
25g Salt per 100mls of Water
Bring the solution to a boil until the salt dissolves, and then cool in the refrigerator to 35-40 degrees.
Refrigerate and brine the herring fillets in the salt brine for three days.
Step 2: Make the Herring Pickle Brine
Add the following ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally:
Turn off the heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Do not remove spices. Chill overnight to 35-40 degrees. Brine can be refrigerated and should be used within 60 days.
Step 3: Soak and Peel the Herring
Step 3: Pickle the Herring
Cut the fillets into serving size pieces
Drain the water, put the pieces into a plastic or glass (nonreactive) container and cover with pickling brine.
Refrigerate and allow to pickle for a minimum of three days
Step 4: Flavored Pickled Herring
In a clean, dry container, layer the pickled herring with spices, fruit or vegetables. Cover with fresh brine and allow to sit for a minimum of 24 hours.
Step 5: Cream Herrings
For cream herrings, drain the pickled herring well and make a cream of:
Mix the cream with the herring and refrigerate.
On Friday, june 23rd, the Swedish Club celebrates one of the most important holidays on the Swedish calendar, Midsommar, marking the summer solstice, the longest day of the year — kind of a big deal when you live as far north as the Swedes do! Midsommar celebrations often include a feast, called a smörgåsbord, which usually features herring prominently. Hmm…. a feast that stars herring… during Alaska Herring Week. Yup, that works for us!

The Midsommar smörgåsbord at the Swedish Club features herring five ways, including this Pickled Fried Herring On Hardtack, above, as well as Dill and Tomato Herring Rollups, below.

For the complete menu, as well as some interesting background information on herring and Alaska Herring Week, click here to see the Swedish Club’s June 2017 newsletter. The Midsommar smörgåsbord is only $30, but it sells out fast! Make your reservation now by calling 206-283-1090 or emailing rsvp@swedishclubnw.org.

Pickled Citrus Herring, above, will also be featured on the Swedish Club’s Midsommar herring plate.

Also on the herring plate, Fried Herring with Apples and Beets from the Swedish Club for Alaska Herring Week.

Pickled Midsummer Herring with Sour Cream and Herbs rounds out the Swedish Club Midsommar herring plate for Alaska Herring Week.

Ballard’s Mean Sandwich presents a Teriyaki Herring Sandwich with vegan kimchi and burnt scallion mayo for Alaska Herring Week 2017! Once you have fallen in love with it, you can use the recipe below to make it at home. (Pick up Alaska Herring fillets from nearby Old Ballard Liquor Co. or Wild Salmon Seafood Market.)
Teriyaki Herring Sandwich Recipe:
Brine:
Mix ingredients. Soak fillets for 2-2.5 hours. Rinse. Pat dry. Transfer to teriyaki sauce for additional 1/2-1hr.
Teriyaki sauce:
Cook until viscous and flavors are married. Strain, cool.
Kimchi (make more save for later):
Chop napa cabbage and add salt and sugar, let sit for an hour or two. (Can sit up to 24hrs) Add remaining ingredients, mix thoroughly and put in airtight container preferably on counter top for 3 days then transfer to refrigerator. The mixture can also just go directly into the fridge. It will just take longer to jumpstart. Wait minimum 1 week. The longer the wait the more sour the kimchi.
Burnt scallion mayo:
Grill, griddle or torch scallion bottoms until literally black. Reserve. Chop scallion tops (greens). When cool, chop charred whites, fold both parts into mayo and season with salt and pepper.
To finish:
Sort fish on sheet pan with rack. Torch on skin side until black. Drizzle excess teriyaki on fish. Assemble sandwich: kimchi on bottom, fish on kimchi, mayo on top bun. Serve.


Meet Smoked-Then-Fried Herring, just one of the herring dishes being offered by Old Ballard Liquor Co. for Alaska Herring Week 2017! Wanna make this at home? At Old Ballard Liquor Co., you can purchase the same Alaska Herring fillets being used by Seattle’s top chefs for Alaska Herring Week! Once you’ve done that, here’s the recipe:
RECIPE: Smoked-Then-Fried Herring
Tasty Smoking Brine
You’ll need:
Prepare the Brine:
Add all ingredients except the ice cubes to a pot and bring to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Add the ice to cool the brine. Store brine in the refrigerator for up to 45 days if not used immediately.
Prepare the Herring:
Peel the skin off of the Alaskan herring fillets, and brine for 2-3 hours.
Lay the fillets on a cooling rack on a small pan and put uncovered into a refrigerator for three hours to dry slightly. The fish should be sticky to the touch when ready.
Cold smoke the herring in alder smoke at 120 degrees max for 30—45 minutes.
Remove from the smoker. If the fish is dry to the touch, moisten by lightly brushing fresh brine over both sides. Set aside.
In a wide frying pan, heat ¼ Cup clarified butter on medium-high heat (substitute 1/8C butter + 1/8C canola oil).
Dredge the fish in plain, unseasoned rye flour.
Pan-fry on each side until golden.
Serve with mashed potatoes and sweet dill cucumber pickles (pressgurka).

Meet Arenque, featuring olive oil poached herring with piquillo peppers, piparras, cured black olives and alioli, from The Harvest Vine. (Click here to download recipe.) Arenque is Spanish for “herring.” But the crew at The Harvest Vine is having a little extra fun with its herring dish, with its alternate name, Keith Haring Herring, as an homage to the great artist.
