The Hirshon Jewish Pickled Herring with Onions in Sour Cream – זויער העררינג

September 2, 2017 by The Generalissimo Leave a Comment

Pickled Herring Image Used Under Creative Commons License From oukosher.org

Citizens, your scholarly Leader has always been hell-bent on preserving traditional recipes from all cultures – and being Jewish, especially true for the storied dishes of my youth that are now almost impossible to find.

Pickled herring has an iconic place in any European Jewish heart, and I will now teach you the way to make it for yourself, as there are so few places left that serve the real deal – Russ and Daughters, Murray’s Sturgeon Shop, Zabar’s and a few others are all that remain of the once prolific “appetizing” stores of old NYC.

Pickled herring, also known as bismarck herring, is a delicacy in Europe, and has become a part of Baltic (Estonian: Marineeritud heeringas, Latvian: marinēta siļķe, Lithuanian: marinuota silkė), Nordic (inlagd sill), Dutch (zure haring), German (Bismarckhering), Czech (zavináč), Polish (śledzie w occie), Eastern Slavic, Scottish and Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine.

Most cured herring uses a two-step curing process. Initially, herring is cured with salt to extract water. The second stage involves removing the salt and adding flavorings, typically a vinegar, salt, sugar solution to which ingredients such as peppercorn, bay leaves and raw onions are added. In recent years, other flavors have also been added, due to foreign influences. However, the tradition is strong in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, The Netherlands, Iceland and Germany.

Pickled herrings have been a staple in Northern Europe since Medieval times, being a way to store and transport fish, especially necessary in meatless periods like Lent. The herrings would be prepared, then packed in barrels for storage or transportation.

In the Nordic countries, once the pickling process is finished and depending on which of the dozens of classic herring flavourings (mustard, onion, garlic, lingonberries etc.) are selected, it is eaten with dark rye bread, crisp bread, sour cream, or potatoes. This dish is common at Christmas, Easter and Midsummer, where it is frequently eaten with akvavit.

Pickled herring, especially brined herring, is common in Russia and Ukraine, where it is served cut into pieces and seasoned with sunflower oil and onions, or can be part of herring salads, such as dressed herring (Russian: Сельдь под шубой, Ukrainian: Оселедець під шубою, lit. ‘herring under a fur coat’), which are usually prepared with vegetables and seasoned with mayonnaise dressing.

Brined herring is common in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, perhaps best known for vorschmack salad known in English simply as “chopped herring” and as schmaltz herring in Yiddish. In Israel it is commonly called as dag maluach which means “salted fish”.

Herring is enjoyed as a special Sabbath food by Ashkenazi Jews worldwide and is a staple at Kiddushes and social gatherings. Many kosher establishments have begun to formulate new fusion-style herring dishes such as Oneg-Shabbos herring and herring-lox combinations. Younger herring consumers look for new and interesting styles, besides the simple pickled herring with onions. Herring is typically served on crackers such as kichel or Tam Tams.

Citizens – I am going to teach you to make pickled herring from scratch – don’t be afraid, it’s not difficult in the least and you will be rewarded with a true taste of your ancestors! I’ve tweaked the pickling brine to my flavor preferences and added in some Nigella seeds, which are from India but are often found on Jewish rye bread crusts as a seasoning. You can purchase excellent salt herring fillets from here.

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Jewish Pickled Herring with Onions in Sour Cream – זויער העררינג

Ingredients

5 salted herring filets
PICKLED HERRING STOCK:
½ cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cup water
1.5 oz finely-chopped carrots
3 onions, thinly sliced
1.5 oz. grated celery root
2 tsp mashed garlic cloves
3 tsp allspice
2 pieces of Ceylon cinnamon
5 bay leaves
5 white peppercorns
5 black peppercorns
15 coriander seeds
2 tsp. Nigella seeds
1 small piece of horseradish
***
For final sauce:
Full fat sour cream
Sugar

Instructions

Bring brine ingredients to a boil and then let it cool off.
Take herring filets and rinse for about 2-3 hours. It should be slightly salty.
Marinate the fish in the pickling stock. It takes 3 days until the fish is ready and it is very important that you stir the fish one time per day.
Remove the herring from the marinade and slice into bite-sized pieces – place in a bowl. Sieve out and discard the bay leaves and most (but not all) of the pickling spices from the marinade, BUT KEEP THE ONIONS AND MARINADE WITH THE FISH!
You should then add in sour cream and additional sugar to taste, combine all and serve. It should keep for nearly a week in the fridge.
The TFD Special - A light (not too dark on the bottom) garlic bagel spread with the Hirshon Bagel Shmear, then covered with a few slices of the pickled herring onion, a piece or two of best-quality smoked salmon and several liberal grindings of pepper over all.

https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-jewish-pickled-herring-onions-sour-cream-%d7%96%d7%95%d7%99%d7%a2%d7%a8-%d7%94%d7%a2%d7%a8%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%a0%d7%92/

The Hirshon Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish in Squirrel Shape – 松鼠桂鱼

August 2, 2017 by The Generalissimo 3 Comments

Mandarin Fish Recipe Used Under Creative Commons License From xiaoeats.com

Citizens, your indefatigable and beloved leader – the shining star of supernova brilliance who is TFD – has been sadly laid up the last week due to the white-hot agony of a kidney stone. That said, I battle forth from my literal sickbed to bring you yet another recipe of savory merit and historic significance! :)

Crispy on the outside, moist and tender inside, the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish is indeed a legendary dish in Jiangsu cuisine (江苏菜), which is one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of China! You can learn a lot more about the 58 regional styles of Chinese cooking here.

In making this dish, a whole fish is deboned with the fillet still attached to the tail, the fillet is then cut in a cross-hatch pattern and when deep fried, will look like a squirrel in flight. The sauce served with it is sweet, slightly tangy and pleasantly red. Red is the auspicious color for the Chinese, so this sauce is extremely appropriate for the Chinese New Year. It is the signature dish of the premier restaurant of Jiangsu cuisine, known as Su Xiaoxiao.

Like many Chinese dishes, there are several legends and stories behind the recipe!

Apparently, a long time ago, an Emperor wanted to eat carp, but carp was forbidden by his own laws. Of course, being the Emperor, he wanted to get his way and told his chef that his head would be on the ground if he was not served carp. His chef then had to devise a way to make the carp un-carplike and using his unmatched kitchen techniques, made the fish to look like a flying squirrel instead.

Another legend has it that that during Emperor Qianlong’s extensive tour of the south, he caught sight of a particularly frisky carp and, delighted by its apparent zest for life, ordered it to be cooked immediately. In an attempt to capture the fish’s former joie de vivre, the chef focused on giving it a reanimated-look when he fried it. Others say that the origin of the dish’s name lies in the squirrel-like squeaks and squeals that erupt from the flesh when hot sauce is poured over it.

As noted on theworldofchinese.com:

In China, fish and fortune are finely intertwined, as illustrated by the hengpi (横批, horizontal scrolls) bearing the couplet 年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú, have surplus year after year) that are pasted over doors during Spring Festival.

The door itself or adjoining wall may also be emblazoned with paper-cuts carrying the same inscription, as well as pictures of a golden carp carried by a chunky little chap of unknown origin. The association with good fortune is extended further by the fact that 余 (yú, surplus food and money) and 鱼 (yú, fish) are homonyms, helping elevate the fish to a kind of Spring Festival good luck mascot .

Back in the mists of time, 鱼 was also a synonym for “letter.” In ancient China, people often wrote letters on silk and concealed them in carp stomachs as a means of delivering information in secret. This was known as 鱼传尺素 yu chuan chi su (鱼传尺素, using a fish to deliver messages).

This now long defunct practice was the primary influence on the later habit of folding letters wishing health and good wishes to friends and loved ones into a double-carp shape before mailing them.

Moreover, in the Tang and Song dynasties, noble lords wore fish-shaped talismans 鱼符 (yú fú, fish-shaped talismans) as a means of showcasing their wealth and nobility, while Buddhist monks and laity still use a wooden fish (木鱼 mùyú) drum to keep tempo while chanting sutras. Fish are also traditionally one of the sacrifices necessary to properly perform the rituals associated with worshiping one’s ancestors.

While most of these traditions have fallen by the wayside, their resonance can still be felt through the hallowed status accorded to the fish dish every New Year’s Eve.

In North China, one of the most popular dishes during Spring Festival is Squirrel Fish (松鼠鱼, sōngshǔyú). A commonplace at boozy Jiangsu banquets, this quirky dish is essentially a tribute to sweet and sour.

In the grand Chinese tradition of naming food after strange things they look like, Squirrel Fish is so named because of the crosshatch technique used to cut into the fish flesh, which after being deep-fried opens up the body and positions the head and tail like a jaunty squirrel. The whole fish is deboned before frying to give it further lift.

Freshwater fish such as yellow croaker, carp and Mandarin fish, also known as the Osmanthus fish (桂鱼 guìyú), are the most commonly used bases for the dish.

Citizens, this is a delicious recipe and one that will totally shift your perspective on what “sweet and sour Chinese” is supposed to be – I urge you to try it forthwith! :) As I prefer a tangier sauce, I specify chili sauce instead of the classic ketchup, and have jazzed up the garnishes a bit as well with scallions, bamboo shoots, ginger, and slivered red bell pepper.

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish in Squirrel Shape – 松鼠桂鱼

Ingredients

1 fish (carp, yellow croaker or Mandarin fish, around 1 kg) 鲤鱼 lǐ yú / 黄花鱼 huánghuā yú / 桂鱼 guì yú
1 quarter of onion 洋葱 yángcōng
50g bamboo shoot (diced in cubes) 竹笋 zhúsǔn
50g carrots (diced in cubes) 胡萝卜 húluóbo
50g sweet corn kernels 甜玉米 tián yùmǐ
50g peas 豌豆 wāndòu
50g pine nuts kernels 松籽仁 sōngzǐrén
2 tablespoons cooking wine 料酒 liàojiǔ
1 tablespoon minced ginger 姜 jiāng
3 tablespoons tomato paste 西红柿酱 xīhóngshìjiàng
1 tablespoon chili sauce with garlic
1 tablespoon sugar 糖 táng
2 tablespoons white vinegar 白醋 báicù
1 tablespoon soy sauce 生抽 shēngchōu
8 tablespoon water 水 Shuǐ
1 teaspoon salt 盐 yán
1 teaspoon ground black pepper 黑胡椒粉 hēihújiāofěn
2 chopped heads of dried Chinese tree fungi (soaked and properly cleaned)
4 thinly-shredded bamboo shoots
2 tablespoons of thinly shredded fresh ginger
1 slivered sweet red pepper
***
sesame oil 香油 xiāngyóu
80g cornstarch (to dust the fish) 玉米粉 yùmǐ fěn
Vegetable oil to fry the fish 植物油 zhíwùyóu
½ bunch scallions, washed and trimmed, and sliced on the diagonal

Instructions

Remove the head of the fish and split the underside of its “chin” to flatten it. Set aside for later use. Your fishmonger can do this for you.
Remove the spine by filleting the fish from head to tail, being careful not to cut the tail. Slide the knife lengthwise beneath the backbone to detach it from the flesh, and remove. The tail will stay attached with both sides of the fish’s body. Remove the glossy underside of the stomach, which is a bit bitter. Again, your fishmonger can do this.
Score the flesh with your knife, cross-hatching the meat side without cutting through the skin. The meat should now be portioned into small square blocks. Season with one teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and 2 tbsp. cooking wine.
Pour the cornstarch onto a plate and dust the fish and head, removing any excess.
Heat some oil in a pan or wok and fry the head until golden brown. Remove the head and dry it on kitchen paper.
Now add the fish, holding it by the tail for the first few seconds to set the shape. Fry for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain it on kitchen paper. Place the fish and the head on a serving plate.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a medium wok. Add the tree fungi, bamboo shoots, fresh ginger, and sweet red pepper. Quick fry over moderate heat for two minutes.
Add the tomato paste to the wok and heat for a few seconds (this will remove the tinny flavor and a bit of the acidity). Add chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water. Mix well and then add the vegetables and ginger. Stir again and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste.
Dissolve 3 tsp of cornstarch into 6 tsp of cold water and mix this into the sauce to thicken. Turn down the heat, drizzle on some sesame oil and pour the sauce over the fried fish. Finish off the dish with some pine nuts, and it’s ready to serve!

https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-sweet-sour-mandarin-fish-squirrel-shape-%e6%9d%be%e9%bc%a0%e6%a1%82%e9%b1%bc/

The Hirshon Thai Seafood Sour Orange Curry – แกงส้ม

April 28, 2017 by The Generalissimo Leave a Comment

Sour Orange Curry Image Used Under Creative Commons License From review.edtguide.com

Citizens, today I am proud to share with you a most unusual (outside of Thailand) curry – one that does not use coconut milk as a base!

Kaeng som or gaeng som or Thai sour curry is a sour and spicy fish curry or soup with vegetables popular in central Thailand. The curry is characteristic for its sour taste, which comes from tamarind (makham). The recipe uses palm sugar to sweeten the curry.

A paste called nam phrik kaeng som is prepared as a base for the curry, to which water and the ingredients are added. The preparation of this paste includes shrimp paste and shallots and all the ingredients are pounded with a mortar and pestle. This paste can be made from dry red chilies and one made from fresh red chilies. Some recipes state that large chilies should be used, others prefer bird’s eye chilies.

Fish or shrimp may be used as the basic ingredient. Kaeng som is usually served with steamed rice.

Traditional vegetables used in household preparation include drumstick pods (marum), green papaya, and Sesbania grandiflora flowers (dok khae), including the red variant of the flower in kaeng som dok khae daeng. Other locally available vegetables are used in the traditional versions such as Ipomoea aquatica (phak bung) and Neptunia oleracea (phak krachet).

Following the popularization of the dish, currently the favored vegetables include cauliflower, white radish, cabbage, chinese cabbage, carrot, long beans and asparagus, as well as cha om omelet.

The versions using shrimp instead of fish are more popular; kaeng som with shrimp and cha-om omelet is now a standard dish in Thailand. Other types may include pineapple or seafood. The common point, however, is that coconut milk is not used in this sour curry.

Southern Thailand has its own sour curry, which is locally called kaeng som, but in the rest of Thailand is called kaeng lueang (“yellow curry”) or kaeng som phak tai (“southern Thai kaeng som”) to differentiate it from the central Thai kaeng som.

It differs from the central Thai dish through its use of tamarind paste, assam fruit (som kaek) and lime juice to achieve the sourness, turmeric, which gives it a yellow color, garlic, shallots. The main characteristics of the southern variant is the use of turmeric and that it very spicy, sour and salty.

I add garlic, turmeric and Chinese keys to mine. Many people add Chinese keys to tame the fish flavor and add a nice aroma to the curry. My version of this curry paste does use some fresh turmeric, in the style of southern Thailand.

Citizens, this non-coconut milk curry is both unusual and delicious and I hope you will give it a try! :D

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Thai Seafood Sour Orange Curry – แกงส้ม

Ingredients

For the curry paste:
1 dried Anaheim pepper
4 dried Chiles de arbol
2 orange Thai chili peppers, minced - if unavailable, try 1 orange habanero instead
1" piece peeled fresh turmeric, sliced (cut and peel on a paper plate, dispose of plate immediately after cutting and wash knife and your hands thoroughly after cutting - fresh turmeric stains permanently!)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon Chinese keys (Optional) - (aka gra-chai) scraped and grated (optional but recommended)
1 clove garlic, minced
⅓ cup skinless, boneless meat of poached trout or catfish (optional but recommended)
2 ½ cups of fish stock
¼ cup prepared tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tsp. palm sugar (preferred) or if unavailable use light brown sugar
For the curry
1 lb. Shrimp or boneless and skinless white fish fillet
¼ cup decoratively sliced daikon radish
¼ cup sliced green beans
¼ cup peeled green papaya, cubed

Instructions

Cut up the dried chili peppers and soak in warm water for at least 20 minutes or until soft.
When the peppers are soft, squeeze out the water and place them in a food processor.
Add salt, which helps with the grinding.
Grind the peppers until the paste becomes smooth.
Add Chinese Keys (if using) and turmeric. Grind until mixed in.
Add garlic, Thai chilis and shallots. Grind until smooth. Add shrimp paste and grind to mix it in.
Add the fish meat and grind until you have a smooth paste.
Put the fish stock in a pot and bring it to a gentle boil.
Stir in the prepared paste, followed by tamarind pulp, fish sauce, and palm sugar.
Once the palm sugar completely dissolves, taste and correct the seasoning as necessary. The flavor should be predominantly sour, then salty, and a little sweet.
Your kaeng som curry base is now ready to be used right away or frozen.
Bring 2 cups of the curry base to a boil in a medium pot, add vegetables. Once the vegetables are almost ready, add cubes of fish fillets or peeled and deveined shrimp and gently cook until the fish or shrimp is done.
Serve immediately with plenty of white rice!

https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-thai-seafood-sour-orange-curry-%e0%b9%81%e0%b8%81%e0%b8%87%e0%b8%aa%e0%b9%89%e0%b8%a1/