This is not to say that homemade pastes are present on our menu every day, these dishes are more inherent in the cuisine of Southern Europe. Nevertheless, our housewives have something to brag about. True, abroad they often prepare such a dish of game meat, poultry and expensive fish. In our country, for pastes, liver and herring are most often used . The recipes of such dishes were invented and expertly improved back in Soviet times, when the current abundance was not observed on the shelves, but there were enough offal and fish. And we must pay tribute to women - they contrived to cook in such a way that their appetizer simply melted in their mouths, and Europeans could only envy the skill and fantasies of our culinary experts.
How to cook herring paste
By and large, today and in the store you can buy such a meal without much difficulty. But I must say, cooked at home, herring paste will, of course, be much tastier. It is usually prepared from slightly salted herring, however, smoked fish can also be used for these purposes. The main thing is to skillfully select all the ingredients. And the latter, I must say, quite a lot. So, herring paste, the recipe of which, and not one, we want to offer you today, is prepared with milk and caviar, boiled eggs and carrots, apples, cream cheese, butter and many other ingredients. As seasonings, use oregano, cumin, coriander, garlic, dill. Each mistress has her own signature dish. As for the cooking process itself, it is quite simple. All components are ground in a blender or passed through a meat grinder.
However, enough theory, it’s time to start cooking herring paste. And let's start with the budget.
"Student"
Actually, from the name itself it is clear that the snack should be simple, cheap and satisfying. And therefore, the ingredients are needed appropriate. And we need:
- Herring fillet - four hundred grams will be enough.
- Potato - three large tubers are enough.
- Butter - no more than one hundred grams.
- Two onions.
- Dill and garlic (either dried or fresh - as you wish).
Mashed potatoes are required, preferably using a mixer, while adding oil, garlic and dill to it during cooking. Fillet will need to be passed through a blender along with onions, which, by the way, can be used both fresh and spasser. Then combine both components together, salt and pepper to taste. Such a herring paste, the recipe of which, as you see, is very simple, can simply be spread on bread, or you can use it together with pancakes or pita bread.
Red fish? No - herring!
An economical option, a kind of blende of taste. Such a herring paste with carrots, to which cream cheese is added , to taste and color, resembles red fish oil. It is also prepared quickly and simply, and as ingredients you need to stock up:
- Herring fillet - all the same 400 g.
- Four to five eggs.
- Cream cheese - no more than two hundred grams.
- Butter - one hundred grams.
- Carrots - two large root crops are enough.
Carrots, as well as eggs, must first be boiled, and then peeled. Then pass all the ingredients except the onion through a meat grinder or mix in a blender. As for the onion, you will have to suffer here - you need to grate it on a fine grater, then add to the finished paste and mix thoroughly the whole mass so that it looks like butter in its appearance. Salt and pepper - to taste. Cool. Such a herring paste with melted cheese and carrots is perfect for filling snacks and sandwiches.
Jewish option
Such a herring paste very much resembles a mincemeat, but since the latter is a national dish that requires following the classical recipe, the option proposed below will be a variation on the theme. Its main difference, as well as the highlight, is the presence of cottage cheese. And granular salty. The combination can be called quite daring, but the taste is refined. In general, the dish is definitely worth your attention.
The recipe for its preparation requires:
- Four hundred grams of herring fillet.
- One hundred and fifty grams of granular curd.
- One hundred grams of breadcrumbs.
- A small bunch of green onions.
- Fresh leaves of parsley (or dill) - thirty grams.
- Glass of milk
- A pinch of coriander.
How to cook
The fillet must be carefully examined, selected from it, if any, all bones, then pour a glass of milk and leave it in this form for an hour. A blender is not suitable for preparing a paste, you need a meat grinder, and always with a large grill. It is necessary to remove the herring from milk, rinse, and then, together with all the ingredients, with the exception of breadcrumbs, pass through it. At the very end of the process, you can put several slices of stale white bread in a meat grinder. After that, add the breadcrumbs to the mass, mix everything thoroughly with a fork, and then add a little milk, in which the herring lay, in order to achieve the desired consistency.
Semolina paste
A somewhat unusual cooking option, which, however, does not affect the final result and the peculiar taste of the dish. In order to make such a herring paste, you must first prepare the minced meat from 400 g of herring fillet. Then pour one and a half glasses of water into a saucepan, pour three or four tablespoons of sunflower oil and pour a pinch of salt. When everything boils, add five tablespoons of semolina and cook porridge, stirring constantly, until it thickens. After the semolina has cooled, it must be mixed with herring minced, add one boiled carrot, previously crushed in a blender, pour in five tablespoons of sunflower oil and one tea vinegar or lemon juice. Then add chopped - very finely - green onions.
... and tomato juice
This herring paste is a slightly modified version of the first, with semolina. Only here is there still tomato juice. To prepare such an appetizer, you need to mix a glass of tomato juice with a glass of vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into a saucepan, and then, after boiling, pour five tablespoons of semolina there and cook, stirring constantly, for several minutes. When this peculiar porridge cools down, it must be mixed with herring fillet, previously converted into minced meat, for the preparation of which you need to take four hundred grams of fish. Add either finely chopped green or grated onions. Pepper and salt, naturally to taste.
Conclusion
Herring paste, a recipe with a photo (and not one) that you can find in our article, is a great appetizer, which is not a shame to put on a festive table. Of course, the herring is good in itself, without any fiction - sprinkled with onions and sprinkled with vegetable oil, in any case, it will not be left without attention of the guests. Nevertheless, many housewives like pastes, which nevertheless require some work, because they make it possible to significantly diversify the menu - to make intricate sandwiches, appetizers in tartlets and much more. Be that as it may, but all herring lovers will certainly appreciate this dish.
Enjoy your meal!