arenque marinado

El arenque en salmuera es arenque crudo (una variedad de pescado ) sumergido en un líquido conservante suave . Generalmente consiste en arenque crudo en vinagre suave o arenque en salmuera holandesa . Además de vinagre, la marinada puede contener sidra, vino o té, azúcar, hierbas (generalmente laurel ), especias (generalmente macis ) y cebolla picada.

El término «soused» también puede describir un arenque marinado que ha sido cocinado. El arenque generalmente se hornea en la marinada, aunque a veces se fríe y luego se sumerge en ella. El arenque soused se sirve frío. ^{[ 1 ]}

El arenque en salmuera ( maatjesharing , aunque se le llama maatjes en los Países Bajos , o Matjes/matjes (en Alemania y Suecia )) es un arenque salado especialmente suave, hecho de arenques inmaduros. Los arenques se maduran durante un par de días en barricas de roble en una solución salina, o salmuera . Las enzimas pancreáticas que ayudan a la maduración hacen que esta versión del arenque salado sea especialmente suave y tierna. El arenque crudo encurtido en vinagre se llama rollmops .

Hollandse Nieuwe , Holländischer Matjes y Hollandse maatjesharing de fabricación holandesa tienen certificación TSG dentro de la Unión Europea, ^{[ 2 ]} y Glückstädter Matjes de producción alemana , producido en Schleswig-Holstein , tiene certificación IGP . ^{[ 3 ]}

Este proceso de preparación del arenque (conocido como " gibbing ") fue desarrollado en la Edad Media por los holandeses . Los arenques se capturan entre finales de mayo y principios de julio en el Mar del Norte, cerca de Dinamarca o Noruega , antes de que comience la temporada de reproducción. Esto se debe a que, en esta época, los arenques son excepcionalmente ricos en aceites (más del 15%) y sus huevas y esperma aún no se han desarrollado.

The brine used for Dutch soused herring has a much lower salt content and is much milder in taste than the German Loggermatjes. To protect against infection by nematodes of the genus Anisakis, European Union regulations state that fish should be frozen at −20 °C for at least 24 hours.^[4] In the modern day, soused herrings can therefore be produced throughout the year.

The Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad has for more than thirty years organized a competition whereby the quality of soused herring was evaluated.^[5] In 2017, there was a controversy over this competition, as an economist produced two working papers accusing the newspaper of biased testing.^[6] As a consequence, the competition was discontinued. Subsequently, statisticians have argued that the economist's claims relied on questionable statistics.^[5]

Through a cut in the throat, the gills and part of the gullet are removed from the herring, eliminating any bitter taste. The liver and pancreas are left in the fish during the salt-curing process because they release enzymes essential for flavor. The herrings are then placed in the brine for approximately five days, traditionally in oak casks. They require no further preparation after fillet and skin removal and can be eaten as a snack with finely sliced raw onion and pickles.

As skin removal requires experience, fillets or double fillets should be attempted first. The soused herrings are silvery outside and pink inside when fresh, and should not be bought if they appear grey and oily.

Whereas salt herrings have a salt content of 20% and must be soaked in water before consumption, soused herrings do not need soaking.

In the Netherlands soused herring is most often served as a snack, most frequently plain, or with a garnish of diced raw onion. Whole herring is often eaten by lifting the herring by its tail and eating it upwards holding it over the mouth. Soused herring dishes in Northern Germany are traditionally served with potatoes boiled in their skins, French beans, finely sliced fried bacon and onion. It is also common in Germany to eat soused herring with sliced raw onion in a bread roll, in a dish called Matjesbrötchen.

In some regions (e. g. Holstein), it is served on dark bread with a cowberry and cream sauce. Soused herring can also be served with cream or yogurt sauces containing onions and gherkins, or in salads.

In Sweden matjessill is traditionally served with boiled potatoes, sour cream, chopped chives, crisp bread and snaps. Boiled eggs are popular together with this dish that is most traditionally served on Midsummer's Eve – Finland has a similar custom but silli is not associated with crisp bread. Nowadays most Swedes and Finns eat herring which comes in cans and are sliced and with added sugar. The Swedish matjessill is most often more strongly spiced than other varieties.

• Pickled herring
• Fischbrötchen
• Gwamegi
• Schmaltz herring
• Rollmops
• Sashimi
• Kinilaw
• Ceviche