Negroni Herring: A Twist for the Swedish Christmas Table
Herring belongs on the Swedish Christmas table. This variation brings together gin, sweet red vermouth and Campari with orange and bay leaves. Start with commercially prepared, ready-to-eat pickled herring, such as Swedish 5-minute herring.
Ingredients
- 200 g ready-to-eat pickled herring in a clear vinegar brine, drained weight
- 100 ml food-grade Swedish ättiksprit, 12% acidity
- 200 ml granulated sugar, measured by volume
- 300 ml water
- 20 ml gin
- 20 ml sweet red vermouth
- 20 ml Campari
- ½ orange
- 2–3 bay leaves
Preparation
- Warm the vinegar, sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cool the liquid completely before adding it to the fish. Use the stated 12% food vinegar; ordinary lower-strength vinegar is not an equivalent substitution.
- Drain the ready-to-eat herring and discard its packing liquid. Cut whole fillets into pieces about 1 cm wide and place in a clean bowl.
- Wash the orange, slice it and add it with the bay leaves. Mix the gin, vermouth and Campari into the cold prepared liquid and pour over the herring.
- Keep covered in the refrigerator at about 4°C until serving. Remove the bay leaves before eating.
Serving
Prepare close to serving and make only the amount needed for the meal. This is a way to flavour ready-to-eat herring, not a preservation method for raw fish or long storage. The added alcohol remains in the dish.
