Herring in Oil with Onion and Allspice Recipe
Herring in oil with onion and allspice is a classic Polish appetizer found on Christmas Eve, holiday and carnival tables. Salty, firm fillets are combined here with gently pickled onion, bay leaf and warm spices, giving a deep but not aggressive flavor. This version is well‑balanced: the herring stays springy, and the onion softens without a sharp, biting vinegar note.
This kind of herring is one of the pillars of Polish winter tables: from Christmas Eve to home parties with snacks served alongside a shot of vodka. In many homes it’s prepared in advance, because with each passing day it gains depth of flavor.
These are herrings with a classic yet refined profile: immediately pleasant in taste, without the need for long soaking or aggressive vinegar. The gently acidified onion means that even people who usually avoid raw onion are happy to eat it. Over time the oil becomes so intensely flavored with spices that it itself turns into a delicious topping for bread.
Why this version works
- Controlled soaking lets you adjust the saltiness without losing the fillets’ firmness.
- Briefly marinating the onion in warm brine softens its sharpness while keeping a slight crunch.
- Crushed rather than ground spices release their aroma into the oil without overwhelming the fish with bitterness.
- Layering with onion on top protects the herring from drying out against the sides of the dish.
Chef's tips
Taste the herring after the first hour of soaking – if it’s acceptably salty, stop soaking, because keeping it in water longer quickly washes out the flavor and makes the fish watery., Squeeze the onion really well after marinating, otherwise it will dilute the oil and a watery layer will collect at the bottom, which speeds up spoilage., After pouring in the oil, gently move the jar from time to time – you’ll see the spices and onion distribute evenly between the layers.
How to serve
Serve the herring on a small platter with onion and a little oil, sprinkled with freshly ground pepper and dill or parsley. Serve with wholemeal bread, butter and dill pickles – it makes a complete, simple supper or a classic snack with a shot of dry vodka., For a more casual occasion, add them to a potato salad or serve with baked potatoes in their skins.
Watch out for
- Do not use boiling brine on the onion – it will become soft, harsh and lose freshness.
- Do not put wet herring into the jar – water will dilute the oil and shorten the appetizer’s shelf life.
- If the pieces are not completely covered with oil, the top layers can dry out and darken.
Substitutions
- You can replace part of the rapeseed oil with mild olive oil, avoiding very bitter varieties.
- Instead of spirit vinegar, use apple cider vinegar, increasing the amount to about 1.5 tablespoons.
- You can replace matjes with regular salted herring fillets, shortening the soaking time.
Ingredients
- herring fillets a la matjes - 400 g
- onion - 2 piece
- oil rapeseed or sunflower - 200 ml
- bay leaf - 3 piece
- allspice - 6 piece
- pepper black, whole - 8 piece
- vinegar spirit vinegar 10% - 1 tablespoon
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
- water - 50 ml
Preparation
- Rinse the herring fillets under cold water to wash off excess salt. Place in a bowl with very cold water and soak for 1–2 hours, changing the water every 30 minutes, until a test piece is clearly salty but no longer “stinging”.
- After soaking, pat the herring very dry with paper towels, also between layers, so they are not wet. Cut into 2–3 cm wide pieces, one or two bites each, so they don’t break when serving.
- Peel the onions and slice into thin, as even as possible feathers. Try to keep the thickness similar – they will then soften evenly, staying slightly crunchy instead of partly raw.
- Pour 50 ml water into a small saucepan, add the vinegar and sugar. Heat over low heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves – the liquid should be hot but not boiling and without bubbles. Remove from the heat and set aside for 3–5 minutes.
- Transfer the sliced onion to a bowl and pour over the warm (not scalding) vinegar mixture. Stir and leave for 10–15 minutes, until the onion slightly softens and loses its raw, harsh smell. Then squeeze it well to remove excess liquid.
- Lightly crush the bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns in a mortar or under the flat side of a knife until they crack but are not ground to a powder. You should smell a stronger, warm, spicy aroma.
- In a sterilized jar or glass dish, layer pieces of herring and the squeezed onion, sprinkling each layer with a pinch of the crushed spices. Finish with a layer of onion so the fish is covered and doesn’t dry out against the sides.
- Pour oil over the herring so that all pieces and the onion are completely submerged; add more if needed. Gently tap the jar on the counter or move it around until air bubbles stop rising.
- Cover the jar and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours, so the flavors meld. After a few hours, gently turn the closed jar so the spices and onion distribute more evenly between the layers.
- Before serving, take the herring out of the fridge 10–15 minutes in advance so the oil can warm slightly and is not completely thick. Serve the herring pieces with onion, drizzling with a little aromatic oil from the bottom of the jar.
Storage
Store herring in oil in the fridge for up to 7–10 days, making sure they are completely covered with oil. Over time the onion softens, the flavor becomes more spicy and complex, and the oil thickens and develops an intense aroma.
I like these herrings best on the second or third day, when the onion has softened and the oil is so aromatic that just drizzling it over warm wholemeal bread makes a ready supper.
