Pickled sardines with crisp anchovies, boiled potatoes, sweet dill and mustard sauce
A classic Scandinavian dish of pickled sardines served with a sweet dill dressing.
Ingredients
For the rollmops
- 3 tbsp sea salt
- 4 sardines, filleted
- 600ml/21fl oz cider vinegar
- 300ml/10fl oz cider
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 4 juniper berries
- 1 tsp pink peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
For the crisp anchovies
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú plain flour
- 300ml bottle beer
- 6 small anchovies
- 12 lovage leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dill dressing
- 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp American mustard
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 1 pinch sugar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- 500g/1lb 2oz Pink Fir apple potatoes
- pinch dill seeds
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white cabbage, shredded
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the rollmops, dissolve the salt in 500ml/18fl oz water, lay the fillets in the salt water, cover and place in the fridge overnight.
The next day, remove the fillets from the solution and pat dry on kitchen paper. Roll up each fillet and secure with a cocktail stick.
Heat the vinegar, cider, caster sugar, juniper berries, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme and onions together in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, stir to dissolve the sugar then remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
Pour the pickling liquor over the herring fillets, cover and place in the fridge for 24 hours.
To make the anchovies, fill a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan two-thirds full with the oil. Heat to 180C (a cube of bread should turn brown in one minute when dropped in.) CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
Place the flour in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, mix with enough beer to form a batter. Place an anchovy between two lovage leaves and deep-fry for 2–3 minutes, until crisp and golden-brown.
To make the dressing, place all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, cook the potatoes for 15–20 minutes, until just cooked. Mix with the dill seeds and olive oil and set aside.
Meanwhile, place the cabbage in a colander rested over a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Mix well to coat and leave for 20 minutes. Place the salted cabbage in a clean tea towel and squeeze over a sink to get rid of any excess liquid.
Put the cabbage in a bowl with the cucumber, cumin seeds and some black pepper. Mix well to combine.
Serve the rollmops with the crisp anchovies, potatoes, salad and dressing on the side.