Categorized | Fish
Can smoke herrings be considered comfort food?
Posted on 05 February 2010
My idea of comfort food is any meal that takes me back to a time or place where I was in total bliss. Words alone could never tell how happy it was for us as kids growing up on the islands, but there are several meals that takes me right back to those days. I still recall days when my dad would bring home ground provisions from the garden and my mom would cook up a batch of smoke herring to top a plate full of yam, dasheen and green bananas. Back then I wouldn’t eat the actual pieces of smoked herrings, but the oil was drizzled all over my plate of provision.
Our girls hate the smell of smoke herrings, so with having the house all to myself today I thought I’d take advantage of this opportunity and fire up the stove to prepare some comfort food from my youth. Little did they know I had this day planned from a few days ago when I first learned that I would be home alone. I had already source some yam and smoke herring fillets.
NOTE: I’m using the herring fillets since it’s a lot less work, but I’m almost positive that you won’t get fillets if you live in the Caribbean. You can check out a pic I took at the San Fernando public market back in October of a huge pile of smoked herrings as it’s sold in the Caribbean.
You’ll Need…
1/2 lb smoked herring fillets
1 tomato
1 medium onion
1 hot pepper (your choice – I use habanero, including seeds)
dash of black pepper
6-8 tablespoons olive oil
Optional ingredients:
- 1/ 2 bell pepper diced
- 1 scallion sliced thin
- 1/4 red onion sliced thin.
- 1 pimento pepper sliced thin
* If you’re using a very hot pepper like habanero or scotch bonnet and don’t want the “flaming” heat, don’t include the seeds or the membrane that surrounds the seeds.
Start by putting the fillets into a fairly deep bowl and cover with boiling water. This will help remove some of the salt and make the fish tender enough to shred. TIP: Smoke herrings will give your hands a very strong smell which will remain long after… even after you wash with soap. If you can get a pair of disposable gloves I ‘d suggest you use it when handing the fish.
If I was making this during the warmer months I would boil it in a pot with water for a few minutes on the side burner of my grill outside. But if I were to do that during the winter months indoor, the smell would be too much for even me to handle. So I did the next best thing and poured the hot water directly over it and allow it to soak from about 15 minutes.
While the smoke herring fillets soak in the hot (make sure it’s boiling and not just hot water from your tap) water, I prepare the onion, pepper and tomato. Basically all you’re doing is slicing the pepper and onion very thin and dice the tomato into small pieces. If you’re using the optional ingredients, all you have to do is slice/dice the same as you did with the onions etc.
Drain out the water from the bowl and rinse the fillets with a fresh batch of cool water. Squeeze dry and start breaking/shredding the fillets into small pieces. You may notice some tiny bones.. try to remove as much as you can. But don’t worry they won’t cause any real harm as they are very soft.
Let’s now assemble everything…
Empty all the onions, pepper and tomato into the bowl with the shredded herring and add a couple dashes of black pepper. Then give it a good mix. The final step is to heat the olive oil in a pan over high heat and as soon as you start seeing smoke, pour it over everything. This will help cook the onion and allow all the flavours to marry. Mix well and serve.
Here’s my complete dish of boil yam topped with the smoked herrings…
The only thing I hate about comfort food is the “ritis” it gives at the end. I could so easily fall asleep now. Do you have a different way of preparing smoked herrings or a alternate way of making this recipe? I’d love for you to leave your comments below.
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ok, never had Smoked Herrings. I’m really going to love your blog. This is really out of the box for me. Thanks for this post.
.-= Lea Ann´s last blog ..My First Award – And I’m Honestly Honored =-.
Welcome Lea Ann and thanks for commenting. Stay tuned for more recipes.
happy cooking
chris…
I love not jut the taste but the smell of smoked herring. I like it sauteed too but with dhal and rice.
.-= Cynthia´s last blog ..Want to make a Trini Pelau? =-.
BIG meal you mentioned there Cynthia. My grandmother use to make a dhal with a mixture of split peas and lentils to go with the smoke herring. She’s 94 now and still cooking up a storm.
happy cooking
chris…
Never have smoked herring but Indonesians love our salt fish. Deep fried salt fish, steamed rice, cucumber and sambal. Real people’s food.
Tuty, saltfish is VERY popular in the Caribbean as well.. just now it’s very expensive, where in the past it could have been considered peasant food.
happy cooking
chris…
i love island food!!! especially roti and herring and yucca. this is my home right here!!
To get rid of the smell of smoked herring on my hands I rub about a teaspoon of oil on my hands up to the wrist , wipe it off with a paper towel then wash with a sweet smelling soap or dishwashing liquid and it works real good.
Eliane, thanks for the tip. I recall using the same tip before peeling ground provisions, especially eddoes. To avoid having my hands being itchy after.
happy cooking
chris…
Love to check out your website!! Made some smoke herring today with biled provision. I make it a little different sometimes. I fry the cleaned s/herring in the oil for a couple minutes then add the tomatoes etc. Taste great both ways!! Great job Chris. Keep it up….
Frying the smoked herring is a summer time dish.. since the scent is so strong I can only get away with doing it on my BBQ .. outside. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
happy cooking
chris
wow am not trinidad smone should have mentioned u need to wash the damn herring so salty i just put on hot water .wowi have no dinner.sob sob
Jane, are you sure you used smoked herrings and not some sort of salted version. The fillets I used do have a bit of a salty taste, but by adding the hot water to it and allowing it to soak, usually removes it.
So sorry to hear you didn't have any dinner this night.. next time drop by our home and we'll take care of you.
don't let this deter you from giving it another try.
happy cooking
chris…
Chris,
Love the pics, they are invaluable as well as the step by step instructions. I am cooking the smoked herring for breakfast tomorrow with some green bananas and fried plantain. I will definitely be subscribing to Sizzle.
Do you have a recipe for alloo(sp?) pie? I am of Jamaican parentage, but my "auntie" used to visit and make this treat for us. I miss it ;(
Thanks. Sorry, I don't have a recipe posted yet, but will get one up soon and let you know. Do let me know if you liked the smoked herrings.. wish I had some green bananas right now.
hiya
)))
chris, thx for this recipes, here in GB they are a good old fashioned food, especially here in the north, we call them kippas (smoked herring) mmmmmmm sooooo good,
If I recall correctly, I saw a travel/food show and they did feature "kippas"… not sure if it was the "two fat ladies".
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
HEY CHRIS . LOVE THE BLOG
JUST A SHORT NOTE TO SAY THAT YES YOU CAN GET SMOKED HERRINGS IN A BONELESS FILLET NOW NOT AT THE SUPERMARKETS, I DONT BUY THEM ANY OTHER WAY 
Soak for 15 minutes? I boil my herring fillets for at least 45 minutes to get out all that salt.
Hi chris…i love smokeherring fryrice you are wondering whats that, i cook my rice then i stew my smokeherring with all the herbs and onion, garlic, celery, chive, some tomato paste a little ketchup then mix it up with the rice ah don't forget thr thyme that is a little of my recipe for smokeherring. Madeleine
I totally cheated and used the canned kippered herrings. They weren't as strong in flavor but they also weren't as salty. I made the same recipe except I put a little powdered coconut cream (another cheat) in to the simmer. It was pretty good and quick! I had it over boiled green bananas. You were my inspiration.
Like Madeleine I usually put chive and celery but I like mines with Dhal and Rice. Yum, Yum.
Hi Chris,
These are really good food you are talking about, I usually make my Smoke Herring somewhat the same. One thing I do differently because of health reasons I put the Oil from on top and mix it without heating it. It doesn't matter if it's Olive or what type of Oil I may use I don't heat it because once it is heated it's not too good for me. I would like to let you know also that since many years now in Trinidad you can get Fillet Smoke Herring also Salt fish without any bones in the Supermarkets. I usually buy it at Extra Foods Supermarket at the Grand Baazar Mall. You can also get Crabs, Conchs and Common Fowl, not forgetting Chadon Benni and many more. Thanks for sharing these wonderful dishes with us you're just great!
This recipe looks amazing. Looks easy to make and I really think my kids will enjoy this.