[Sca-cooks] Herring in Wine Sauce

[Stefan li Rous]

Ranvaig answered my query about herring in wine sauce with:
<<< I haven't gotten it from Costco, but Herring in wine is something we like. >>>

I think I've seen it elsewhere, although perhaps that was specifically "pickled herring". This time I just remembered to write the info down so I could inquire here.  And to let others know that Costco had it, just in case they were interested.

<<< Yes it needs to be refrigerated, it will keep for about a month after opening. >>>

Oh. Okay. that is enough to take it to an event, if you keep it cool. Like eggs or cheese.

<<< It says wine sauce, but don't expect an entree. 
It is a sweet/sour pickle, more an appetizer kind 
of thing.  We eat it on crackers or thin rye 
bread, with onion, sweet pepper slices, pickles, 
etc.  >>

Okay. So it is pickled to some extent. Kind of like many of the "smoked" meats today. Just for flavoring and perhaps a little bit of preservative, but not like when pickling was actually used to preserve food without refrigeration.  And/Or we've just gotten a lot more risk averse these days.

<<< I've had it on little open face sandwiches as 
part of a Danish Sm?rrebr?d. (Apparently 
Sm?rrebr?d is an "In" thing now). >>>

Okay, what is this? Of course missing several characters may be keeping me from seeing something I am used to seeing.

<<< Not sure how period the recipe is (it may depend 
on the brand), but preserving fish in vinegar is 
period, especially for a Scandinavian/ Northern 
Europe feast. >>>

Certain regions seem to be more fond of pickled foods than elsewhere. Perhaps these regions used pickling more than other places? Or pickled foods got more tied up with tradition than elsewhere?

<<< I was served it in at least one 
feast. Some people really, really liked it. 
Others wouldn't touch it. >>>

Yes, but I've also seen that this applies to even simple fish dishes. :-) Got a Florilegium file on this.

<<< I know you are diabetic, check the label for sugar, brands seem to vary widely. >>>

I usually tend to be more concerned about easily absorbed sugars and such. Most period drinks seem to be either loaded with sugar or be alcoholic. :-( Of course, now that I'm on kidney dialysis I'm also supposed to be careful of my salt, potassium and phosphorous intake. And liquid intake. :-(

Of course this dish, seems to be meant from your comments and others, to be eaten with the sauce. I could see, as with many salted medieval foods, that the fish could be soaked first and then cooked/eaten. Which would remove the sugars/salt but in this case, might just fall apart.

Right now all the salted fish, dried fish are in the stockfish-msg file because at the time I started that file I didn't know that "stockfish" really applied to just the dried fish and maybe just one type of fish and not preserved fish in general.  Someday, I might split that file down to just the more appropriate stuff.

<<< If you've never had herring you might want to try 
a smaller jar before investing in this.  But 
that's true for most of what Costco sells. >>>

Yep. As I said, I think I've seen something similar elsewhere. But yes, in smaller containers but more money per ounce.

Thank you everyone for your comments.

Stefan

--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
   Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/marksharris
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****