Smorrebrod med Marinerede Sild

Ingredients

• 400g salted herring fillets
• For the brine: 200ml white vinegar (5 percent)
• 150g caster sugar
• 100ml water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 8 allspice berries
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
• 1 carrot, sliced into coins
• For the karrysalat: 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp thick yoghurt
• 1.5 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small apple, finely diced
• To assemble: 8 slices dense Danish rye bread
• 60g salted butter, soft
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 small white onion, sliced into rings
• Fresh dill sprigs

Before you cook

• Soak the salted herring fillets in plenty of cold water in the fridge for 12 hours, changing the water three times.
• Drain the fillets, pat them dry and cut them into 2cm wide pieces.
• Slice the red onion and the carrot thinly.
• Sterilise a jar or lidded container large enough to hold the fish and brine.

Steps

1. Put the vinegar, sugar and water in a small pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the bay leaves, mustard seeds, allspice and peppercorns and bring the brine just to the boil.
3. Take the pan off the heat and cool the brine completely, which takes about an hour.
4. Layer the herring pieces, red onion rings and carrot coins in the jar.
5. Pour the cold brine over so everything is submerged, then seal the jar.
6. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, and up to a week, turning the jar once.
7. Stir the mayonnaise, yoghurt, curry powder and mustard together in a bowl.
8. Fold the diced apple through the curry mayonnaise and chill it.
9. Butter each slice of rye bread right to the edges, using more butter than feels reasonable, since it stops the bread going soggy.
10. Lift the herring out of the brine with a fork and let it drain for a moment.
11. Lay three or four pieces of herring down the centre of each slice, slightly overlapping.
12. Spoon a little curry salad alongside the fish on half the slices.
13. Top the rest with rings of raw white onion and a scatter of capers.
14. Finish every slice with a sprig of dill and a grind of black pepper, and serve cold.