Smoked Herring with Leek and Potato Cakes

Name: Smoked Herring with Leek and Potato Cakes
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Swedish
Ingredients: mixed salad leaves, to serve; 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) smoked herring fillets; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives; 225 g (8 oz) crème fraîche; 1 medium pickled beetroot, drained and diced; 1 red apple, diced; olive oil or butter, for frying; olive oil or butter, for frying; red onion rings and lemon wedges, to garnish; red onion rings and lemon wedges, to garnish; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 50 g (2 oz) plain flour; 2–3 tablespoons double cream; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) potatoes, cooked and mashed; 2 egg yolks; 25 g (1 oz) butter; 2 leeks, trimmed and finely chopped

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Floyd's Fjord Fiesta

By Keith Floyd

Published 1998

About

The Swedes lightly smoke herrings not much larger than sardines. They are quite delicious, and in a smart restaurant I have no doubt that this would be described as a warm smoked herring salad and would be wrecked with a raspberry vinegar dressing.

Ingredients

25 g (1 oz) butter
2 leeks, trimmed and finely chopped

Europe
Sweden
Fish course
Pescatarian
Winter
Nordic

Method

Melt the butter in a frying-pan and sauté the leeks for about 5 minutes until softened, but not browned. Mix with the mashed potatoes, egg yolks, cream and seasoning. Use your hands to shape the mixture into little patties, dust them with flour and fry in olive oil or butter (or a mixture of both) until golden and crunchy - about 4 minutes per side.

While they are cooking, mix together