We are speechless with admiration at the fantastic support the good people of Hastings show toward their fishing fleet. The council team that create the three fish festivals are inspired, and the restaurants and producers that show their wares involve themselves wholeheartedly. Having spent an amazing weekend at the beautiful and blustery Herring Festival we came back quite inspired. Here is a fabulous recipe with a stratta twist for you to try.
- 2 herring, filleted
- Thin apple slices and watercress to decorate
For the Pickling Liquor:
- 25ml lemon juice
- 25ml Stratta Russet apple vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- Half a small bunch of dill, chopped
- Sea salt, generous pinch
- 6 cracked white peppercorns
For the Apple and Celery Coleslaw:
- 2 Cox or russet apples,
- 3 celery sticks
- 170ml plain Greek style yoghurt or crème fraiche
Pickling:
Use tweezers to remove any remaining visible bones from the fish. Small pin bones will dissolve in the marinating liquor. Mix the pickling liquor ingredients. Cover the fish completely in the liquor and put in the fridge for 24 hours.
Apple Salad:
Cut the apple into thin strips (peel if desired) and place straight into the yoghurt or crème fraiche to stop them going brown. Add the celery and season to taste.
Serve:
Two marinated fillets of herring per person drizzled with a little pickling liquor on a bed of coleslaw. Decorate with thin apple slices and watercress.
The gulls were enjoying the festival too; http://ow.ly/EelNK