What Delicious Dishes Can You Make with Herring? Top 8 Simple Recipes

Herring is one of the popular seafood species in Vietnam with a characteristic delicious flavor. This small fish is not only rich in nutrients, especially omega-3, vitamin D, and protein, but also very easy to prepare. So, what to cook with herring to ensure a savory and rich taste? The following article by Ola Squid will suggest nutritious, simple herring dishes that still suit the palate of the whole family!

1. What is Herring? Nutritional Value and Health Benefits

Herring is a small marine fish; adults are usually about 15cm long and weigh about 100g. The fish has an elongated body with bluish skin and scales, small bones, and a particularly sharp serrated belly. Herring breathes through gills and has migratory habits, living widely in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, and today it has become a popular, nutrient-rich food.

Nutritionally, herring contains a lot of iron, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, vitamin B6, and potassium. Thanks to this, herring provides many health benefits:

• Enhances red blood cell production: Iron and vitamin B12 support the body in producing hemoglobin, helping to form red blood cells.
• Reduces inflammation and supports overall health: Omega-3 helps reduce inflammation, supporting cardiovascular, eye, and neurological health, while also reducing the risk of depression.
• Protects the heart and prevents stroke: Omega-3 in herring helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke.
• Strengthens bones and teeth: Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin D keep bones strong while supporting the formation of hydroxyapatite, which is good for teeth.
• Supports the nervous system: Vitamin B6 and potassium help nourish and maintain neurological function.

2. How to Prepare Herring

To have delicious and flavorful herring dishes, the selection and preparation stages are always the most important steps. Herring has soft meat that is easily crushed and is quite fishy, so you need to handle it correctly to maintain its natural fresh sweetness.

2.1. How to Choose and Buy Fresh Herring

When choosing herring, you should carefully observe several characteristics to ensure you buy truly fresh fish:

• Clear eyes, not cloudy: Fresh fish will have bright, slightly bulging, and clear eyes. Muddled or dull eyes are a sign of old fish.
• Shiny skin, firmly attached scales: The herring’s skin usually has a slight green sheen. If the scales are intact, bright, and firmly attached to the body, it is newly caught fish.
• Firm body, not soft: Press lightly on the fish body with your hand; if the flesh has good elasticity and does not indent, the fish is still fresh.
• Red-pink gills: Fresh fish gills are usually red or light pink, with no strange odor.
• Mild sea scent, not a strong fishy smell: Good herring usually has a characteristic sea smell, not stinking or having a rancid odor.

See more: How to choose fresh squid that not everyone knows

2.2. Guide to Preparing Non-Fishy Herring and Filleting

For herring dishes to achieve full flavor, you need to process them correctly right from the cleaning and filleting steps. Below is a processing guide to help the fish lose its fishy smell while producing beautiful, intact fillets.

• Cut off the head, fins, and tail, then gut the fish, removing all intestines and the black membrane inside (this part causes a fishy smell if not cleaned thoroughly). Rinse the fish gently under cold running water.
• Next, you need to wash the fish again with diluted salt water for 2 minutes to eliminate the mild fishy odor.
• Apply ginger water or lemon juice to the fish body for about 1 minute, then rinse. Next, soak the fish in rice water or unsweetened fresh milk for 10 minutes to completely remove the fishy smell.

Easy way to fillet herring:

• Place the knife at the pectoral fin, cut diagonally to both sides, then separate the fish head. Use scissors to cut off the fins, lightly slit the belly, and clean the intestines.
• Then, scale the fish thoroughly so the body is smooth and easier to fillet. Dry the fish with a clean towel so it isn’t slippery, helping to secure it better during the process.
• Next, use a small, thin, and sharp knife, placing the tip close to the flesh near the spine. Slit deeply and gently, slicing along the fish body but avoiding touching the spine so the meat isn’t crushed.
• Once you have sliced about ⅔ of the body, gently pierce the tip through, then pull down along the tail to separate a complete fillet. Flip the fish and do the same with the other side.

3. What to Cook with Herring?

Grilled Herring

Herring meat is naturally soft, sweet, and buttery, so to keep the full fresh flavor while ensuring nutrition, grilling is the most ideal preparation method. When grilled, herring takes on an attractive golden layer and gives off a characteristic aroma. This dish is an excellent choice if you want to enjoy herring in a simple way while still retaining its natural fresh fattiness.

Ingredients:

• Herring: 1 kg
• Fig leaves: 200 g
• Salt, chili salt: as needed

Directions:

• Clean the herring’s scales, remove fins, tail, and intestines. Soak the fish in diluted salt water for about 15 minutes, then rinse with clean water and let drain.
• Next, heat the charcoal grill or electric grill. Place the fish on the rack, grill each side evenly for 5-10 minutes depending on size, turning gently so the fish turns golden and doesn’t burn.
• Pick over the fig leaves to remove old or worm-eaten leaves and wash them thoroughly several times, then drain. Once grilled, the fish is golden and very fragrant. When eating, place the fish on a fig leaf, roll it up, and dip it in chili salt or sweet and sour fish sauce.

See more: Secrets to making delicious grilled dried squid right at home

Herring Salad (Goi)

If you have the chance to visit Phu Quoc Pearl Island – famous for its rich cuisine and fresh seafood – you must try the herring salad. Herring salad has a harmonious sweet and sour taste, fragrant and buttery but completely without a fishy smell. When enjoying it, people often roll the salad with rice paper, raw vegetables, a bit of vermicelli, and then dip it into a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce, bringing an unforgettable flavor.

Ingredients:

• 300 g herring
• 2 green bananas
• 1 tomato, 1 onion
• Salad vegetables: as needed (mint, basil, lettuce…)
• ½ tsp minced shallots, ½ tsp minced garlic
• 1 egg, some grilled rice paper
• 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 tbsp cooking oil, 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
• Common seasonings: sugar, MSG, seasoning powder

Directions:

• Scale the fish, remove head, intestines, gills, and tail. Soak the fish in water mixed with ½ a lemon for about 5 minutes to remove the fishy smell, then fillet to remove bones, keeping the meat.
• Pick over the vegetables and wash them. Slice the onion, soak in ice water, and squeeze dry. Peel the green bananas, slice thinly, soak in diluted lemon water, and wash. Finely mince the tomato and chop the chili.
• Next, mix the fish and bananas with 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp seasoning powder, 1 tsp MSG, and juice from 2 lemons; soak for 10-15 minutes until the fish is “cooked” by the acid. Squeeze dry then mix with onion, vegetables, chili, and roasted peanuts. Sprinkle crushed grilled rice paper on top.
• Next, sauté the garlic and shallots in cooking oil, then add the tomato and 2 tbsp sugar, stir until soft. Add the fish squeezing liquid, a little filtered water, and 1 tbsp fish sauce, bring to a boil, then slowly whisk the egg into the sauce. Continue to dissolve tapioca starch in water and add slowly until the sauce is smooth and thick. Season to taste.

See more: How to make flavorful sweet and sour squid salad at home

Crispy Fried Herring

If you want to refresh your family’s daily menu with a dish that is both familiar and full of flavor, crispy fried herring is an option not to be missed. The rich taste from the pre-marinated fish meat combined with the crispy outer shell creates an extremely attractive dish. This herring dish is best when enjoyed hot, dipped in chili sauce, ketchup, or sweet and sour fish sauce, all of which are very good with rice.

Ingredients

• 500 g herring fillets
• 200 g crispy frying flour
• 5 bird’s eye chilies, 6 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbsp shrimp paste, 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp seasoning powder, 2 tsp sugar
• Cooking oil, salt or vinegar to wash the fish

The directions for crispy fried herring are as follows:

• First, wash the herring fillets with salt or vinegar to remove the fishy smell, then rinse with clean water and let drain completely. Wash and mince the garlic and chili.
• Mix the fish with garlic, chili, and seasonings including shrimp paste, seasoning powder, sugar, and oyster sauce, then let the fish marinate for about 15 minutes.
• Next, dredge the fish in crispy frying flour, then heat the oil and fry the fish over high heat until golden and crispy. Remove and drain the oil.

Fried Herring with Fish Sauce

A complete weekend meal always needs an attractive dish for the whole family to gather and enjoy together. If you still don’t know what to cook, you can consider fried herring with fish sauce. After being fried, the herring will have a crispy shell and firm, naturally sweet meat inside. When coated with sweet and sour fish sauce and a hint of spiciness, the dish becomes fragrant and rich, making it hard for anyone to resist.

Ingredients

• 700 g herring
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• Crispy frying flour (or wheat flour)
• Garlic, shallots, green onions, chili
• Seasonings: salt, sugar, pepper, cooking oil

Instructions for making fried herring with fish sauce:

• First, clean the herring fillets, remove heads and bones, wash, and let drain. Finely chop the green onions and mince the shallots, garlic, and chili.
• Mix the fish with ⅓ tsp salt and 3 tbsp crispy frying flour until evenly coated, then let the fish rest for about 10 minutes.
• Next, stir the mixture of fish sauce, filtered water, sugar, and pepper until completely dissolved. Fry the fish over medium heat until golden and crispy on both sides, then remove.
• In another pan, sauté the shallots, garlic, and chili until fragrant, then pour in the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the fish to simmer gently, turning evenly to absorb the seasonings, and continue cooking until the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.

See more: Revealing how to make flavorful fried egg squid with fish sauce

Herring Spring Rolls

If you love crispy fried foods and are particularly fond of rolls served with raw vegetables, herring spring rolls are a famous specialty of the Phan Thiet sea region that will surely delight you. Herring spring rolls are very suitable for family meals, especially when rolled with raw vegetables and dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce. When fried golden and crispy, each spring roll becomes attractive with a crunchy shell and beautiful golden color.

Ingredients

• 200 g herring fillets
• 1 sweet potato, ½ carrot
• ½ onion, green onions
• 1 pack of spring roll rice paper
• 100 ml vinegar, 1 slice of lemon
• Seasonings: seasoning powder, sugar, MSG, pepper, cooking oil

Directions for herring and sweet potato spring rolls are as follows:

• Shred the sweet potato and carrot. Thinly slice the onion and chop the green onions. Soak the herring in vinegar for 5 minutes to remove the odor, then wash and let drain.
• Place the fish along with the sweet potato, carrot, green onions, and onion in a bowl. Season with seasoning powder, sugar, MSG, and pepper, then mix well and marinate for about 15 minutes.
• Next, place the rice paper on a flat surface, add a little filling in the middle, fold the edges, and roll tightly. Note, you can refrigerate them for 10 minutes to make them crispier when fried.
• Heat the oil, squeeze in a little lemon juice to prevent oil from splattering. Then, add the spring rolls and fry over low heat until golden and crispy, then remove and drain.

Braised Herring with Pork Belly

What to cook with herring? You can try braised herring with pork belly to change your menu and bring a cozy, complete feel to the family meal. Braised herring with pork belly creates a harmonious combination between sweet soft fish and fragrant fatty pork belly. This rich, glistening flavor makes the meal especially delicious with rice, particularly on chilly rainy days when a hot pot of braised fish and a bowl of white rice are enough to warm the whole family’s heart.

Ingredients to prepare:

• 500 g herring
• 200 g pork belly
• Chili, green onions
• Seasonings: salt, sugar, fish sauce, cooking oil, seasoning powder, pepper

Instructions for braised herring with pork belly:

• Clean the herring, remove intestines and scales, then soak in diluted salt water for 15 minutes, then rinse and drain. Wash the pork belly, cut into thin pieces, and separate the very fatty parts to make lard. Mince the chili and chop the green onions.
• Next, marinate the fish with chili, sugar, salt, seasoning powder, pepper, and fish sauce. Make caramel sauce by heating oil with sugar until it turns an amber color, then pour it over the fish. Mix well with the pork belly and let absorb for about 15 minutes.
• Then, render the pork belly fat into lard and turn off the heat. Put the fish and meat into the pot, add the rendered lard, and braise over low heat until the fish and meat are cooked, the sauce has thickened, and sprinkle with green onions.

Braised Herring with Pineapple

Pineapple is a familiar tropical fruit, both rich in antioxidants and easy to transform into many attractive dishes. Among them, braised herring with pineapple is a delicious dish you definitely shouldn’t miss. Fatty soft herring meat blends with the sweet and slightly sour taste of pineapple, plus a bit of spiciness from the braising liquid to create a rich, rounded flavor. This combination brings a dish that is both strange and familiar, aromatic, and extremely good with rice.

Ingredients to prepare:

• 7 herrings
• 150 g pineapple
• 1 clove garlic, 1 green bird’s eye chili
• 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• Seasonings: seasoning powder, sugar, pepper, vinegar

Detailed directions for braised herring with pineapple are as follows:

• Clean the herring’s intestines, tail, and scales, then wash with salt or vinegar to remove odors and let drain. Cut the chili diagonally and mince the garlic. Peel the pineapple, remove eyes, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Next, heat 1 tbsp of oil and fry the fish lightly for about 3 minutes until slightly golden, then remove.
• Sauté the garlic in 1 tbsp of oil, add chili powder and stir quickly, then add the pineapple. Next, season with fish sauce, seasoning powder, pepper, and sugar and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the fish, add about 200 ml of water, and braise over low heat until absorbed, then season again to taste. Turn off the heat and arrange the fish on a plate to enjoy.

See more: How to cook fragrant and delicious stir-fried dried squid with pineapple

Braised Herring with Pepper

Braised herring with pepper is a simple yet flavorful dish, suitable for family meals. Fresh herring is prepared clean, then braised with ground black pepper, shallots, garlic, and a bit of fish sauce. When finished, the dish has a thickened, rich, fragrant, and spicy sauce, with firm yet soft fish meat. Served with hot white rice, each aromatic piece of pepper-braised herring will stimulate the taste buds and make the meal more complete.

Ingredients needed:

• 500 g herring
• 2 tomatoes
• 1-2 fresh chilies
• Shallots, garlic, green onions
• Seasonings: fish sauce, brown sugar, seasoning powder, ground pepper, cooking oil

How to cook braised herring with pepper:

• After buying the herring, clean it by removing intestines and gills, then soak with diluted salt water or vinegar for a few minutes to remove the odor. Mix the marinade consisting of fish sauce, brown sugar, pepper, and seasoning powder; mix well with the fish and let absorb for about 20 minutes.
• Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, peel, and mince. Mince the shallots and garlic; slice the chilies and chop the green onions.
• Next, heat oil with brown sugar until amber to make caramel sauce. Sauté the garlic, shallots, and chili then add the tomatoes and stir-fry until soft and thickened.
• Next, arrange the fish in the pot, pour the caramel sauce and tomato mixture over it. Add a bit of filtered water then braise over low heat for 25-30 minutes. When the water is almost gone, season again to taste, sprinkle with pepper and green onions then turn off the heat.

See more: How to make flavorful braised squid with pepper that you’ll love more with every bite

Braised Herring with Turmeric

Braised herring with turmeric is a dish that is both delicious and good for health thanks to the essence of yellow turmeric. The dish stands out with a glistening yellow color from turmeric, combined with the natural sweet fattiness of the fish and the gentle aroma of seasonings. Enjoy braised herring with turmeric with white rice or vermicelli; each golden, soft, and rich piece of fish will make the meal more attractive than ever.

Ingredients

• 1 kg large herring
• Fresh turmeric
• 1 coconut, 4 shallots
• Ground ginger, ground galangal
• Spicy chili (to taste)
• 4 tbsp caramel sauce
• Seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, MSG, ground pepper, black peppercorns

Directions

• Scale the herring after buying, remove intestines, then wash the fish with wine or vinegar to reduce the fishy smell. Divide the shallots into two: one part finely minced for marinating, the other part kept whole for braising.
• Marinate the fish with minced shallots, turmeric water, fish sauce, ginger, galangal, and MSG for about 30 minutes to absorb the flavor.
• Then, sauté the shallots and lightly fry the fish. Continue by adding coconut water almost covering the fish, add chili, galangal, and ginger, then braise over low heat for at least 30 minutes until the liquid thickens and the fish is well-absorbed. Finally, sprinkle black peppercorns before turning off the heat.

Herring in Tomato Sauce

When combined with herring, these ingredients create a dish that is both nutritious and irresistibly rich: herring in tomato sauce. The herring is braised soft and evenly absorbed in a lightly thickened tomato sauce, bringing a characteristic sour taste that blends with the fatty sweetness of the fish meat. The balanced, rich flavor makes the dish attractive from the first taste. To fully feel the deliciousness of the sauce, you can eat it with hot white rice or dip it with bread.

Ingredients needed:

• 400 g herring
• 3 tomatoes, 2 chilies
• 2 stalks green onion
• 2 tbsp cooking oil, 4 tbsp fish sauce
• Seasonings: salt, sugar, seasoning powder, MSG

How to make herring in tomato sauce:

• Clean the herring, remove head, tail, and intestines, rinse with diluted salt water and let drain. Lightly score a few lines on the fish body. Mince the tomatoes; crush the green onion whites and chili together, and chop the green parts of the onion.
• Next, heat the oil then add sugar to make caramel. Add tomatoes, the crushed onion-chili mixture, sugar, fish sauce, and MSG, then stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and blended with seasonings.
• Then, add the fish to the sauce and turn lightly until firm. Add about half a cup of water, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and braise for 20-30 minutes. Season again to taste, continue braising until the sauce thickens, then sprinkle with green onions and pepper before turning off the heat.

The herring is braised soft and evenly absorbed in a lightly thickened tomato sauce, bringing a characteristic sour taste that blends with the fatty sweetness of the fish meat. The balanced, rich flavor makes the dish attractive from the first taste. To fully feel the deliciousness of the sauce, you can eat it with hot white rice or dip it with bread.

4. Small Tips to Make Herring Dishes More Delicious and Attractive

To make herring dishes prepared at home always aromatic, rich, and eye-catching, you can apply some of the following small tips:

• Choose fresh fish: The best herring is still fresh fish, with firm meat, bright eyes, and shiny scales. Fresh fish will retain its natural sweetness, making the dish more attractive.
• Properly marinate seasonings: Whether braising, frying, or grilling, marinate the fish at least 15-20 minutes beforehand so the seasonings are evenly absorbed. Adding ingredients like pepper, turmeric, garlic, shallots, or chili will help the fish dish give off its aroma and create a characteristic flavor.
• Adjust the heat when cooking: When braising fish, you should use low heat so the fish is cooked through evenly, not crushed, and absorbs seasonings better. When frying or grilling, maintain moderate heat so the outer shell is crispy while the meat inside remains soft.
• Add accompanying ingredients: A few slices of pineapple, tomato, or green onions and herbs will make the herring dish more attractive, both increasing flavor and helping the meal have eye-catching colors.
• Eat while hot: Herring is best enjoyed right after being prepared. In particular, eating it with hot rice or rolling it with rice paper and raw vegetables will help the delicious taste of the fish be more complete.

Herring is an ingredient that can be processed into many delicious dishes from crispy fried, grilled, and braised to fresh salad; each dish brings a characteristic unforgettable flavor. We hope that the suggestions in the article have helped you answer the question “what to cook with herring?”. If you want to explore more delicious and attractive herring processing recipes, as well as premium dried squid products, don’t forget to access Ola Squid’s Culinary Corner!