Consider the Herring

Of all the foods that Black Rooster Baltic Rye partners well with, none outshines the lowly herring. Or perhaps I should say the formerly lowly herring. Fact is, this multifarious cured fish from northern European waters is staging a comeback. And no wonder! Herring is one of those foods traditional that resonate with memory. Moreover, herring is yummy, low in calories and full of those healthful omega 3′s.

On Thanksgiving, Michaele and I wowed our guests during the cocktail hour serving tiny shots of iced cold vodka followed by tidbits of Baltic Rye, topped with different styles of herring and sour cream. You would have thought we were serving caviar! That’s how enthusiastic our guests were about herring’s comeback.

We bought our herring from two of our favorite New York City temples of gastronomy: Russ & Daughters, (179 East Houston Street) and Zabars (Broadway and 80th.) Both of these stores feature many different kinds of smoked and cured fish, along with our Baltic Rye.

If you’d like to learn more about herring, take a look at this article by Kate Robbins that appeared in Tablet, the online magazine: http://www.tabletmag.com/life-and-religion/35756/dutch-treat/

And if you’d like to learn more about Baltic Rye, you will be able to stop and talk with John during the second week of December. We will post his itinerary at a later date.