History
Matjes-curing dates to 15th-century Dutch fishermen who developed the gibbing technique of removing only the gills and intestine, leaving the pancreas to cure the herring with its own enzymes. The Hamburg Fischmarkt has sold Matjes since 1703. The Matjes season runs June to August, when the herring is at its fattest pre-spawning; the first Matjes catch each year is celebrated at the Hamburg Fischmarkt with public tastings on the dock.
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Common allergens: Fish
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 8 Matjes fillets
- 2 small red onions, finely sliced into rings
- 2 apples (Boskop or Cox), peeled and diced
- 100ml double cream
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- Black pepper
- Fresh dill
- Boiled new potatoes and rye bread to serve
Method
- Drain the Matjes; pat dry. Cut each fillet into 3 pieces.
- Mix the cream and vinegar in a bowl; stir in the onion and apple.
- Add the Matjes pieces; fold gently to coat.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes for the flavours to settle.
- Plate; scatter with chives, dill and black pepper.
- Serve with new potatoes and rye bread.
Tip from the editors. Use young Matjes from the June to August catch; older herring becomes too salty.
Where to eat matjes
Matjes in Hamburg
Bruecke 10 ★ 4.6
Bruecke 10 on the Landungsbruecken in Hamburg sells Fischbroetchen at €4 to 7 from a harbour-side kiosk counter, the city's defining cheap-eats lunch.
TryFischbroetchen
TipDaily 09:00-22:00 in summer. Sit on the bench facing the harbour.
Fishbar Originale Hamburger Fischbroetchen ★ 4.4
Fishbar Originale on the Landungsbruecken in Hamburg sells the harbour-front classics in Fischbroetchen form, Backfisch, Krabben and Matjes from a kiosk.
OrderThe Krabben Fischbroetchen with North Sea brown shrimp.
TipCash and card both accepted; queue moves quickly on weekday afternoons.
Fischmarkt Altona ★ 4.7
Fischmarkt Altona on Grosse Elbstrasse in Hamburg has run every Sunday morning since 1703 and is the city's defining harbour market, with 70,000 weekly.
TipArrives 05:00 in summer, 07:00 in winter; closes by 09:30 sharp. Auctioneer banter is the show.
Old Commercial Room ★ 4.4
Old Commercial Room opposite the Michel in Hamburg has cooked Hanseatic harbour food since 1795 and is the city's canonical Labskaus address.
OrderThe Original Hamburger Labskaus with fried egg, herring, beetroot and gherkin.
TipOpen daily; lunch tables more available than dinner. Cash welcome but cards accepted.
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