History

Pickled herring has been the keystone of Danish coastal cuisine since the Middle Ages, when the Baltic herring trade financed Copenhagen's medieval economy. Sild moved from preservation necessity to lunchtime ritual through the 17th and 18th centuries; the Christmas lunch (julefrokost) cannot start without a herring plate. Modern Copenhagen restaurants run multiple cures from a single kitchen: classic curry-cured, mustard-dill, sherry, and the spiced karrysild. Schønnemann (founded 1877) plates eight to twelve versions on its herring page; Aamanns 1921 runs a refined modern version; Restaurant Barr's Noma alumni include cured herring on the open-sandwich-and-snack carte.

Common allergens: Fish, Gluten, Mustard, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 72 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 8 salted herring fillets (sold in tubs at Nordic delis and fishmongers; soak first to desalt; if you can only source raw herring, salt-cure them in 100g salt to 1kg fish for 24 hours, then proceed)
  • For the basic pickle: 300ml white wine vinegar
  • 200ml water
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp whole allspice berries
  • 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 large red onion (thinly sliced into rings)
  • For the curry-pickled (karrysild) sauce: 200ml mayonnaise
  • 100ml thick Greek yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp mild Madras curry powder
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped capers
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped pickled gherkin
  • 1 hard-boiled egg (chopped)
  • 1 small apple (peeled and grated)
  • To serve: 4 slices dense rugbrød (Danish dark rye), salted butter, fresh dill, finely sliced raw red onion, capers

Method

  1. Soak the salted herring fillets in cold water for 4 hours, changing the water twice. Pat dry; cut into 4cm pieces.
  2. Make the basic pickle: combine vinegar, water, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, mustard seeds and bay in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stir to dissolve the sugar, simmer 2 minutes. Cool completely.
  3. Layer half the herring pieces with the sliced red onion rings in a clean jar; pour the cooled pickle over to cover. Seal; refrigerate at least 48 hours, preferably 72.
  4. Make the curry sauce: whisk mayonnaise, yoghurt, curry powder, mustard, capers, gherkin, chopped egg and grated apple to a thick chunky sauce. Taste; correct salt and sugar.
  5. Lift 4 herring pieces from the basic pickle; drain on kitchen paper. Fold the other 4 herring pieces into the curry sauce; chill 4 hours so the flavours marry.
  6. Toast the rugbrød slices lightly; butter generously.
  7. Plate two open sandwiches per person: one with basic-pickled herring topped with fresh red onion rings, capers, dill; one with curry-cured herring topped with a halved hard-boiled egg, chives.
  8. Serve cold with shots of cold aquavit or pilsner alongside.

Tip from the editors. The basic pickle keeps in the fridge a month, better after week one. Soak the salted fillets fully; under-soaked herring is brutally salty and ruins the dish.

Where to eat sild (pickled herring)

Sild (pickled herring) in Copenhagen

Schønnemann ★ 4.8

Smørrebrød$$$indre-byDaily 11:30-17:00

Schønnemann on Hauser Plads in Copenhagen has served smørrebrød since 1877, with house-baked rye, a 140-bottle snaps cabinet and lunch-only service.

Signature: Marinated herring, Stegt flæsk smørrebrød, Karrysild

Order: Marinated herring with raw onion, capers and rye, plus a glass of cold akvavit.

Tip: Lunch only, closed Sunday and books a week ahead. Walk in at 14:30 for the best chance of a counter seat.

Hauser Plads 16, 1127 København K Book →

Aamanns 1921 ★ 4.6

Smørrebrød$$$indre-byMon-Thu 11:30-22:30, Fri-Sat 11:30-23:00, Sun 11:30-17:00

Aamanns 1921 on Niels Hemmingsens Gade in Copenhagen serves Adam Aamann's modern smørrebrød at lunch and a Nordic dinner menu, with a silver organic dining.

Signature: Roasted pork smørrebrød, Smoked salmon, Frikadeller

Order: The four-piece smørrebrød lunch with a glass of snaps and a beer chaser.

Tip: Open seven days for lunch and dinner; book dinner on the website.

Niels Hemmingsens Gade 19-21, 1153 København K Book →

Restaurant Barr ★ 4.4

NordicChef Thorsten Schmidt$$$$$695Daily 17:00-23:00, Fri-Sun 12:00-15:00Book 2 weeks ahead

Restaurant Barr at Strandgade 93 in Christianshavn cooks the food of the North Sea coastline: schnitzel, sausages, a beer-driven menu and lunch smørrebrød.

Strandgade 93, 1401 København K Book →

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