History

Śledź (herring) has been on Polish tables since the medieval period, when the Baltic fishery and inland salt-curing made it the cheapest protein for the long winter. The śmietana (sour cream) preparation is the Warsaw version, distinguished from the eastern oil-cured śledź po japońsku. It is the canonical zakąska on every Polish vodka-tasting table and at every Christmas Eve dinner. Restauracja Polka and Stary Dom plate it as a cold starter.

Common allergens: Fish, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 24 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 400g salted Baltic herring fillets (matias herring), available at Polish or Scandinavian delis
  • 1L whole milk for desalting
  • 1 large white onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 sour apple (Bramley or Granny Smith), peeled and finely diced
  • 300ml full-fat sour cream
  • 100g full-fat creme fraiche or extra sour cream
  • 4 large dill pickles, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon Polish whole-grain mustard
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt and white pepper to taste
  • Chopped chives and dill to serve
  • Rye bread and chilled vodka to serve

Method

  1. Soak the herring fillets in milk in the refrigerator overnight to draw out excess salt. Rinse and pat dry.
  2. Slice the fillets across the grain into 2cm pieces.
  3. Place the sliced onion in a bowl, cover with boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and refresh in cold water. This tames the rawness.
  4. Whisk the sour cream, creme fraiche, mustard, vinegar and sugar in a bowl.
  5. Stir in the drained onion, diced apple and diced pickle. Season with salt and white pepper.
  6. Fold the herring pieces into the cream mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours; overnight is better.
  7. Plate on a wide platter with chopped chives and dill scattered over.
  8. Serve with dark rye bread and small glasses of well-frozen vodka.

Tip from the editors. The milk soak is the make-or-break step; under-soaked herring is unbearably salty, over-soaked is bland. 12 hours in cold milk is the sweet spot.

Where to eat śledź w śmietanie

Śledź w śmietanie in Warsaw

Restauracja Polka ★ 4.2

Traditional Polish$$$stare-miasto

Magda Gessler's Polka in Warsaw is the Old Town home-cooking room: seven flower-painted dining rooms in a Renaissance tenement, heavy curtains.

Signature: Bigos, Hand-rolled pierogi, Placki ziemniaczane

Order: The bigos plate, hand-rolled pierogi, and a Polmos vodka shot.

Tip: Touristy but earns it; ask for the back room, not the streetside seats.

ul. Swietojanska 2, 00-288 Warszawa Book →

Stary Dom ★ 4.3

Tasting menuChef House team$$$$200-350 zlMon-Sun 12:00-23:30Book 1 week ahead

Stary Dom in Warsaw is the white-tablecloth Polish steak room of leafy Mokotow. Led by chef House team. Tasting menu 200-350 zl. Book 1 week ahead.

ul. Pulawska 104, 02-620 Warszawa

More cities are in research. Want śledź w śmietanie covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →