Pickled herring fillets steeped in a vinegar, sugar and onion brine, served on dark rye with sour cream, red onion and pickled beetroot. Year-round counter staple, Christmas table essential.

Sursild is the Norwegian take on Scandinavia's centuries-old herring tradition, anchored at every Oslo fish counter and the obligatory opening of any proper julebord (Christmas table). The classic brine is dill-vinegar-sugar-onion with bay; the rødvinssild (red-wine herring) and sennepsild (mustard herring) are the variants seen on Christmas spreads. Mathallen Oslo, Theatercaféen and Engebret Café run defensible counter versions year-round and full julebord spreads through December.

Where to eat Sursild in Oslo

3 editor picks for Sursild in Oslo, ranked by editorial score. All Oslo signature dishes · Sursild across every city.

  • Engebret Café

    Order Lutefisk in the November-December season; reindeer fillet year-round.

    Engebret Café at Bankplassen 1 is Oslo's oldest continuously operating restaurant, founded 1857 by Engebret Christoffersen, in a 1760s listed building.

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  • Theatercaféen

    Order Smorbrod at lunch with a glass of Norwegian aquavit.

    Theatercaféen on Stortingsgata is the 1900 art-nouveau brasserie opposite Nationaltheatret, in the same family for four generations, with a portrait gallery.

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  • Mathallen Oslo

    Mathallen Oslo on Vulkan opened in 2012 as the city's permanent food hall, with 30 producer-led stalls, the Hitchhiker and Fenaknoken counters.

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Make it at home

Serves 624 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 6 salt-cured herring fillets, skin off
  • 500ml cold water, for soaking
  • 250ml white wine vinegar (5 percent)
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 300ml water (for brine)
  • 1 tbsp whole allspice berries
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 large red onion, sliced into thin rings
  • 200ml sour cream, to serve
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, to serve
  • Dark rye bread and boiled almond potatoes, to serve
  • Pickled beetroot, to serve

Method

  1. Soak the salt herring in 500ml cold water for 8 to 12 hours in the fridge to draw out the salt, changing the water twice. Taste a corner; it should be lightly seasoned, not aggressive.
  2. Drain and pat dry. Cut each fillet at an angle into 2cm strips.
  3. Bring the vinegar, sugar, 300ml water, allspice, peppercorns and bay to a simmer. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then take off the heat and cool completely.
  4. Layer the herring strips with the red onion rings in a clean glass jar. Pour the cold brine over until everything is submerged.
  5. Seal and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, ideally 48, so the flavours mellow. Keeps two weeks chilled.
  6. To serve, lift pieces of herring from the brine with a fork. Top dark rye with a smear of sour cream, the herring, a few brine onions, a sprinkle of dill and a slice of pickled beetroot.
  7. Eat with boiled potatoes alongside, and an ice-cold shot of aquavit if you are doing it properly.

Editor tip. Buy proper salt-cured herring (not the pre-marinated jars), so you control the brine. Glass jars only; the vinegar pits metal.

Common allergens: Fish, Gluten.