Creamy Swedish mustard herring

Ready-to-eat pickled herring folded into a mustard, crème fraîche, dill and red-onion sauce, then chilled.

10 min preparation + 12 hr chilling · Total: 12 hr 10 min · 6 servings

Ingredients

• 420 g ready-to-eat prepared pickled herring — drained; fish allergen; keep chilled and check use-by date
• 45 g Swedish-style mustard — mustard allergen; check label
• 200 g pasteurized crème fraîche — milk allergen; keep chilled
• 15 g fresh dill — washed and chopped; reserve some garnish
• 30 g red onion — peeled and finely chopped

Instructions

1. Measure chilled ingredients

   Measure 420 g ready-to-eat prepared pickled herring (5-minute herring), 45 g Swedish-style mustard, 200 g pasteurized crème fraîche, 15 g fresh dill and 30 g red onion. Keep the herring and crème fraîche refrigerated; do not use raw herring.

2. Drain herring and chop herbs

   Drain the herring well and cut into roughly 2 cm pieces if not already cut. Wash and chop the dill, reserving a little for garnish. Peel and finely chop the red onion. Keep the drained fish cold.

3. Mix the mustard sauce

   In a clean bowl, stir the crème fraîche and mustard together. Fold in the finely chopped onion and most of the dill until evenly distributed.

4. Fold in herring and chill

   Gently fold the cold herring into the sauce without breaking the pieces. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate at 4°C or colder for at least 12 hours so the flavors develop; this timer is for chilling, not cooking.

   Chill mustard herring: 43200 seconds

5. Garnish for serving

   Just before serving, spoon the chilled mustard herring into a clean serving bowl and scatter the reserved dill on top. Do not warm it.

6. Check texture, temperature and allergens

   Check that the herring is fully coated, the sauce remains creamy rather than watery, and the fish is still cold. There is no cooking or heat-based doneness test. Contains fish, milk and mustard; check product labels.

   Herring fully coated, sauce creamy, fish cold.

7. Serve and store cold

   Serve cold. Return any leftovers to the refrigerator at 4°C or colder within 2 hours and eat within 24 hours of mixing, or before the herring use-by date, whichever comes first. Do not reheat.

Tips

• Drain the herring very well so the mustard sauce stays creamy rather than watery.

Common mistakes

• Do not use raw herring or cook the ready-to-eat herring; this is a chilled sauce preparation.

Substitutions

• For a dairy-free version, use an unsweetened cultured plant-based crème fraîche alternative; fish and mustard allergens remain.

Storage

Keep covered at 4°C or colder; eat within 24 hours of mixing and before the herring use-by date. Return leftovers to the fridge within 2 hours.

Reheating

Serve cold; do not reheat the herring or crème fraîche sauce.

About this recipe

Senapssill is Swedish mustard-seasoned herring often served at Christmas, Easter and Midsummer. This creamy version uses ready-to-eat 5-minute herring, crème fraîche, dill and a little red onion; it is not a raw-fish pickling method.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.