This year’s herring is fantastic
Two weeks ago I had the fattest herring I have had in a long time, but thinking that it might be fluke, I did not post about it. However, yesterday I went to the same fish store, and had the same experience. Highly recommended.
If you are currently in the Netherlands, this appears to be one of the better years to try this Dutch delicacy. Just in case the quality of the herring is a function of the store I bought it at, I buy mine at the Volendammer Vishandel J.C.M. Koning on the Eerste van der Helststraat in Amsterdam, just off the Albert Cuyp market.
Traditionally the herring is sold with onion bits and gherkin, but I usually leave out the latter as it tends to neutralize the already delicate herring flavour. The best herring is greasy and soft. In lesser years, the herring tends to be ruddy and firm.
Of course this “Dutch” herring is often brought to shore by Danish or Portuguese fishing boats and originates from the Grand Banks near the Canadian coast. But the preparation is Dutch (they leave part of the stomage in and the enzymes preserve it) although a lot of raw herring is also just frozen.
I don’t know where to get it in Boston but I tried it once on a holiday in Amsterdam and I LOVED IT. I bought from the man who had a cart in front of the Stedelijk Museum.