Isobelle's Sweet and Sour Baked Herring

Ingredients

• 1.12 herrings, very well soaked; sliced into generous portions through the bone
• 2.1000 millilitre water, boiling; for sauce
• 3.4 onions, sliced
• 4.250 gram sultanas
• 5.1.25 millilitre black pepper, ground
• 6.310 millilitre vinegar
• 7.250 millilitre sugar
• 8.250 millilitre golden syrup
• 9.4 ginger biscuits
• 10.1 apple, large; peeled and grated
• 11.2 bay leaves
• 12.black peppercorns, whole; a few

Method

1. 1.Slice the herrings into generous portions through the bone. Put into a baking dish.
2. 2.Add the onions to the boiling water. Simmer 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer 10–15 minutes.
3. 3.Pour hot sauce over sliced herring.
4. 4.Bake 1–1½ hours until golden and syrupy, starting at 160°C (325°F) and when bubbling reduce oven to 150°C (300°F).
5. 5.Remove bayleaves after baking.

Notes

• Isobelle's version uses ginger biscuits and grated apple — giving a richer, more textured sauce than the plain version.
• The long, slow bake (1–1½ hours) allows the sauce to reduce and glaze the fish.
• Very well soaked herrings are essential — start soaking the day before.