Chopped Herring (Forshmak)
Classic Ashkenazi chopped herring, also called gehakte herring or forshmak: cured herring pulsed with tart apple, onion, hard-boiled eggs and soaked bread into a coarse spread, then chilled. Makes about 2 cups.
From Cousin Ricky, who makes the chopped herring in our family.
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Chopped herring is a deli and holiday-table classic from Eastern European Jewish kitchens, known in Yiddish as gehakte herring and in Russian and Ukrainian homes as forshmak. Salty herring is balanced by a tart apple, mellowed by hard-boiled eggs and bread, and sharpened with a little vinegar.
In our family, Cousin Ricky is the one who makes it. It takes about 20 minutes to put together and is best made a few hours or a day ahead, so the flavors can settle. Serve it cold with rye or pumpernickel, crackers or kichel.
Ingredients
Spread
- 2 herring fillets (or 1 jar of herring fillets in wine sauce, drained)
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored
- 2 to 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 small onion (or 1 tablespoon minced onion)
- 1 to 2 slices white bread, challah or matzo
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or soft butter
- 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon wine vinegar or lemon juice, to taste
- Pinch of sugar, or a splash of sweet wine or grape juice
- Black pepper, to taste
For serving
- Rye bread, black bread, crackers or kichel, for serving
- Crumbled egg yolk for the top, plus chopped chives or green onions if you like
Instructions
- Cook the eggs. If your eggs are not already cooked, cover them with cold water, bring to a boil, then cover and let stand off the heat for 12 minutes. Cool in ice water and peel. Set aside one yolk for the garnish if you like.
- Prepare the herring. Drain jarred herring well. If you are using salt-cured herring, soak the fillets in cold water or milk in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to draw out the salt, then pat them dry. Cut the fillets into chunks.
- Soak the bread. Soak the bread or matzo in a little water or sweet wine for a minute, then squeeze it dry.
- Chop. Cut the apple and onion into chunks. Put the herring, apple, onion, eggs and bread in a food processor and pulse in short bursts until finely chopped. Stop while it is still a coarse spread; it should not be a smooth paste.
- Season. Stir in the oil or butter, the vinegar or lemon juice, the sugar or sweet wine and a little black pepper. Taste and add more acid or sweetness until it is balanced.
- Chill. Spoon into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, so the flavors meld.
- Serve. Scatter crumbled egg yolk over the top, add chopped chives or green onions if you like, and serve cold with rye or black bread, crackers or kichel.
Tips
- Pulse, do not purée. A little texture is what makes chopped herring; the traditional tool is a wooden bowl and a curved hand chopper.
- Herring in wine sauce works best. Herring in cream sauce makes a softer, milder spread; drain it well.
- Covered and refrigerated, chopped herring keeps for 3 to 4 days.
Questions about this recipe
- What is forshmak?
- Forshmak is the Russian and Ukrainian name for chopped herring, a cold spread of herring, apple, onion, egg and bread from Ashkenazi Jewish cooking. In Yiddish it is called gehakte herring.
- Do I need to soak the herring?
- Only if it is salt-cured. Jarred herring in wine sauce is ready to use once drained; salt herring should soak for a few hours or overnight first.
- Is chopped herring served for holidays?
- Yes. It is a favorite at Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur break-fast and Shabbat kiddush tables, and on deli platters year round.
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