The best herring salad ever! (Polish Christmas food #6)

As you might have noticed, we're eating a lot of fish on Christmas Eve in Poland - it's because traditionally we're not supposed to eat meat that day. And this is why we get pretty creative when it comes to fish based dishes! This salad is a perfect appetizer - it combines saltiness of herrings, sweetness of raisins and sour taste of the marinade it's made with. And before you'll think it's weird to make fishes with raisins - trust me, it's a perfect combo! Surprising, but amazing. This herring salad is one of traditional foods for Christmas in my family's house - my mom was the first to make it and since everyone loved it from a first bite, it became a must-have for every year!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2kg salted herring fillets
• 12tbs oil
• 8tbs water
• 4tbs vinegar
• 4tbs sugar
• 250ml tomato paste
• 4 onions
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 allspice seeds
• 10 black pepper seeds
• handful raisins

Salted herring fillets are usually REALLY salty, so first put them in a bowl with cold water for about 20-30 minutes to get rid of some of the salt.

Make the marinade:

Cut onions in half and slice them. Put in a pot. Add all of the ingredients except raisins and bring it to boil on medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, add raisins and set aside to cool down.

Cut herring fillets into 3-5 cm pieces. 

When your marinade is cool, place some of it in a bowl, then put a layer of herring and another layer of marinade. Make it so the top layer is marinade.

Cover the bowl with plastic foil and put in a fridge for at least few hours - to get all the tastes combine together. I prepare this salad day before Christmas Eve, so it has enough time to "mature". 

Serve cool with fresh bread - the sauce is just perfect for dipping pieces of bread in it!

Bon appetite!