Herring in Curry Cream

Yields
20 Servings

Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins

“During my years at Sunset, we were deep into all things Scandinavian,” says Sunset former food editor Jerry Di Vecchio. “The Seattle area had an intense Nordic heritage, and the magazine bore the imprint of Proctor Mellquist, who was Swedish and ran the magazine in the 1960s and ’70s, and Beatrice ‘Peaches’ Ojakangas, who was Finnish and on the food staff in the 1960s.” This delightful appetizer from 1986 works as part of a buffet or on its own (although it’s runny, so have little plates and forks on hand). The original cream sauce was demurely seasoned with a smidge of curry powder. We’ve boosted the spices and laid the herring on toasts so you can see their shapes.

Eva Kolenko

2 jars (12 oz. each) herring in wine sauce

1 ½ cups sour cream

1 ½ tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp turmeric

2 ¾ tsp Madras curry powder

¾ tsp each ground coriander and cumin

½ tsp garam masala

¼ tsp cayenne

5 slices dense, European-style rye bread

¼ Fuji apple (unpeeled), cut into paper-thin slices or matchsticks

Watercress sprigs, for serving

Drain herring and discard the onion pieces, if there are any.

In a bowl, mix sour cream with lemon juice, spices, and herring. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 4 days.

Lightly toast bread slices, then cut each into quarters. Top with herring in cream, apples, and watercress, and serve extra sauce on the side.

Nutrition Facts

20 servings

Serving size

Amount per serving
Calories143

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9.3g12%

Saturated Fat 2.3g12%
Cholesterol 13mg5%
Sodium 350mg16%
Total Carbohydrate 8.7g4%

Dietary Fiber 0.8g3%
Protein 6g

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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Herring in Curry Cream