Saturday 9 December 2017

Saturday Photo: Sil, a Tradition

Must confess that the photo dates from a few years ago, but in the refrigerator right now are 24 salt herring, waiting for me to get my act together and make marinated herring, or sil.

This is one tradition that comes from Lee's family that I really like.  Takes about 10  days after you start the marinating process before the sill is (or is it are?) ready to eat. But the result is definitely worth waiting for.

In recent years I've had trouble finding salt herring around here.  Last year I persuaded a wholesaler to sell me some: quite a production as the company is run by a pair of Hassidic Jewish brothers who were amused by my plea that I needed salt herring for Christmas as was their staff that included a couple of very French Canadian office workers and several Muslim men who looked after the fish.  This year I tried to find a place closer to home, and did, finally.  The fish seem a little smaller than last year, but at least I didn't have to do as much running around...

So, while there's no snow on the ground, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, at least in my refrigerator...

3 comments:

lagatta à montréal said...

Where did you find them? The Dutch and north Germans do that too, though I don't know if the recipe is the same as the Swedish one. I love fishy things - except for lutefisk.

Herring is especially rich in vitamin D - important where there is so little sunlight in winter months.

Mary Soderstrom said...

I found them at Odessa at 4900 Molson, not far from Masson. https://odessapoissonnier.com/fr/succursales/ They had to order them for me (I suspect from the Hassidic brothers who run National Herring), so call ahead. Bon appetit!

lagatta à montréal said...

There is a new kosher supermarket on a detestable stretch of Parc between Beaubien and Jean-Talon (it is like a mini-speedway)called Fooderie, which evidently has a large fish department. I'll summon my courage and walk there to see if they have salt herring.