Ingredients
Roll
- 4crusty white rolls
- 4 tbspremoulade
- a handful of lettuce
Fish
- 4pickled herring fillets, or 4 fried white fish fillets
To fill
- 1onion, thinly sliced into rings
- 2gherkins, sliced
- lemon
Directions
- Slice the onion into thin rings and soak them in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain them well. Soaking the onion takes the harsh edge off without cooking it, which matters in a roll where it goes in raw and in quantity.
- Spread remoulade on the base rather than butter.
- Lay in a leaf of lettuce, then the fish, then the onion rings and the sliced gherkin. Do not toast or warm the roll.
- Squeeze lemon over the fish and close the roll.
Technique
- Remoulade rather than mayonnaise. It carries capers, gherkin and herbs and is doing seasoning work.
- The roll needs a crust that resists. A soft bun collapses under wet fish within a minute.
- Matjes and Bismarck are genuinely different experiences and it is worth trying both before deciding.
Substitutions
- Tartare sauce in place of remoulade, which is close.
- Rollmops, unrolled, if plain pickled fillets are unavailable.
Variations
- With fried fish rather than pickled, which is the most popular version now.
- With Krabben, the small North Sea brown shrimp.
- With smoked mackerel and horseradish.
History
The standard harbour snack of the German North Sea and Baltic coasts, sold from quayside kiosks.
Frequently asked questions
What is Fischbrötchen?
Fischbrötchen is a street food from Germany: bread roll filled with pickled or fried herring, onion and remoulade. The standard harbour snack of the German North Sea and Baltic coasts, sold from quayside kiosks.
How long does Fischbrötchen take to make?
Fischbrötchen takes 15 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 4 rolls. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Fischbrötchen?
Yes, within limits. Tartare sauce in place of remoulade, which is close. Rollmops, unrolled, if plain pickled fillets are unavailable.
What is the most important thing to get right in Fischbrötchen?
Lay in a leaf of lettuce, then the fish, then the onion rings and the sliced gherkin. Do not toast or warm the roll.
