Jewish · Authentic-ish Jewish
Chopped Herring
132 kcal a serving, against 153 for the traditional version. That is 21 kcal off, or 14%, with 11.3g of protein. Serves 6. 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Chopped herring is made by blending pickled herring fillets with slices of white bread soaked in water or milk, then squeezing them dry. Into this go diced apple (usually Bramley or Granny Smith), softened onion, a hard-boiled egg and a good spoonful of sugar. The mix is mashed or blitzed till smooth, then chilled before spreading on rye or matzo. The bread gives it that classic thick-but-creamy texture, and the oily fish and egg make it rich enough to stand up to sweet wine.
What changed, and what each change costs
Cutting out the bread entirely and bumping up the apple
The bread only stretches the mix and gives it a fluffier texture. Dropping it means every bite is fish, fruit and egg, not filler. Upping the apple keeps it light and gives more bulk without extra starch.
What it costs you. You lose the old-school spreadable creaminess. It's chunkier, closer to a chopped salad than a pâté. The texture isn't as satisfying on rye, but you can pile on more for the same calories.
Reduced the sugar by half
Pickled herring and apple are already sweet enough. I've cut the sugar to make it less cloying, and to avoid the inevitable moaning about diabetes from half the table.
What it costs you. The sweetness is toned down, so the vinegar and salt come through more. If you want it punchier, add sweetness back or serve with a sweeter apple.
Add a second egg for more body and protein
Egg smooths out the mix and bumps up the protein. With less bread, a little extra egg helps it hold together when you scoop it up.
What it costs you. You get more eggy flavour, which I quite like. If you can't stand hard-boiled egg, this isn't your dish anyway.
Use red onion instead of white
Red onion is milder raw and adds colour. White onion can be fierce and take over. I want the herring, not a sinus rinse.
What it costs you. The colour looks livelier on the table. It's slightly sweeter, which pairs well with the apple.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 153 | 132 |
| Protein | 11.3g | 11.3g |
| Fat | 5.8g | 6.2g |
| Saturated fat | 1.4g | 1.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 13.5g | 7.5g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 7.4g | 8.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Jewish prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. eggs, fish, gluten, sulphites.
The method is in the book
The traditional version wins for texture. The bread makes it smoother and more spreadable, and there's no way round that. This one is fresher, punchier and leans harder on the apple and egg for bulk. If you want that creamy, deli-style herring, you'll miss the bread. But if you're after extra protein and a lighter feel, you can eat twice as much and not feel like you've eaten a duvet. The second egg is the first improvement I've ever made to my aunt's recipe that she didn't complain about.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Jewish, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.