RYE CRISPBREAD
300g/2 cups rye flour
4g/1tsp easy-action yeast
1tsp salt
250ml/1 cup warm water
1tsp caraway seeds
1tsp fennel seeds
1tsp nigella seeds
1tsp sesame seeds
HERRING WITH MUSTARD
500g/1lb 2oz salted herring fillets, rinsed, soaked in fresh water overnight, and drained
2 egg yolks
1tbsp cider vinegar
200ml/generous ¾ cup groundnut oil
1tbsp Dijon mustard
1tbsp grainy mustard (ideally Swedish)
¼tsp sugar
A handful of dill fronds
Every Christmas we eat tiny boiled potatoes alongside various types of pickled herring, which we pick up at IKEA in the final months of the year. They come flavoured with dill, with carrots, onion and juniper, and (my favourite) with mustard dressing. Though it’s lovely as a start to our Christmas Eve meal, I like it even better in summer, on homemade crispbread with really great butter.
Enough for a starter for 8
1. First, make the crispbread. Put the flour in a bowl, with the yeast on one side, and the salt on the other. Pour in the water, and mix with your hand. Knead for 5 minutes until a little less sticky (it will still be quite sticky, so keep your hands oiled), cover the bowl, and leave to rise for an hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C fan/425F/gas 7. Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces, and roll each into a ball. To flatten them out, rub olive oil into your hands so they don’t stick, and press them out directly onto the parchment paper you will bake them on. Press until they are 2mm/1/16in thick and prick all over with a fork. Mix the seeds together and sprinkle over the crispbreads.
3. Bake in the oven for 15–18 minutes, until crisp – you may need to do this in batches. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container – they’ll stay crisp for 2–3 days if you want to make them in advance.
4. For the herring, rinse the salted fillets, and cut into thick slices. Put the egg yolks in a bowl with the cider vinegar, and whisk. Dribble in the groundnut oil, whisking constantly. Continue adding until the mixture thickens into a mayonnaise. Whisk in the mustards and sugar.
5. Stir the herring into the sauce, coating each piece completely, and then add the dill. Store in a container in the fridge; the herring will keep for a couple of days like this. Serve alongside the crispbread, and a dish of good butter.