Silakat

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Small Baltic herring, called silakka in Finnish, is the key ingredient of this traditional fish specialty hailing from Finland. Silakat is typically made by dredging whole cleaned herrings (or herring fillets with their skin attached) in flour combined with pepper, salt, and sometimes lime zest before pan-frying them in hot oil or butter. The crispy herring fillets are then generously seasoned with crushed sea salt and accompanied by a side of mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, or lime wedges. After frying, silakat can also be pickled with vinegar, and served with carrots, bay leaves, and onions.