Pickled Herring

Method

1. Put 150 g of salt-cured herring fillets in a bowl, cover generously with cold water and leave in the fridge for 12 hours, changing the water twice. This draws out the curing salt; taste a sliver at the end — it should be pleasantly salty, not harsh. Drain and pat dry.
2. Make the 1-2-3 brine: in a small saucepan combine 90 ml of water, 60 g of caster sugar and 30 ml of 12% spirit vinegar with 5 allspice berries, 1 bay leaf and 0.5 tsp of yellow mustard seeds.
3. Bring the brine to a bare boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved — about 2 minutes — then take it off the heat and leave until completely cold, at least 30 minutes. Never pour warm brine over herring or the flesh turns woolly.