Brathering (/ˈbrɑːtˌheɪrɪŋ/ listenⓘ; German: [ˈbʁaːtˌheːʁɪŋ] ⓘ; English: "fried herring") is a simple and traditional German dishofmarinated fried herring. It is typical of the cuisine in northern Germany and the northern parts of the Netherlands, either for lunch or as a snack at fast food stands or take-out restaurants.[1]
Usually, the green (i.e., fresh) herring with the heads and guts removed are either breaded or simply turned in flour, then fried, and finally pickled in a marinade of white vinegar and briefly boiled water, onion, salt, spices like pepper, bay leaves, mustard seeds, and a little sugar. The thin bones of the green herring are partially dissolved in the marinade, so that they hardly interfere with eating.[2]
If refrigerated, fried herring may be preserved for up to two weeks. Brathering is also available as a commercial product in cans.
Brathering itself is served well pervaded and cold, together with warm fried potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) or cold potato salad (Kartoffelsalat).[3]
Sometimes, Brathering is also offered as part of fish sandwiches (Fischbrötchen).
