Forshmak is probably the most authentically Jewish herring recipe. The word itself is Yiddish for "pre-taste"--that is, an appetizer, meant to set your taste buds going. There are many varieties of forshmak--probably as many as there were shtetls in Eastern Europe. This one originates in Haschevato, Ukraine, the small village where my father's side of the family comes from.
2nicely sized herrings, fillets separated 1sour apple, peeled and cored 2-3 pieceswhite bread, soaked in water or milk (squeeze out the liquid before using) 2-3hard-boiled eggs, yolks separated from whites 4 tablespoonsvegetable oil 1 tablespoonvinegar 1 teaspoonsugar a fewscallions, chopped
Directions
In a food processor, blend the fish fillets, apple, egg-whites, and bread. Add the oil and vinegar, mix thoroughly, and place the mixture in a dish.
Crumble the egg yolk and scallions on top. Refrigerate before serving.
Forshmak is particularly good served on black Russian bread, but you can put it on healthy spelt crackers, too.
Jake Marmer is a poet and performer, living in New York City. He is currently working on his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at CUNY Graduate Center. You can find more of his work at jakemarmer.wordpress.com.
