Häckerle — Germany

Häckerle is a cold, finely chopped salad built around pickled herring, combined with tart apple, onion, boiled potato and hard-boiled egg, held together in a light, soured dressing. The name describes the chopping itself: every main ingredient is diced small and even before the whole is folded into one soft, spreadable mixture. It is reported from households in Germany, where cold, chopped herring salads of this kind sit alongside a wider family of similar preparations found in neighboring Central European kitchens. The salad is typically served chilled, spread on rye bread or plated as a small starter next to other cold dishes at a laid table. To prepare it, pickled herring fillets are diced small along with peeled apple, onion, boiled potato, pickled cucumber and hard-boiled egg. The pieces are folded together with sour cream or a light mayonnaise, sometimes sharpened with a spoonful of the herring's pickling liquid, then chilled for at least an hour so the flavors settle into the mixture. The balance of herring to apple and vegetables, the choice between sour cream and mayonnaise, and how finely everything is chopped differ from one kitchen to another. Some cooks fold in a boiled beet for color, others keep the mixture pale; each version stands as one way among several of making the same dish.