A modern Nordic appetizer featuring pickled herring, crisp apples, and tangy horseradish cream in buttery tartlets. Perfect for festive brunches or elegant smørgåsbord tables.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 150 g sursild (Norwegian pickled herring), diced
- 1 small green apple, finely chopped (Granny Smith works great)
- 2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
For the horseradish-apple cream:
- 100 ml sour cream or crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp grated horseradish (fresh or jarred)
- 1 tbsp grated apple
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt & white pepper to taste
For the base:
- 6 small ready-made tartlet shells (buttery or rye-based)
- Optional: microgreens or dill sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- Make the cream: In a small bowl, combine sour cream, horseradish, grated apple, mustard, salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge while prepping the filling.
- Prepare the filling: In another bowl, mix diced sursild, chopped apple, red onion, dill, and lemon juice.
- Assemble the tartlets: Fill each tartlet shell with a small spoonful of horseradish-apple cream. Top with a generous mound of the sursild mixture.
- Garnish & serve: Add microgreens or dill on top for a fresh finish. Serve immediately for the best texture.
Notes
🌟 Why It Works
This dish plays with contrasts:🥒 The sour-sweet sursild brings briny depth,
🍏 The apple adds crisp freshness,
🌶️ The horseradish cream adds heat and richness,
🧁 And the tartlet shell gives that satisfying crunch. It’s a bite-sized explosion of Nordic flavor — perfect with a shot of aquavit, a smile, and a wool sweater. 🧣🍸
Delicious Norwegian Food Traditions
If you were visiting Norway in the 1800s, breakfast might have consisted of a bowl of porridge topped with salted herring instead of raisins. Norway’s connection to the sea—from the longboats of ancient Vikings to modern trawlers and the tiny seaside settlements dotted along its coast—ensures that fish often takes center stage in Norwegian cuisine. For breakfast, pickled herring, considered an “everyday fish” in Norway, is the centerpiece, often salted and pickled at home. Here’s a creative and very Norwegian recipe for pickled herring—but with an unexpected twist: Norwegian tartlets with sursild and horseradish and apple cream 🍏🧁🐟 This is the perfect appetizer for a holiday, a Scandinavian brunch, or just when you want to impress guests with something very “Norsk og koselig” 😊 Norwegian recipes