Salted herring

Rinse off the surface salt, then leave the herring in cold water in the fridge overnight, changing the water a few times. If it still tastes very salty, give it another soak before cooking.

Unless the pack says it is ready to eat, soak it first and then cook it. Simmer it in fresh water for about 10 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily; remove any skin and bones before serving.

Once soaked and cooked, flake it into fritters with a little batter, spring onion and chilli, or simmer it with coconut milk, onion and tomato for a rundown-style dish. Salted herring is saltier than fresh fish, so taste the mixture before adding extra salt.

Serve cooked, desalted herring with boiled potatoes and onion, or flake it into fishcakes. The potatoes make a simple, mild accompaniment to its strong, salty flavour.

No. A kipper is a split herring that has been cold-smoked; salted herring is preserved with salt. Both can taste strongly savoury, but a kipper has a smoky flavour and usually needs no soaking.

Keep unopened salted herring as directed on its pack. Once opened, keep it covered in the fridge; after soaking, keep it chilled and cook it promptly.

Yes. Salted herring has 208 kcal per 100 g, compared with 137 kcal per 100 g for pickled herring.