Forshmak is a popular dish in many countries. However, completely different foods can be hidden under this name. In Northern Europe, ordering a forshmak, you can have a snack with hot meat pâté, and in Eastern Europe, you will be offered to refresh yourself with a cold herring and potato appetizer. In Russia, forshmak is most often called a specialty of Jewish cuisine. So what is forshmak and what is it eaten with?
Meat forshmak
The very name of the dish - forshmak - is of German origin. In translation, vorschmack means "anticipation" or, if we take into account the gastronomic context, "appetizer". It was in Germany, or rather in East Prussia, that they first began to prepare meat pate with the addition of herring. One of the versions of this dish entered the history of gastronomy thanks to the Finnish Marshal Mannerheim. War hero, aristocrat, idol of many, he was a lover of good cuisine. Having tasted forshmak at lunch at the officers' meeting in Warsaw, he begged the chef for the recipe and brought it to Finland. Over the years, Marskin vorschmack is served in the finest restaurants. It can even be bought canned and served at a gala dinner. To prepare this dish you will need:
- 250 g lamb fillet;
- 250 g of beef fillet;
- 4 fillets of lightly salted herring;
- 2 fillets of anchovy;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- 50 ml of brandy;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of tomato puree;
- 3 heads of onions;
- white and black ground pepper;
- salt;
- vegetable oil;
- 300 ml of meat broth.
Cut the meat into cubes 2 to 3 cm sides. Chop the onion. Saute the beef and lamb chunks and onions over medium heat until the onions are clear and the meat is golden brown. Cool it down. Cut herring and anchovy fillets into slices, mix with fried onions and meat and mince or blender. Pass the garlic through a press and add together with the tomato paste to the resulting mixture. Season with pepper and salt. Pour in cognac and as much broth as needed to make the meat-fish mass look like a thick sauce. Transfer it to a baking dish and cook in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for about 2 hours. The dish is served with hot boiled potatoes, slices of boiled cold beets, pickles and sour cream, as well as a glass of ice lager or a glass of vodka. This is a hot snack.
Baked forshmak
In Old Polish cuisine, there is a recipe for baked herring and potato forshmak. It is served both bitter and cold. This is a simple, cheap and hearty meal. For him you will need:
- 2 fillets of lightly salted herring;
- 6 medium boiled potatoes;
- 1 head of onion;
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 3 tbsp. tablespoons of butter;
- 4 tbsp. tablespoons of cream with a fat content of about 20%;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of bread crumbs;
- a pinch of nutmeg;
- pepper, salt.
Cut the potatoes into cubes and fry in a spoonful of butter. Grate the onion on a fine grater. Pass the herring fillet through a blender. Combine potatoes, herring, onion, remaining butter, cream and eggs, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Place in a greased baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake in an oven preheated to 200 ° C.
Jewish forshmak
In fact, the dish, known since Soviet times as the Jewish forshmak, is called "gehakte goering". Like any dish popular in national cuisine, this one also has many recipes, sophisticated housewives have their own secrets of how to achieve “that very taste” with the help of unusual ingredients. However, the basis of the foreschmak remains unchanged. You will need:
- 2 fillets of lightly salted herring;
- 3 hard boiled eggs;
- 1 sour apple;
- 2 slices of white bread;
- 2 tbsp. milk;
- 4 tbsp. tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of apple cider vinegar;
- 1 head of onion.
Soak herring fillets in milk. Cut off the crust from the white bread and soak it also in the milk. Squeeze out. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Chop the onion. Peel the apple and remove the core. Mince bread, herring, onion, egg yolks and apple pulp through a meat grinder or blender. Add vegetable oil, vinegar and mix well. Serve as a delicate salad garnished with grated egg whites and chopped green onions, or as a paste on bread slices, crackers, or baskets.
