Cider-cured herrings

Serves 4

Cider-cured herrings (Jason Lowe)

Cider is a great drink to use in your cooking, and the addition of Julian Temperley's Kingston Black apple apéritif gives this Scandinavian dish a British kick. You will need to marinate the herrings for 4-5 days before serving. You can scatter some blanched sea vegetables like sea purslane or samphire on to finish for added colour and texture.

16 herring fillets, scaled, boned and trimmed

For the marinade

300ml cider vinegar
300ml warm water
80g sugar
2tsp sea salt
25-30 fresh green peppercorns
1tsp fennel seeds
8 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
6 shallots, peeled and cut into rings

For the sauce

2tbsp good-quality mayonnaise
2tsp Tewkesbury mustard
1-2tbsp Kingston Black apéritif
1-2tbsp chopped dill or fennel

Bring all of the ingredients except the shallots for the marinade to the boil then leave to cool. Add the shallots. Mix with the herring fillets, then lay the fillets in a non-reactive container and pour over the marinade. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4-5 days.

To make the sauce, mix the Kingston Black with the mustard and mayonnaise, then whisk into the marinade to about the consistency of double cream; stir in the dill.

To serve, remove the fillets and dry on some kitchen paper. Fold them in half with the skin on the outside and arrange on a serving plate with a few of the shallots and green peppercorns on top.

Serve the sauce separately.