Le poisson qui ne rend pas coupable – Toasts de brioche, aux filets de harengs marines, oignons grillés, oeuf et sauce à l’avocat

Thanks so much to everyone who shared its experience with bad hair cuts the other day, not that I felt better when looking at myself in the mirror but at least I know I am not the only one, and that I am not overly picky. It makes me feel like opening a real hair salon with talented stylists. Oh well, one of those things you cannot dwell on for too long, besides hair grows back, and in the meantime, there are always wigs!

I don’t know why but lately I have been losing weight and not eating much…I somehow lost my appetite, j‘ai perdu mon appétit! that does not prevent me from cooking but I eat with less enthusiasm.

I remember my mom preparing herring the French way with potatoes and onions in some sort of a warm salad and I loved it…Herring is very consumed in Germany and Scandinavian countries, but in Northern France too. The great thing about herring is that unlike tuna, it’s not an endangered specie, so you can eat it without any guilt.

I love dishes combining many different textures, but not too many strong flavors or it tends to be chaotic for your palate. This one is among my favorite “egg” dish, just because it has a lot of fresh and crunchy ingredients allied with smooth textures and is a full meal in itself. You don’t need to have anything else…

Its preparation si fairly simple, and does not require to spend an infinite time in the kitchen. Lately, due to my lack of appetite, I haven’t felt like spending hours in complex dishes, and I try to remain “simple”. For those of you who are in the same type of mood, I suggest you give it a try.

You can substitute smoke herring with marinated salmon, it just happened that I saw a familiar herring brand at the store, the same kind I would find in France, and I bought just to read the packaging and felt closer to home.

The herring comes just smoke, you need to marinate it in mixed herbs and olive oil for a few hours or overnight to infuse it in some aromatic scent and decrease its smokiness.

Ingredients for 2

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 brioche slices
  • 2 smoke herring fillets (marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and mixed herbs such as dill, thyme, parsley, etc…)
  • 1 red onion slice cut crosswise
  • 1 carrot, shaved in ribbons
  • 1 Belgian endive, cut crosswise in thin strips
  • 1/2 radicchio, cut in strips
  • 1 scallion, chopped

For the avocado cream

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/3 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 tbs plain yogurt
  • 1 pinch cayenne
  • salt and pepper

For the vinaigrette

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1/2 tsp extra strong Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

Marinate herring with herbs, lemon juice and olive oil overnight or at least for a few hours.

In a grill pan or skillet, grill onions. Set aside. Start preparing the avocado sauce by mixing all the ingredients with an immersion blender, adjusting broth quantity if the sauce is too thick.

Using a ring mold, cut brioche in circles and grill each side on a grill pan.

Combine endives, radicchio, carrot ribbons with vinaigrette. Toss well.

Cook egg sunny side up, and using the same ring mold where you cut the brioche, cut egg in a round circle. Add salt and pepper.

Place salad at the bottom of a plate, add brioche toast, herring some onions, top it with egg, some onions and scallions. Serve with avocado cream on the side, or sprinkle some on top of the egg (before adding scallions), and serve.