Arenque con huevo (herrings and egg) is an example of how exotic foods ended up in Dominican cuisine, this is a dish with reputed "special" properties. What are those?
Why we ❤️ it
Since the dawn of time, people have associated certain foods, fruit, and vegetables with physical love. Arenque (herring) – for reasons unknown – has this reputation in the Dominican Republic. But this is not the main reason why this dish is so popular, it has more to do with a fish product that is long-lasting even without refrigeration (a plus in this country), its rich, strong flavors, and inexpensive ingredients.
Arenque, however, is not everyone's cup of tea. When it comes to arenque, camps are very deeply divided. I love it though.
Arenque con huevo (herring with egg)
Serving suggestions
My favorite side dish to serve with arenque con huevos is yuca hervida (boiled cassava). It can also be served with mangú (mashed plantain), or puré de auyama (pureed squash).
I also love serving chocolate de maní (our warm peanut cocoa), and chocolate de maíz (corn cocoa).
Arenque recipes
As well as this herring with eggs, you can try our stewed herring (arenque guisado) recipe, and of course, the famous rice and smoked herrings (locrio de arenque).
About this recipe
There aren't that many variations of this dish, and most people follow a similar recipe. One very popular variation is using hueva de arenque (herring roe), which sometimes comes with the herrings.
This recipe yields 6 servings.
Recipe
[Recipe] Arenque con Huevo (Herrings and Egg)
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked herring, [0.48 kg]
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red onion, cut into strips
- 1 bell pepper, cut into strips
- 6 egg (medium)
- ½ teaspoon salt, (or more, to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), (or more, to taste)
Instructions
Rinsing the herring: Soak the herrings in a gallon of water overnight. Discard the water, and rinse the herring a couple of times.
Boiling the herring: Boil the herrings over medium heat in 2 qt [2 lt] of water till cooked through (about 15 minutes). Remove the herring from the water. Discard water.Once cooled to room temperature, flake the herrings, and set aside.
Cooking: In a pan heat the oil over low heat. Add the onion and cook and stir until they become translucent. Stir in the bell pepper and herring and cook until the bell pepper is cooked through. Add the eggs, and cook stirring until eggs are set.Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serving: Remove from the heat. Serve per suggestions above the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
Published Dec 15, 2005, and last revised
