Here are recipes for homemade fish spreads that were common in North Troms.
Smoked caviar from cod roe (Nordreisa)
For 1 kg of roe:
100 grams of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon saltpeter
Fine cod roe is washed and dried, rubbed in with salt, saltpetre and sugar. Leave in brine for 24 hours. Rinse the brine well and hang it up to smoke for about 4-6 hours. After it has been smoked, hang it for 24 hours. Scrape the roe out of the skin, rub it well and add 1 1/2 parts oil per kg, a little white pepper and lobster colour. If you like, you can mix in mayonnaise just before serving.
Caviar from cod roe 2 (Kåfjord)
1 kg roe
2 tablespoons fine salt
2 dl cooking oil
1/2 tablespoon of smoke acid
1 tablespoon of sugar
Remove all the skin from the roe and stir in the salt. Leave it to stand for 24 hours (longer if you want slightly saltier caviar). Then add the oil, sour cream and sugar. Taste if there is enough salt. Stir the caviar well to make it airy. Fill it into small glasses or similar. Pour a little cooking oil on top of each glass. Then it can be stored for a long time.
Salmon replacement / sailing salmon (Kåfjord)
Sei
Fumic acid
Seilax colour
Water
Soya oil or rapeseed oil
Dry salt the fillet on a keel and leave it to marinate for 2-3 days, depending on its size. Wash off the salt and let the water drain off. Cut thin slices of saithe at an angle and leave them overnight in a mixture of 2 tablespoons of smoky acid, 60-100 ml of sailing salmon dye and 1 litre of water. Remove the fish slices with a slotted spoon and place them on a wire rack so that the colour runs off. Place the fish slices in jars and pour soya oil over them. Cover with a tight lid. If you're making a large portion and you're going to store it for a while, it's a good idea to use purified paraffin instead of oil, as paraffin doesn't go rancid.
Lobster colour is illegal to sell, but can be replaced with Seilaksfarge. This can be ordered through your local pharmacy. The dosage is 60-100 ml per litre of water, and sailfish dye contains E 110 (Para orange) and E 124 (Nykockin). These substances are used in some caviar products and can cause allergic reactions.
Decommissioned cured herring
Herring fillets
Brine: 2 dl vinegar
2 dl water
2 tsp sugar
1 finely sliced onion
a few whole peppercorns
deciduous leaves
Cut the drained herring fillets into pieces a couple of centimetres wide and place them in a sheet.
Herring spread / dried herring (Kåfjord)
Herring
A little salt
Lightly salted herring is sliced raw. It is hung up in the sea and can be eaten when a layer of fat has formed on the herring. This can take weeks. Eaten as a topping or as it is.
Sursild (Kåfjord)
Approx. 1 kg bacon herring
Helpepper
Maybe a couple of clove nails
The herring is filleted, watered down if necessary.
Brine: 2 cups of brown sugar are boiled in 1 litre of water and cooled. Add vinegar to taste (from 1 tbsp)
