Herring Egg Salad

Our good friend to the north, Willie Lane, offered us fresh herring eggs from Sitka, Alaska.

Willie is a tribal member of the Lummi Nation and lives in his tribal community.

Willie has a generous and humorous spirit, much like my husband, Kevin Paul.

Their friendship reminds me of my Inupiat culture (Northern Alaskan Eskimo).

We have a laughing/joking friend, to share and laugh.

Mine happens also to be my husband.

Foods from the wild are a joy to share.

As we traveled north to pick up a half gallon of fresh herring eggs, I received a text from an Athabaskan friend, Miranda Wright, announcing her visit to Tulip Town.

She was traveling down from interior Alaska.

We made plans for her visit (with her niece Victoria Hildebrand) and to share a lunch of herring egg salad; which Miranda described as a delicacy.

Ingredients

Fresh herring eggs, ½ gallon

Salt, 2 tablespoons

Ice, 3 cups crushed

Salad dressing

Olive oil mayonnaise, 1 cup

Lemon, 1 for zest and juice

Crushed red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad Fixings

Green onions, one bunch, chopped

Carrots, 1 cup grated

Radishes, ½ to 1 cup, sliced

Tomato, 1 large beefsteak, chopped

Preparation

Blanche the herring eggs. Set aside a large bowl with ice and water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir. Prepare enough water to submerge the herring eggs in a large cooking pot. Heat the water with 1 tablespoon salt. As the water begins to boil, add the herring eggs. After one minute of boiling, scoop and remove. Place directly into the ice water.

Prepare salad dressing

In a medium bowl, use a wire whisk to mix the ingredients. It is best to use a large firm lemon to zest before squeezing the juice. I grow hot peppers to dry; so I chose a tiny one that I crushed and cut.

Prepare salad fixings

Prepare as described in the ingredient list above. Mix. Arrange salad plate. To keep ingredients crisp, prepare each salad plate separately. Mix a few tablespoons of dressing into the salad fixings. Cut the eggs and set atop or mix in. The herring eggs will be delightfully firm and crunchy.

Leftovers can be refrigerated separately and enjoyed the next day.