More than in the book.
More than in the book.
More than in the book.


Courtesy of your Smartphone.
Butter bei die Fische.

Courtesy of your Smartphone.
Butter bei die Fische.
Courtesy of your Smartphone.
Butter bei die Fische.




Chapter 1
Exploring the idiom. And a delicious recipe to compliment it.
While Ben encourages Agora to get down to business, you can become a revered chef.
The North German expression “Butter bei die Fische” (which directly translates to “butter with the fish”) originates from the culinary world. Traditionally, fried fish is seasoned with butter, which is placed on the hot fish just before serving. You only start eating once the butter is on top. In a figurative sense, this idiom encourages you to get down to business. If the butter was missing, the dish would not be complete – only half done. The saying is also an invitation not to skimp on the most important things. Anyone who didn’t offer butter with their fish was considered stingy. Or not generous. During the Hanseatic League, the expression was a common question concerning a customer’s ability to pay. Conversely, someone who had “butter with their fish” was considered wealthy.
The best way to understand how delicious “Butter bei die Fische” is, is to try it yourself:
Here you can find my gandmother’s recipe. She was from Wittbeck near Husum, a town in Schleswig-Holstein that sits between Hamburg and Sylt.
The recipe: Fried herrings with fresh potato salad
Wash the fresh herring, which has been gutted and scaled by your trusted fishmonger, then pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Next, coat lightly with flour and fry until golden and crispy – approximately 4 minutes per side.
For crispy bacon lovers, order wafer-thin slices of bacon from your local butcher shop or the supermarket’s meat counter. Once home, cut into small pieces. Fry bacon pieces in a pan or using the microwave (place paper towels on a microwave-safe plate, layer the bacon on top, then cover with a deeper dish).
The herring (with or without bacon) can be served with homemade potato salad, which you can garnish with fresh parsley (see recipe below).
But the most important thing is to butter the fish!
Butter the hot herrings just before serving.
Delicious!
How to prepare the potato salad:
Boil potatoes until tender, but not too soft.
Pour vegetable stock over chopped potato slices and leave to soak for a few hours. Prepare small cubes of gherkins and minced onion, to taste. Now all that’s missing is the homemade mayonnaise:
You will need 2 egg yolks, a pinch each of white pepper and sugar, a
tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of mustard. And 250 ml (approx.. 1 cup) of sunflower oil.
It is very important that all ingredients be at room temperature.
Simply mix the egg yolks and spices together. Whisk continuously while adding the oil one drop at a time.
Only when an emulsion forms can you add the remaining oil in a very light stream. As soon as the mayonnaise sticks to the whisk, you’re done.
To finish the potato salad, mix the potatoes (drained of excess stock) with the mayonnaise. Add a teaspoon of sugar, grated onion, the previously prepared gherkin cubes and minced onion, a dash of paprika, and a dollop of curry ketchup. Fold everything together carefully. Finally, add just enough cream to achieve the right consistency.

