Start by getting your onions ready. Take your yellow onion and your red onion and chop them into small pieces. You want everything nice and even so it mixes well later.
Now move on to your spice mix. Add your black pepper, white pepper, bay leaves, and lemon pepper into a bowl. Crush everything together so it forms a rough, fragrant mix. This is where a lot of the flavor comes from, so don’t rush this step.
If you’re using lemon zest, go ahead and add that in, along with your fresh dill. Give it a quick mix so everything is combined.
Next, cut your herring into pieces—whatever size you prefer. Some like it a bit chunkier, others go smaller. Do what works for you.
Now bring it all together. Take your onion mixture and add in the sugar and salt. Mix everything well so the onions are coated and the sugar starts to distribute evenly.
Grab a clean jar and start layering. Begin with a layer of the onion mixture at the bottom, then add a layer of herring. Keep going like that—onions, herring, onions, herring—until everything is used up.
Once done, seal the jar and place it in the fridge. Let it sit for about three days. During this time, the sugar will dissolve and turn into a light brine, pulling all the flavors together.
After three days, it’s ready—and that’s when it really tastes the way it’s supposed to.
