Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Kippers These rich, smoky fish make a delicious breakfast. Close Credit: Getty / clubfoto Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Total Time: 10 mins Servings: 2 Jump to recipe Kippers are a type of cured herring and a British institution. The rich, oily fish—which are full of nutrients and are a sustainable seafood option—are preserved by salting, drying, and cold smoking, resulting in a full-flavored, classically British dish. Highly popular on breakfast tables during the Edwardian and Victorian eras, kippers had fallen out of favor for decades but are enjoying a resurgence (along with other preserved fish). You’ll want to briefly cook them before eating. They can be grilled, pan-fried, or poached. Our method only calls for one other ingredient, butter, and takes just 10 minutes. Served with butter, toast, and lemon wedges, kippers are both a nod to the past and a delicious, smoky, salty way to start the day. Tinned Fish Is a Pantry Essential—Here Are 12 Delicious Ways to Use It What Are Kippers? Kippers are fish that have been preserved by being salted or pickled and then cold smoked. You'll recognize them by their butterflied appearance—which is done before gutting and cleaning the insides—and their distinctive golden color. Kippers are typically herring, but other fish like mackerel, salmon, and sardines can also get the kippering treatment. According to Alan Davidson, famed food historian and the author of The Oxford Companion to Food, this dish originated as a way to preserve the herring; but the curing process imparted such a delicious flavor to the fish, the dish has remained a favorite among the English. How to Cook Kippers Kippers that are sold whole should be heated before eating. (Kipper snacks, on the other hand, which are sold in tins or cans, are designed to be eaten without any additional preparation.) There are many ways to cook kippers, from grilling to pan-frying to jugging—a traditional method which involves placing the kippers into a warmed jug, pouring in boiling water to cover, and leaving them for a few minutes to warm through. Our method is similar to jugging but uses a baking dish for ease. We finish things off with a pat of butter, which melts into the warm fish and adds an extra touch of richness. Directions Boil water; place kippers in baking dish: Boil enough water to fill shallow baking dish. Place kippers, fully opened and skin side down, in the dish. Cover with water, then weigh down; let stand: Fill dish with boiling water. To keep submerged in boiling water, cover kippers with parchment paper and a small cutting board. Place something heavy on top to weigh kippers down. Let stand 3 to 4 minutes. Cans of beans or tomatoes or other canned goods or a small cast-iron skillet are useful to weigh down the fish while it warms. Transfer to plate and serve: Move kippers to serving plates, skin side down, and top with butter, if desired. What to Serve With Kippers Kippers are delicious served with toast, butter, and a couple of lemon wedges for brightness. They're often accompanied by eggs, so try them with our perfect scramble or these easy poached eggs, then round out the meal with our classic home fries or these smoky skillet spuds. 5 More Classic British Recipes to Try Currant Scones Welsh Rarebit Coddled Eggs Devils On Horseback Shepherd's Pie Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.