Oh The Things You'll See!
I had a fun time this weekend for a few reasons, all revolving around the 85th birthday of the patriarch of an extended clan of mixed Norse and South American blood based in western Maryland. 85. I wished him welcome to middle age - as long as he was planning to live to 170. But that's not the fount of the fun.
He is still true to his roots in his love of pickled herring (something I enjoy but not as much, I think, as he does). I also learned that his favorite dessert is ice cream. So (you're getting ahead of me here aren't you?) I made him herring ice cream. And he was game enough to eat a scoop. What a hell of a guy.
Now, I have to say that I didn't spring this without trying it myself and truth be told - it's not a vile as you might imagine it to be. If you really like pickled herring, you wouldn't be gagging at the ice cream. In fact, it's based on herring in cream sauce so it's a lot like cold, sweetened herring in cream sauce.
I Googled "herring ice cream" and references to it have been made on the interweb but no one seems to have actually made it. I have. File it under "Small Claim To Fame."