NORDIC cuisine, the latest culinary craze that British chefs are embracing in restaurants across the land, is all about keeping things pure, seasonal, local and fresh, plus supporting local artisans and producers. Heard this before somewhere? It could be described as the slow food movement of northern Europe, as opposed to that which is better known as belonging to our Mediterranean cousins, where the worldwide ark of taste is reputed to stem from.

Nordic cuisine is all about using ingredients that are unique to our more northerly climate and cooking techniques and traditions not often seen outwith the Scandinavian countries. It seems to have caught on in a very big way, with restaurants claiming it as their new, and particular style.

Given the close relationship between Scotland and Scandinavia, it is easy to see other connections in our culinary heritage too. We foraged and fished for many similar ingredients and in days gone by, preserved fresh food for the long, dark winter months by drying, salting, curing, and pickling, all strong traits of Nordic cuisine. The Vikings played their part too, bringing their strong survival instincts with them to other lands, setting up communities and cultivating lush green spaces wherever they landed by sea.

The Isle of Skye is no exception and although there is naturally a very strong Gaelic culture, many of the place names have a Nordic origin. Colbost and Glendale – home to The Three Chimneys in north-west Skye – are just two examples. There are many folkloric tales of Viking invasion to be found here and fascinating archaeological sites relating to the everyday lives of our ancient communities.

When head chef, Scott Davies, took over the reins in the restaurant last year, he was keen to embrace this new culture of so-called Nordic cuisine. At first I was anxious about this not being the right "fit" for Skye, but I quickly realised how many very obvious connections exist alongside life in the Highlands and Islands. All of the Nordic techniques have been used in our traditional culinary heritage for generations. We also have similar wild plants, trees and seaweeds, which were used widely in our cooking too. Scott was absolutely correct in incorporating these to his new menus, and finding ways to marry them with other, more modern, well-recognised ingredients in his dishes. The results have been spectacular and returned many forgotten tastes to our tables.

Preserving fresh herrings by brining and pickling, is just one very obvious example of where these culinary connections exist. The "silver darlings" brought huge prosperity to the coastal regions of Scotland during the 19th and early 20th centuries. As the herring shoals migrated from west to east, around the top of Scotland, the fishing fleet followed them – and so did the herring lasses.

At the height of the herring boom, there were 30,000 boats involved in the Scottish herring industry, often pictured in historical archives packed tightly into the little harbours around our coastline as they moored side-by-side. Scotland's fishing industry was the biggest in Europe. The railways were extended to reach the most far-flung ports, in order to transport the fish quickly and efficiently to market. An army of merchants, general hands and, of course, the herring girls, followed the fishing around the coast. From age 15, women played an important part of the industry as they swiftly gutted and graded each individual fish. Working outdoors in all weathers, they wrapped their fingers in coarse bandages to protect them from razor-sharp knives. Their travel and living arrangements were basic, but they were earning money for their families and discovering a new-found freedom from the boundaries of life within the more restricted and tight-knit communities of home.

Working in teams of three, two girls gutted while the other packed the barrels. Salted and sealed, these barrels of herring were exported in huge quantities to Russia, Germany and Holland, where the fish was regarded as a great delicacy.

Herring is a fatty fish and deteriorates quickly, hence the reason for preserving it as fresh as possible. They were a mainstay of our Scottish diet for generations, eaten fresh, but also smoked as kippers or salted and stored for the winter months. Fillets coated in oatmeal and cooked in butter in a flash of the frying pan was an everyday dish for ordinary folk, inexpensive and highly nutritious. We should eat more today and revel in its wonderful flavour.

Pickling herring is another preservation method favoured in Nordic cuisine. Rollmops – fillets rolled and fixed with a cocktail stick and packed into pots with spiced vinegar – is another traditional way to prepare them. They are delicious as an instant lunchtime snack, or a highly nutritious main meal with salad. Try beetroot, apple and soured cream with chives, or finely chopped hard-boiled eggs mixed with fresh parsley, grated carrot, radish and mayonnaise. Watercress with either of these ideas is perfect. Select the freshest fish fillets with shimmering silver skins from your fishmonger. All flavours of vinegar can be used, but cider or sherry vinegar is a good choice, being a little less acidic than malt vinegar. Vary the spices to suit the vinegar. Some, such as juniper berries, have been used for centuries in Scottish/Nordic cuisine.

Rollmop Herrings

(Serves four or more)

6 fresh, plump herring fillets

500ml cold water

60g sea salt

2 tsp seaweed flakes (optional)

600ml cider vinegar

300ml dry cider

12 juniper berries

12 white peppercorns

6 cloves

1 tsp mustard seeds

6 fresh bay leaves

2 level tbsp soft light brown sugar

1 small onion, sliced finely

Zest of 1 lemon

Cocktail sticks

Method

1. Wash the herring fillets and remove any large bones or fins. Cut each one in half lengthways and lay them in a single layer in a shallow dish. Dissolve the salt in the water and pour over the fish fillets. Sprinkle with seaweed flakes, cover and leave to chill in the brine overnight in a refrigerator.

2. Measure the cider and cider vinegar in a jug. Add all the other ingredients. Pour into a saucepan, bring to the boil, remove from the heat, cover and set aside to cool overnight.

3. The next day, rinse the herring fillets and pat them dry on paper kitchen towel. Roll each fillet from the narrow end and secure each one with two cocktail sticks. Place each rollmop in the container of your choice for pickling. Pour the pickling liquor over the fish, seal the container and keep refrigerated for at least 24 hours before eating. The longer you leave them, the more flavoursome and soft the fish will become. They will keep happily for up to one month.

4. Lift the rollmops from the liquor to serve with salads, or as suggested above, plus plenty of rye, seeded or wholemeal bread and Scottish butter.

Shirley Spear is owner of Three Chimneys and The House Over-By on the Isle of Skye, and chairwoman of the Scottish Food Commission, which is helping to build Scotland into a Good Food Nation. See threechimneys.co.uk or phone 01470 511258