Kippered Herrings

Put the herrings into a basin, pour over enough boiling water to cover them, take them out immediately, and put them skin downwards in a frying-pan. For two herrings put half an ounce of butter and a tablespoonful of hot water into the pan, and baste them frequently with it for ten minutes, taking care the fire is not strong enough to boil the fish, indeed the slower the cooking proceeds the better. When placed on a hot dish pass a small piece of butter over the fish, sprinkle lightly with pepper, and serve very hot.

Baked Herrings

If you can, get the herrings with soft roes, they are best for baking. Cut off the heads of the fish, open and clean them. Press the backbone with the finger and thumb of the right hand and with those of the left draw out the bone. Sprinkle the herrings with pepper, salt, and a little flour, lay the roes on them, and roll up tightly with the skin outwards. Pack the herrings closely in an earthenware pot with a lid, put water to cover them, and bake them slowly for two hours, or until they are well done; then drain the liquor off, and cover the fish with vinegar, and add a little pepper and salt. Herrings thus prepared will keep a long time; and if done when cheap will be found economical for family use. The liquor drained from them after baking should not be wasted; if left to stand until cold the fat can, if desired, be taken off, and soup be flavoured with the liquor. If there is no convenient oven in the house, get the baker to put the jar in his oven after the bread is drawn. If preferred, the roes may be cooked as a separate dish instead of being rolled in the herrings. Pepper and salt the roes, fry them gently in fat until brown, and eat them with fried bread, or, they can be broiled or toasted.