Many gentlemen who delight in highly smoked relishes, inquire for
these articles, and as they are seldom to be procured north of the
metropolis, I subjoin an easy way of getting them. In the beginning
of the sprat season――November――take a bushel of fish, pick out all
the largest ones, and with a dozen pounds of common coarse salt or
rock salt at hand, throw a layer of it into the bottom of your salting
tub, then a layer of fish, and so on in alternate layers to the end;
let them lie four hours, mixing them about in the tub two or three
times, this will fix the scales, which are cleared off the fish by
the “washing” process. Now take the sprats up, and with a basket wash
them quickly in very strong salt-and-water, using the same salt if
you choose, and get them on to your spits, and dry them as soon as a
strong current of air will accomplish it. Smoke them with oak alone,
lops and sawdust, until they are of a very dark red colour, and when
quite cold, pack them in round shallow kits, in circles, the heads
lying all one way, and the fish on their backs. The appearance of
them is anything but inviting, yet they are very good, and are always
eaten without cooking. Vast quantities used to be exported to the
Netherlands, Holland, and the German States; they are also well adapted
for sea-stores.