When the herrings come fine and fresh, embrace the opportunity to
preserve some by this process. Scale twenty fish, cut off the heads,
fins, and tails, open them at the belly, clean them well out, and, if
required, wash them in salt and water, and dry them quickly; season the
insides with
Mace, powdered ½ oz.
Cloves, powdered 1 oz.
Nutmeg, powdered 1 oz.
Bay leaf, powdered 1 oz.
Cayenne pepper ½ oz.
and fry them a nice brown colour in boiling olive oil, and do the same
to the roes, which must have been washed and well dried previous to the
frying; set all by to get cold, on sieves or cloths, and keep covered
up. Make a pickle of
Allspice 1 oz.
Black pepper 1 oz.
Few bay leaves
Salt 6 oz.
Vinegar 1 pint
by boiling twenty minutes, and straining quite clear. Lay your fish,
cut in proper pieces, in oblong earthenware pots, and pour the pickle
over them when it is scalding hot, not boiling. Next day fill up the
pots with more liquor, and tie bladder over them. These will be fit for
table in a week, but will be improved by keeping. If any water is put
to the vinegar it will certainly spoil them for keeping long.