Jane Grigson's Fish Book Part 11

Turn the roes in seasoned flour liberally spiked with cayenne pepper. Fry in clarified b.u.t.ter. Serve on b.u.t.tered toast, sprinkled with chopped parsley. Provide lemon wedges. Allow 3 pairs of roes per person.

FRITURE DE LAITANCE AVEC SAUCE MOUTARDE.

Serves 618 pairs of large herring roes (more will be needed if they are small)salt, pepperoil for fryingBATTER125 g (4 oz) plain flourpinch of salt2 tablespoons oil175 ml (6 fl oz) tepid water or or beer beer2 small egg whitesmustard sauce*

Divide and season the herring roes. Set them aside. Make the batter by mixing together flour, salt and oil with the tepid water or beer aim for a pouring custard consistency. Leave to stand for a while, if this is convenient. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter just before it is required. Make the mustard sauce and keep it warm.

Coat the roes in batter and fry golden brown on both sides in oil (or use a deep-frying pan). As each batch is cooked it is important not to overcrowd the pan keep it warm on crumpled kitchen paper, set on a baking tray in the oven. When all are cooked, serve with the mustard sauce.

This is one of the best dishes in the book. I've adapted it slightly from a recipe in Ali Bab's Gastronomie Pratique Gastronomie Pratique.

OMELETTE WITH SOFT HERRING ROE.

Soft herring roes make a good filling for an omelette. Fry them gently in b.u.t.ter, season with lemon and parsley and use as a filling. Or else cook them gently in b.u.t.ter, chop them and add them to the beaten eggs before making the omelette in the usual way. For a dozen eggs, allow 250 g (8 oz) of soft roes.

ROE PUFFS.

If you cannot find roes in good shape, an enjoyable, if second-best, solution is to make soft roe puffs. Buy 250 g (8 oz) of roes. Chop them into a rough puree and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Make up the batter above, but with rather less liquid: 150 ml (5 fl oz) will be enough. Mix the soft roes into the batter before folding in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into hot, deep oil. Remove when they are crisp and golden brown. Keep warm in the oven until the batter is used up. Serve with mustard sauce, or with lemon quarters.

SOFT ROE AND CREAM SAUCE See See p. 186 p. 186.

SOFT ROE PASTE.

Like the smoked salmon pastes on p. 324 p. 324, this makes a good first course. Serve with brown bread and b.u.t.ter, or with baked bread.

Fry 125 g (4 oz) of soft roes in a little b.u.t.ter. Season well and sieve or mash to a paste. Mix in 90 g (3 oz) of softened, unsalted b.u.t.ter, and 1 tablespoon of double cream. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary, and a little lemon juice to sharpen the flavour. Cayenne pepper can also be used to spice this very smooth and delicate mixture, or a few drops of chilli sauce.

SOFT ROE STUFFING.

soft roes60 g (2 oz) white breadcrumbsmilk1 medium onion, chopped60 g (2 oz) b.u.t.terheaped tablespoon chopped fresh herbs: parsley and chives or or tarragon tarragongrated rind of lemon1 teaspoon anchovy essence or 2 2 anchovy fillets chopped anchovy fillets choppedsalt, pepper, lemon juice Chop the soft roes. Soak the breadcrumbs in a little milk, then squeeze out any surplus liquid. Sweat the onion in b.u.t.ter until soft and golden. Mix in all other ingredients, seasoning to taste.

SALTED, SMOKED AND PICKLED HERRING.

If wind-dried fish (p. 494) were suited to early nomadic life, salted fish indicates a settled pattern of existence; a pattern of hamlets, of fis.h.i.+ng, and fis.h.i.+ng communities where people were skilled enough to catch quant.i.ties of fish at a time. And had storage s.p.a.ce, and adequate containers for salting down the catch to last the winter. It also indicates the developed working of salt mines and salt pans, which took place from the seventh century BC onwards. I suppose a tub of salted fish is as much a symbol of civilization as a gold torque.

Barrels of salt herring must have been excessively c.u.mbersome to move about. Obviously, drying them by smoking would solve the problem of getting them inland, to people who for health and for religious reasons needed a particularly cheap and abundant form of protein. Gradually a most efficient technique was evolved. Salted herring were smoked, then left to drip for two days, before being smoked and smoked again. They hung over slow fires like row upon row of was.h.i.+ng in Venetian alleys suspended from rods in great smoke houses. The resulting dryish red object, the 'red herring', was then able to stand up to changes of humidity and temperature without going bad: and it was tough enough to survive the rough jolting of ancient transport.

THE RED HERRING This even had its poet, Thomas Nashe, Shakespeare's contemporary. According to him: 'The poorer sort make it three parts of their sustenance; with it, for his dinner, the patchedest This even had its poet, Thomas Nashe, Shakespeare's contemporary. According to him: 'The poorer sort make it three parts of their sustenance; with it, for his dinner, the patchedest Leather pilche laborattro Leather pilche laborattro may dine like a Spanish Duke... it sets a-work thousands, who live all the rest of the year gaily well by what in some few weeks they scratch up then' i.e. in the herring season. 'Carpenters, s.h.i.+pwrights, makers of lines, ropes and cables, dressers of hemp, spinners of thread, and net weavers it gives their handfuls to, set up so many salt houses to make salt, and salt upon salt; keeps in earnings the cooper, brewer, the baker, and numbers of other people to gill, wash and pack it, and carry it and recarry it.' He might as well have been writing about the herring trade of Germany and Holland. may dine like a Spanish Duke... it sets a-work thousands, who live all the rest of the year gaily well by what in some few weeks they scratch up then' i.e. in the herring season. 'Carpenters, s.h.i.+pwrights, makers of lines, ropes and cables, dressers of hemp, spinners of thread, and net weavers it gives their handfuls to, set up so many salt houses to make salt, and salt upon salt; keeps in earnings the cooper, brewer, the baker, and numbers of other people to gill, wash and pack it, and carry it and recarry it.' He might as well have been writing about the herring trade of Germany and Holland.

With the development of refrigeration in the nineteenth century, the red herring disappeared in favour of less harshly cured fish. Henry Sutton of Great Yarmouth still make them, but almost entirely for export to hot countries (although a few delicatessens in this country do stock them for their West Indian customers). They are still required where domestic refrigerators are few. There is even a 'black herring' imported by Africa and the West Indies: it will, it seems, stand up to any climate, indefinitely, without cold storage. When I heard that Zimbabwean farmers buy them to supplement the porridgey diet of their black workers, I felt that herrings were still too close reminders of slavery to be comfortable. (Southern American and West Indian plantations once provided a huge market for our hard-cured herrings.) Cookery books of the past instruct you to soak red herrings in small beer or milk often poured over them boiling. Hannah Gla.s.se says that two hours should be long enough, which makes me think that our ancestors had a far greater taste for smoky saltness than we have. The herrings were then grilled, or toasted on forks in front of the fire. b.u.t.ter was used to baste them, or olive oil, which 'supples, and supplies the fish with a kind of artificial Juices'. Egg sauce, scrambled or b.u.t.tered eggs, or potatoes mashed and well b.u.t.tered, mollified the sharp piquant flavour. Cut into strips they could be used like anchovies.

THE BLOATER By comparison, the bloater is a decadent upstart with a pedigree going back a mere three or four centuries. Its lighter cure reflects pleasure, the realization by many ordinary people that eating could be a source of delight as well as survival. The bloater being ungutted, like the red herring, keeps a certain gaminess of flavour, but it has been 'roused' in salt for one night only, before being smoked a mere twelve hours. Obviously it cannot be kept without refrigeration which means that until recently it was a speciality of East Anglia. However, as refrigeration is no improver of flavour, it is still true that you need to go to Great Yarmouth, or that part of the coast, to eat bloaters at their best (i.e. no more than thirty-six hours after the cure is finished). By comparison, the bloater is a decadent upstart with a pedigree going back a mere three or four centuries. Its lighter cure reflects pleasure, the realization by many ordinary people that eating could be a source of delight as well as survival. The bloater being ungutted, like the red herring, keeps a certain gaminess of flavour, but it has been 'roused' in salt for one night only, before being smoked a mere twelve hours. Obviously it cannot be kept without refrigeration which means that until recently it was a speciality of East Anglia. However, as refrigeration is no improver of flavour, it is still true that you need to go to Great Yarmouth, or that part of the coast, to eat bloaters at their best (i.e. no more than thirty-six hours after the cure is finished).

This plumped creature hence the name bloater or bloat herring, bouffis bouffis to the French is really a mild yet piquant delicacy. Which is what Clara Peggotty, in to the French is really a mild yet piquant delicacy. Which is what Clara Peggotty, in David Copperfield David Copperfield, meant when she said she was 'proud to call herself a Yarmouth bloater'. This particular kind of curing has also been developed in Europe, in Holland in particular, and in France, where the harengs saurs harengs saurs from Boulogne are finer even than a Yarmouth bloater. from Boulogne are finer even than a Yarmouth bloater.

We usually grill bloaters in England, and serve them with b.u.t.ter. Or we turn them into bloater paste (p. 190). Like salted herring, kippers, etc., they can be used for the hot dishes on p. 198 p. 198. Do not be dogmatic about cooking them because they taste delicious raw in salads of various kinds. I find that a filleted bloater (pour boiling water over first, leave for a minute, like a tomato, before skinning), mixed with two filleted kippers, make an excellent subst.i.tute for the far more expensive matjes herring of the delicatessen counter.

THE KIPPER The mildest of all cured herrings is the kipper. As you would expect, it is the latest comer. John Woodger of Seahouses, in Northumberland, decided in the 1840s to adapt the salmon-kippering process to herrings. He split the fish down the back and gutted it, soaked it briefly in brine half an hour or more depending on the fatness of the fish then hung it up on hooks fixed to long rods or 'tenters' to be smoked over slow oak fires for six to eighteen hours. His methods are still followed by the small family firm of Robson at Craster down the coast from Seahouses, by a firm or two on Loch Fyne, and by all kipperers on the Isle of Man. The mildest of all cured herrings is the kipper. As you would expect, it is the latest comer. John Woodger of Seahouses, in Northumberland, decided in the 1840s to adapt the salmon-kippering process to herrings. He split the fish down the back and gutted it, soaked it briefly in brine half an hour or more depending on the fatness of the fish then hung it up on hooks fixed to long rods or 'tenters' to be smoked over slow oak fires for six to eighteen hours. His methods are still followed by the small family firm of Robson at Craster down the coast from Seahouses, by a firm or two on Loch Fyne, and by all kipperers on the Isle of Man.

Larger concerns cheat time and loss of weight, and make up for the skill of individual judgement, by dyeing the kippers to various shades of mahogany. The browner a kipper is, the more pains you should take to avoid it. This is not crankiness on my part. Try a silvery brown kipper from one of the places I've mentioned, and at the same time try one of those sunburnt objects from a deep-frozen package, and you will see what I mean. (Canned kippers I find disgusting: they do not come into it at all.) The practice of dyeing was introduced during the First World War when it was excusable to pa.s.s off inferior kippers because people were hungry. The dye disguised the fact that the kipper hadn't been smoked for long enough: which meant that it had lost less weight, so it took fewer kippers to fill the boxes. Good kippers are sorted out after the curing is over: dyeing disguises the poor ones, and so lessens the need for skilled sorters who know what a kipper should be.

In The Herring and its Fishery The Herring and its Fishery, W. C. Hodgson remarks: '... in fairness to many respectable curing firms, it is true to say that, provided the fish are properly smoked provided the fish are properly smoked, a little added colour will do no harm, but at the same time it is difficult to see why if colour was unnecessary in the "old days" it should be necessary now. However one looks at the problem, there is always the chance that the colour will be used to speed up the processing of the herring.'

Kippers may be grilled, skin side to the heat, baked in foil, fried, or jugged i.e. put into a large pot, with a kettleful of boiling water, and left for 10 minutes. I like them best raw, arranged in strips round the edge of some well-b.u.t.tered rye bread, with an egg yolk in the middle as sauce. Or I like them, raw again, in the herring salad recipes on p. 196 p. 196. They make an excellent quiche (p. 314), or souffle (p. 319), and are an obvious candidate for the fish paste recipe on p. 190 p. 190.

Two hints from Mr Hodgson: 'Put a pair of kippers together, flesh to flesh, in the frying-pan with a small piece of b.u.t.ter between them. Fry very slowly, turning them over from time to time, but always keeping them together like a sandwich. In this way the oil runs continually from one kipper to the other and the result is excellent. Incidentally mustard is good with kippers, and mustard sauce is correct with most kinds of cooked fresh herrings.' (See p. 189 p. 189.) 'Many people object to eating kippers because they have difficulty with the bones... Eating a kipper is quite simple if it is laid correctly on the plate to start with, that is, with the skin uppermost... With the head towards you, lift up the skin from half of the kipper by running the point of the knife along the edge and fold the skin back. This exposes the flesh on top of the bones on top of the bones, and it is quite easy to remove it in fillets, leaving the bones untouched. When this side has been eaten, turn the kipper round on the plate so that the tail is towards you and repeat the process on the other side.' This works.

MATJES AND BUCKLING Since the war we have become familiar with two kinds of cured herring originally imported from abroad. The matjes or maatjes fillets on sale in many supermarkets and Continental stores come from young fat virgin herrings (which is the meaning of the word Since the war we have become familiar with two kinds of cured herring originally imported from abroad. The matjes or maatjes fillets on sale in many supermarkets and Continental stores come from young fat virgin herrings (which is the meaning of the word matjes matjes) and have been cured in salt, sugar and a little saltpetre. They have a richer flavour than ordinary salted herrings, but after soaking can be used in exactly the same ways. The other kind, buckling, are a very different matter altogether, because they have been partially 'cooked' by hot-smoking. (The other smoked herrings are cold-smoked at temperatures not higher than 32C/90F, which flavours the fish without cooking it.) They are ungutted, so have the slightly gamey flavour of a bloater but in a milder form. Eat them, like smoked trout, with bread and b.u.t.ter and lemon, or with horseradish cream. If you must have them hot, reheat them as briefly as possible under the grill or in the oven. The appetizing gold colour comes from their final exposure to really dense smoke. This is the luxury fish of the herring trade.

HOW TO SALT HERRINGS AT HOME.

When I first started housekeeping and was full of the enthusiasm of novelty, I came across a Danish book mainly concerned with pickling herrings. One recipe gave a splendid mixture for spiced salt, including sandalwood and Spanish hops. Chips of sandalwood I managed to find (and have some still in a jar in my spice cupboard occasionally I unscrew the lid and the lovely smell brings back a pungent memory of the enormous enterprise we undertook). Spanish hops remained elusive, so we did without them. Macfisheries were surprised to receive an order for 100 fine fat herrings, but sent a patient young man out to our village with the load. He came in and out of the house with endless white trays of herrings. He talked to us gingerly and placatingly, as if he were not quite sure of our sanity.

Down those herrings went, into a stoneware crock, and they were excellent. At that time there were only two of us so they seemed to last for ever. But I would advise putting down 3 kg (6 lb) or so if you have a family, particularly if you live near a herring port and can buy them really fresh. The thing is to get them when they are at their fattest and most plentiful (and therefore cheapest).

You need a stoneware crock, a huge Pyrex ca.s.serole or an oblong plastic container, rinsed out with boiling soda water, then rinsed and drained upside down. Do not use earthenware: it is too porous. You also need a cool place for storage. This is not an enterprise for centrally-heated flat dwellers, I'm afraid, who would do better to try the quick alternative method below.

Buy 3 kg (6 lb) of the largest herrings. Clean them, leaving the heads in place. Keep the roes for another dish. Make up a solution of vinegar and water in the proportion of 1:2, enough to cover the fish, and leave overnight.

Meanwhile mix together the following cure: 250 g (8 oz) pure sea salt250 g (8 oz) sugar3 teaspoons lightly crushed peppercorns6 bay leaves4 almonds, chopped small12 whole allspice, coa.r.s.ely crushed1 tablespoon Cretan dittany (optional) Drain and dry the herrings. Layer them into the crock or container, sprinkling on the cure and finis.h.i.+ng with it. Put a very clean board or plate on top with a light weight to keep the fish submerged in the brine that gradually forms as the salt dissolves. Cover the whole thing and leave in a cool place. They will last for weeks. You can start removing them after 4 or 5 days: use tongs rather than fingers so as to maintain the highest standards of hygiene.

Soaking time will depend on how long the herrings have been in salt. Fillet the fish, cover them with a mixture of half milk and half water, and taste a little bit after, say, 2 hours.

DILL-PICKLED HERRING Large, plump herrings can be cured most successfully with salt, sugar and dill weed in the gravadlax manner, Large, plump herrings can be cured most successfully with salt, sugar and dill weed in the gravadlax manner, see see p. 310 p. 310.

QUICK SALT HERRINGS As anyone who has ever cured pork will know, brine acts far more quickly than dry salt but the flavour is less interesting. As anyone who has ever cured pork will know, brine acts far more quickly than dry salt but the flavour is less interesting.

Bone 46 herrings. Put the fillets, neatly trimmed, into a dish. Dissolve 60 g (2 oz) pure sea salt in 600 ml (1 pt) boiled water, then cool and pour over the herring. Leave about 6 hours, then drain well. The flavour is not as rich and spicy as in the method above you can add aromatics to the brine, but they do not have time to make much of an impression on the herring unless you have time to leave them longer.

SALTED HERRING SALADS.

Having made or bought your salted herrings, or matjes, bucklings and harengs saurs, they will provide you with a number of hot dishes (see p. 198 p. 198), and, even better, with a variety of salads and hors d'oeuvre which can be varied to suit your own tastes.

BOULONNAISE SALAD Soak and cut up the salt herring fillets; put them in the centre of a serving dish. Beat 125 ml (4 fl oz) olive oil into 1 large tablespoon of French mustard, as if you were making a mayonnaise. Pour this over the herrings and top with raw onion rings. Round them put a circle of diced, boiled beetroot (about 500 g/1 lb) dressed in a sauce of 125 ml (4 fl oz) double or soured cream, flavoured with chopped shallot, chives and lemon juice. Fork four hard-boiled eggs to crumbs and put in a ring between herring and beetroot. Chill well. Soak and cut up the salt herring fillets; put them in the centre of a serving dish. Beat 125 ml (4 fl oz) olive oil into 1 large tablespoon of French mustard, as if you were making a mayonnaise. Pour this over the herrings and top with raw onion rings. Round them put a circle of diced, boiled beetroot (about 500 g/1 lb) dressed in a sauce of 125 ml (4 fl oz) double or soured cream, flavoured with chopped shallot, chives and lemon juice. Fork four hard-boiled eggs to crumbs and put in a ring between herring and beetroot. Chill well.

DANISH PICKLED HERRING In Denmark, salted herrings are given a richer flavour by being soaked in a sweet-sour marinade. First of all, though, the herrings must be soaked in milk and water until they are mild in flavour. In Denmark, salted herrings are given a richer flavour by being soaked in a sweet-sour marinade. First of all, though, the herrings must be soaked in milk and water until they are mild in flavour.

Serves 66 salt herring250 g (8 oz) granulated sugar150 ml (5 fl oz) wine or cider vinegar68 peppercorns2 teaspoons pickling spice, including a chilli2 or 3 large onions and a few bay leaves Put the salt herring fillets to soak in milk and water. Simmer together the first four marinade ingredients for 3 minutes. Leave to cool. When the saltiness of the herrings is reduced to a palatable level, drain and arrange them in a plastic box or gla.s.s jar, with slices of onion and bay leaves in between. Pour over the marinade and leave for at least 5 days in the refrigerator.

The fillets can then be cut into pieces, to be eaten with bread and b.u.t.ter, as they are. Serve the pieces in a dish, garnished with a few slices of the onion, a bay leaf or two and the chilli. They are an essential part of the cold table in Denmark, and on a smaller scale can be included in a mixed hors d'oeuvre.

LIVONIAN SALAD Dice 375 g (12 oz) potatoes, boiled in their skins and then peeled, 23 large c.o.x's orange pippins, half a head of Florentine fennel or 23 stalks of celery. Put into a bowl with vinaigrette dressing, chopped parsley, chervil and chives. Soak and drain 4 salt herring fillets, cut them into dice and fold them in last of all. Serve well chilled. Dice 375 g (12 oz) potatoes, boiled in their skins and then peeled, 23 large c.o.x's orange pippins, half a head of Florentine fennel or 23 stalks of celery. Put into a bowl with vinaigrette dressing, chopped parsley, chervil and chives. Soak and drain 4 salt herring fillets, cut them into dice and fold them in last of all. Serve well chilled.

Beetroot can be added, so can a chopped dill-pickled gherkin or cuc.u.mber. Tomatoes and lemon quarters, too. Double or soured cream can take the place of vinaigrette sauce, appropriately seasoned.

MUSTARD SALAD Make a strong mustard-flavoured mayonnaise*. Fold in 125 ml (4 fl oz) whipped cream. Pour over pieces of soaked, salted herring fillets. Garnish with dill weed. Serve very cold. Make a strong mustard-flavoured mayonnaise*. Fold in 125 ml (4 fl oz) whipped cream. Pour over pieces of soaked, salted herring fillets. Garnish with dill weed. Serve very cold.

POLISH CHRISTMAS EVE HERRINGS If the herrings are very salty, soak them. If you are using the packets of mild harengs saurs, or kipper fillets, there is no need to do this; the harengs saurs will have been treated and the kippers are ready to use straightaway. Put them on individual plates, and cover them with creme fraiche, or half soured and half double cream well seasoned with chopped onion and lemon juice. Serve with gla.s.ses of chilled vodka. If the herrings are very salty, soak them. If you are using the packets of mild harengs saurs, or kipper fillets, there is no need to do this; the harengs saurs will have been treated and the kippers are ready to use straightaway. Put them on individual plates, and cover them with creme fraiche, or half soured and half double cream well seasoned with chopped onion and lemon juice. Serve with gla.s.ses of chilled vodka.

In summer, subst.i.tute chives for onion, or dill or horseradish. This is the best and simplest way I know of eating harengs saurs.

SALTED HERRINGS IN WINE AND CREAM Cook sliced onion and bay leaf in 90 ml (3 fl oz) dry white wine for 15 minutes. When cold, stir in 125 ml (4 fl oz) double cream. Season with cayenne, dill weed and salt. Mix in pieces of soaked, salt herring. Leave in refrigerator for 2 days before serving. Cook sliced onion and bay leaf in 90 ml (3 fl oz) dry white wine for 15 minutes. When cold, stir in 125 ml (4 fl oz) double cream. Season with cayenne, dill weed and salt. Mix in pieces of soaked, salt herring. Leave in refrigerator for 2 days before serving.

SALTED HERRINGS IN OLIVE OIL My favourite recipe for harengs saurs and kippers (neither should need soaking if you buy the harengs saurs in ready-prepared packets). Good, too, with soaked salt herring. Put fillets into a jar with enough fruity olive oil to cover. Add thyme, chillis, peppercorns, etc., according to taste, and close the lid. Leave in the refrigerator until required. Serve with potato salad, dressed with olive oil vinaigrette and chives. My favourite recipe for harengs saurs and kippers (neither should need soaking if you buy the harengs saurs in ready-prepared packets). Good, too, with soaked salt herring. Put fillets into a jar with enough fruity olive oil to cover. Add thyme, chillis, peppercorns, etc., according to taste, and close the lid. Leave in the refrigerator until required. Serve with potato salad, dressed with olive oil vinaigrette and chives.

TOMATO SALAD To 300 ml (io fl oz) of the marinara sauce*, add brown sugar, French mustard and vinegar, and some chopped onion. The mixture should be piquant. Spice with Tabasco, or with cinnamon. Pour over the soaked salt herring, garnish with onion rings, and chill well. To 300 ml (io fl oz) of the marinara sauce*, add brown sugar, French mustard and vinegar, and some chopped onion. The mixture should be piquant. Spice with Tabasco, or with cinnamon. Pour over the soaked salt herring, garnish with onion rings, and chill well.

HOT DISHES MADE FROM SALTED AND SMOKED HERRING.

Soak harengs saurs, if they haven't come in ready-prepared packets, and bloaters: buckling and kipper may be used straightaway. The recipes also work with soaked salt herring, but taste less interesting.

HARENGS SAURS a LA BRUXELLOISE A dish of Careme's. Take half a dozen fish, preferably with soft roes. Remove the fillets, discarding skin and bones. Mash up a generous 125 g (4 oz) unsalted b.u.t.ter with plenty of chopped parsley, some chives, lemon juice and a little crushed garlic. Put 60 g (2 oz) chopped onion into boiling water and cook them for 2 or 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and add to the b.u.t.ter. Chop 125 g (4 oz) mushrooms. Spread the bottom of an ovenproof dish with most of the b.u.t.ter mixture. Place the mushrooms on top, then the herring fillets, with the soft roes between and bits of the remaining b.u.t.ter. Cover with breadcrumbs, dot with more b.u.t.ter, and put into a hot oven (gas 7, 220 C/425 F) for 20 minutes. A dish of Careme's. Take half a dozen fish, preferably with soft roes. Remove the fillets, discarding skin and bones. Mash up a generous 125 g (4 oz) unsalted b.u.t.ter with plenty of chopped parsley, some chives, lemon juice and a little crushed garlic. Put 60 g (2 oz) chopped onion into boiling water and cook them for 2 or 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and add to the b.u.t.ter. Chop 125 g (4 oz) mushrooms. Spread the bottom of an ovenproof dish with most of the b.u.t.ter mixture. Place the mushrooms on top, then the herring fillets, with the soft roes between and bits of the remaining b.u.t.ter. Cover with breadcrumbs, dot with more b.u.t.ter, and put into a hot oven (gas 7, 220 C/425 F) for 20 minutes.

Careme remarks that this dish was always a great success in Lent. People grew very tired of eating fish and were glad to have something particularly good to tempt their bored appet.i.tes.

HARENGS SAURS a L'IRLANDAISE A recipe from an American friend which is unusual and magnificent. Soak the fish if necessary and fillet them, or use kippers. Spread them out in a large dish and cover with Irish whiskey. Set it alight. When the alcohol has burnt away the fish are ready to eat. A recipe from an American friend which is unusual and magnificent. Soak the fish if necessary and fillet them, or use kippers. Spread them out in a large dish and cover with Irish whiskey. Set it alight. When the alcohol has burnt away the fish are ready to eat.

HERRING WITH CREAM Here are several Scandinavian versions using cream as a modifier, Here are several Scandinavian versions using cream as a modifier, see see below. They are best made in a small quant.i.ty and served as a first course, provided the rest of the meal isn't too heavy. Cook them in small individual ramekins or 8- to io-cm (3- to 4-inch) souffle dishes. below. They are best made in a small quant.i.ty and served as a first course, provided the rest of the meal isn't too heavy. Cook them in small individual ramekins or 8- to io-cm (3- to 4-inch) souffle dishes.

b.u.t.ter the dishes well. Put in a layer of pieces of buckling or kipper fillet, or very well soaked harengs saurs, or bloaters.

Cover with a layer of chopped leek and about 60 ml (2 fl oz) cream. Dot with b.u.t.ter. Bake in hot oven (gas 7, 220 C/425 F) for 1520 minutes.

Or sprinkle with a teaspoon of dill weed, and then pour in the cream. Dot with b.u.t.ter. Bake in the same way. This is the version I like best: it really is delicious. sprinkle with a teaspoon of dill weed, and then pour in the cream. Dot with b.u.t.ter. Bake in the same way. This is the version I like best: it really is delicious.

Or cover with a nice layer of potato cut into small matchstick strips. Pour over the cream. Dot with b.u.t.ter. Bake in a hot oven (gas 7, 220 C/425 F) for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and slightly browned. cover with a nice layer of potato cut into small matchstick strips. Pour over the cream. Dot with b.u.t.ter. Bake in a hot oven (gas 7, 220 C/425 F) for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and slightly browned.

Serve with rye bread and b.u.t.ter, or toast.

HERRING WITH POTATOES AND EGGS In hot dishes as in cold, potatoes and eggs are the most popular modifiers of salted herring. So it is not surprising that variations of the same recipe are found all over northern Europe. In Scotland, soaked salt herring were laid on top of potatoes, which were then boiled in the usual way and eaten with b.u.t.ter. Scandinavia has a more refined version potatoes are set to boil, the fish is put on to a b.u.t.tered plate, which fits nicely on top, covered with foil and left to steam. The dish is finally garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg and dill, chives or parsley. In hot dishes as in cold, potatoes and eggs are the most popular modifiers of salted herring. So it is not surprising that variations of the same recipe are found all over northern Europe. In Scotland, soaked salt herring were laid on top of potatoes, which were then boiled in the usual way and eaten with b.u.t.ter. Scandinavia has a more refined version potatoes are set to boil, the fish is put on to a b.u.t.tered plate, which fits nicely on top, covered with foil and left to steam. The dish is finally garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg and dill, chives or parsley.

SMOKED HERRING AND EGG SAUCE Follow the recipe for smoked Finnan haddock and egg sauce on Follow the recipe for smoked Finnan haddock and egg sauce on p. 155 p. 155. Ten minutes' cooking time should be enough for the fish.

BISMARCK AND ROLLMOP HERRINGS.

Like the Ceviche on p. 348 p. 348, Bismarck and rollmop herrings are not cooked by heat, but by an acid liquid this time vinegar which is better suited than citrus juice to an oily fish like herring.

Bismarck herrings are boned fillets, soaked in spiced vinegar, seasoned with slices of onion, cayenne pepper and salt. Rollmops are the whole boned herring, curled up round pieces of onion, pickled cuc.u.mber and peppercorns: they are packed into jars and covered with spiced vinegar, bay leaves and mustard seeds, more onion and cuc.u.mber being added to improve the flavour.

Here are two recipes for home-made rollmops one using fresh herrings, the other salt or matjes fillets.

(1) Serves 66 herrings60 g (2 oz) salt600 ml (1 pt) waterMARINADE600 ml (1 pt) white wine or cider vinegar1 tablespoon pickling spices, including chillipeppercorns3 bay leaves1 large onion, sliced23 sweet-sour pickled cuc.u.mbers or gherkinsonion slices and parsley for garnish Cut the head and tail from the herrings, bone and clean them. Mix the salt with the water and leave the fish in this brine for 23 hours. Meanwhile make the marinade: bring the vinegar and pickling spices to the boil slowly, with peppercorns and bay leaves. Leave to cool. Drain and dry the soaked herrings. Wrap each one round a piece of onion and a piece of pickled cuc.u.mber or gherkin. Arrange the rolled herring side by side in a refrigerator box or gla.s.s or pottery jar. Pour the vinegar over them. Tuck any pieces of onion and cuc.u.mber left over between the herrings. Leave for at least 4 days before eating. Drain, and add fresh onion slices and parsley. A little soured cream can be poured over them as well. Serve with rye bread, or pumpernickel, and b.u.t.ter.

(2) Serves 612 salted or or matjes fillets matjes filletsMARINADE300 ml (10 fl oz) water300 ml (10 fl oz) wine or cider vinegar teaspoon each slightly crushed allspice and juniper berries3 cloves1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, crushed3 bay leavesGerman mustard1 large onion, sliced23 dill-pickled cuc.u.mbers Soak the fillets for at least 12 hours, changing the water twice.

Make the marinade by bringing the water and vinegar slowly to the boil with the spices and bay leaves. Cool. Drain and dry the fillets; spread each one with a little mustard, then roll up round pieces of onion and cuc.u.mber. Finish as above.

SOUSED HERRING AND BRATHERINGE, AND SOUSED MACKEREL.

The German method of prepared soused herring, or Bratheringe Bratheringe, is a form of Escabeche (p. 223), because the fish are fried before being soaked in a vinegar marinade. In Britain cooks use the second method which involves baking the fish in the marinade.

(1) Serves 66 herrings, preferably soft-roedseasoned flourolive oilMARINADE250 ml (8 fl oz) vinegar125 ml (4 fl oz) water4 tablespoons olive oil1 teaspoon each peppercorns and mustard seed3 bay leaves1 medium onion, sliced Remove the heads and tails from the herrings, and bone and clean them, setting the roes aside. Flour lightly, then brown them in olive oil. Cool, and arrange in a dish. Fry the roes in some fresh oil and put them on the herrings. Bring the marinade ingredients to the boil, cool, then pour over the fish and roes. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for at least twenty-four hours.

(2) Serves 66 herrings or or mackerel mackerelsalt, pepper175 ml (6 fl oz) each water and malt vinegar or or 350 ml (12 fl oz) dry cider 350 ml (12 fl oz) dry cider1 tablespoon pickling spice, including a chilli3 bay leaves1 medium onion, sliced Behead, bone and clean the fish. Season them and roll up, skin side either all inwards or all outwards. Arrange closely together in an ovenproof dish. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover with foil and bake in a cool oven (gas 1, 140C/275F) for about 1 hours. Serve cold. Use the roes for another dish (see p. 188 p. 188).

NOTE Soused herrings can be turned into large mixed salads, by following salt herring recipes on Soused herrings can be turned into large mixed salads, by following salt herring recipes on pp. 1968 pp. 1968.

HUSS see see A FEW WORDS ABOUT... A FEW WORDS ABOUT... DOGFISH DOGFISH

JOHN DORY Zeus faber [image]

This is one of the most desirable of the creatures of the sea, coming up to the sole and turbot for quality. As a Mediterranean fish it is outstanding, a star which Venetian cooks hide under the anonymous depressing t.i.tle of Pesce bolito con maionnese boiled fish with mayonnaise (see below). Lucky the visitor who manages to penetrate that particular language barrier before his fortnight is up. Couldn't the city of painters, architects, poets and Eastern merchants do better than that? It is certainly a reminder that if the Venetians built St Mark's, they also invented double-entry book-keeping. below). Lucky the visitor who manages to penetrate that particular language barrier before his fortnight is up. Couldn't the city of painters, architects, poets and Eastern merchants do better than that? It is certainly a reminder that if the Venetians built St Mark's, they also invented double-entry book-keeping.

Once you have eaten John Dory, you will not be surprised to learn that it has divine connections. It was sacred to Zeus hence its scientific name of Zeus faber Zeus faber. When that deity lost his l.u.s.tre, it came under the hand of St Peter the Apostle literally, as you can see from the dark 'fingermarks' which have been there ever since the saint, at Christ's bidding, caught the fish in the Sea of Galilee, and pulled out a coin from its mouth to pay off some importunate tax collectors. Spaniards, Italians, French, Swedes, Norwegians, Icelanders all remember this story when they call Zeus faber Zeus faber, in their various languages, St Peter's fish.

Of course, a fish from the Sea of Galilee could not have been the salt water John Dory or the salt water haddock, see see p. 148 p. 148 but it is a nice tale and one does wonder about those dark round marks. The more likely fish is a kind of trout that flourishes in Galilee and is also called St Peter's fish, in Israel. I have eaten it grilled, a pleasant but not outstanding fish though, to be just, overcooking did not help: that was in Tel Aviv. I looked in vain for fingermarks. Neither was there a coin in its mouth. but it is a nice tale and one does wonder about those dark round marks. The more likely fish is a kind of trout that flourishes in Galilee and is also called St Peter's fish, in Israel. I have eaten it grilled, a pleasant but not outstanding fish though, to be just, overcooking did not help: that was in Tel Aviv. I looked in vain for fingermarks. Neither was there a coin in its mouth.

The English name is right out of line. At first it was dory by itself, from doree doree, describing the golden sheen on the scales. John was added in the seventeenth century. An affectionate response to its frankly ugly but sad and amiable face? The same impulse which gave names like Jenny Wren, Jack-run-by-the-hedge and Robin Redbreast to things we have liked and felt at home with?

Not, I'm afraid, that you are likely to feel familiar with John Dory these days, and the American John Dory (Zenopsis ocellata) is also scarce the fingermarks are paler, though still discernible. In Britain, hoteliers and restaurateurs snap it up but try ordering it specially from your fishmonger, and persist. Look out for it on holiday in Europe or in the Canaries. A friend who was there just lately had one, or rather its fillets, fried in a crisp batter. He was told that if the catch had been bigger, he would not have been eating it, because the big fish merchants on the islands buy them all immediately they are landed, and export them rapidly. That particular day too few John Dories had turned up for them to bother.

HOW TO CHOOSE AND PREPARE JOHN DORY.

The enormous head and large cavity of the John Dory gives you a misleading impression of its edible size. As so often with fish, you need to judge quant.i.ties with your eyes rather than the scales. The large spiny fins make it seem bigger, too. Unless you are using the Dory for Pesce bolito, ask the fishmonger to fillet it for you. Keep the debris for stock.

Many sole and turbot recipes can be used with success. Creamy and egg sauces are good, too. It is the obvious candidate for such Mediterranean dishes as Bourride and Bouillabaisse. I like it served with fennel, blanched and then finished in b.u.t.ter with a touch of garlic and parsley. Marsh samphire this time a plant, not a fish, named for Saint Pierre makes a good accompaniment, preferably the tips steamed, although the pickled version gives an agreeable sharp accent.

JOHN DORY WITH ORANGE SAUCE (Saint-Pierre a l'orange) Orange with fish has become almost as popular again as it was in the eighteenth century. Bitter oranges were the thing then, as a rich but equally sharp subst.i.tute for lemon. Nowadays, unless you keep a supply of Sevilles in the deep-freeze in which case, use three of them and omit the lemon in the recipe following you have to use sweet oranges sharpened with lemon juice. As the strength and sweetness of oranges vary, use your taste as a guide when making the sauce rather than exact measures.

Serves 66 x 150175 g (56 oz) fillets John Dorysalt, pepper, cayenne2 oranges1 small lemon125 g (4 oz) b.u.t.ter1 shallot or or 1 small onion, chopped 1 small onion, chopped125 ml (4 fl oz) Madeira or or brown sherry brown sherry125 ml (4 fl oz) double cream2 large egg yolks1 generous handful of marsh samphire to garnish (optional) Sprinkle the fish on both sides with seasoning and set aside. Peel off the zest of the citrus fruit and cut it into matchsticks; blanch them for 2 minutes in boiling water and drain them. Alternatively this is better in every way remove the outer coloured peel with a zester: these shreds are fine enough not to need blanching. Squeeze the fruit juices.

In a large shallow pan, melt a third of the b.u.t.ter and cook the shallot or onion gently, without browning it, until it begins to soften. Put in the fish, the citrus juices, the wine and enough water to come almost to the top of the fish. Cover and simmer until the fish is almost cooked, but still pinkish. With a slotted spoon, lift the fillets on to a serving plate and keep them warm in a very low oven: they will continue to cook slowly which gets rid of the pinkness without overcooking.

Boil down the cooking juices to a good concentration: you should end up with approximately 250 ml (8 fl oz). Remove about a third this is your safety valve. Mix the cream with the egg yolks and stir them into the hot juices, off the stove. Put the pan back over a low heat for the sauce to thicken slightly without any risk of boiling. Add small cubes of the remaining b.u.t.ter and splashes of the concentrated cooking liquor that you removed. You may well not need the full quant.i.ty of either go for a flavour that pleases you.

Pour the sauce round the fish or else arrange the fillets on top of a pool of sauce, if you like the modern style, on individual plates and scatter the shreds of peel on top.

If you have been able to get samphire, add some of the steamed tips (the unstringy part). Their saltiness goes well with the sauce and the fish.

PESCE BOLITO CON MAIONNESE.

Choose one large John Dory or two smaller fish. Remember that the firm flesh is substantial, and so is the mayonnaise, so you will not need a large quant.i.ty.

Serves 62 kg (4 lb) fishcourt bouillon, no 1*mayonnaise, made with 3 egg yolks and 500 ml (15 fl oz) light olive oil or or mixed olive and groundnut oils mixed olive and groundnut oils*2 teaspoons gelatine3 tablespoons hot water Put the fish into a cold court bouillon, and bring it to boiling point over a moderate heat. Let it shudder for a moment or two, then remove from the stove and let it cool to tepid. Now drain and skin the fish. Divide the fillets into portions and place them on a wire rack, over a baking tray. Make the mayonnaise and put half into a serving bowl. Melt the gelatine in the hot water, and as it cools to an egg-white consistency fold it into the remaining mayonnaise. Cover the fish with this mixture and put a chaste decoration or two in place a sprig of tarragon, some capers. When the jellied mayonnaise has set, put the pieces of fish on to a serving plate, on leaves of crisp lettuce. Serve chilled, accompanied by the remaining half of the mayonnaise.

KING MACKEREL see see MACKEREL MACKEREL LING see see COD COD