Fresh Herrings (Farleigh Receipt)

Ingredients

• 2 whole fresh herrings
• pepper
• salt
• a little pounded mace
• small bits butter
• flour
• melted butter
• 1 teaspoonful or more mustard
• salt
• a little vinegar or lemon-juice

Instructions

1. Scale and clean the fish with the utmost nicety, split them quite open, and wash the insides with particular care.
2. Dry the fish well in a cloth.
3. Take off the heads and tails, and remove the backbones.
4. Rub the insides with pepper, salt, and a little pounded mace.
5. Stick small bits of butter on the insides.
6. Skewer two of the fish together as flat as possible, with the skin of both outside.
7. Flour the skewered fish.
8. Broil for 20 to 25 minutes or fry for about 10 minutes until a fine brown.
9. Mix melted butter with a teaspoonful or more of mustard, some salt, and a little vinegar or lemon-juice.
10. Serve the fish with the prepared melted butter sauce.