To Cure Herrings

Ingredients

• brine
• herrings
• coarse alum salt
• saltpetre
• butter
• white paper

Instructions

1. Take the brine left from your winter beef stock to the fishing place. When the seine is hauled, select the largest herrings and throw them alive into the brine; let them remain twenty-four hours. Remove them and lay on sloping planks to allow the brine to drain.
2. Prepare a tight barrel by placing coarse alum salt at the bottom. Layer the herrings carefully without bruising them, alternating with sprinkles of alum salt and saltpetre. Continue layering fish, salt, and saltpetre until the barrel is full. Place a board over it to keep it covered.
3. Within a few weeks, check that the herrings are covered in brine; if not, add more to prevent them from becoming rusty. Ensure you do not spare the salt when packing.
4. When ready to use, remove a few herrings from the brine and soak them one to two hours. Scale them nicely, pull off the gills (the only entrail will come with them), wash clean, and hang to dry.
5. To broil: take half a sheet of white paper, rub it over with butter, place the herring inside, fold the edges securely, and broil without burning it.