large ones, because large herrings are too fatty to be enjoyable. Cut oft the heads and tails, slit the fish open, remove the backbone, and draw out as many of the small bones as possible. Rub a little salt on the fish, sprinkle pepper over, roll each fish separately, and tie them with soft string to keep them in position. Place them in a pie-dish or a stone jar, pour over them vinegar, to which a little water has been added ; place a cover over the dish, and bake in a gentle oven for a couple of hours. Some people put a little nutmeg✪ Pickled Herrings with the pepper and salt inside the herring, but this is a matter of taste. When dishing the fish break the rolls in half, and put a little sprig of parsley on each small roll. Scallops, too, are very good for breakfast, but they are not nearly so well known as they deserve to be, except in certain districts. I have been astonished to find how few people use them, and when they have been laid out on the fishmonger’s stall, I have heard passers-by say, “What are those queer-looking things?” The queer- looking things in question are shell-fish, rather larger than oysters. The shells are pale pink, and the flesh is white and deep orange coloured. The fish must be fresh when bought, or it will not be good. The scallops can be prepared overnight, although it will be best not to put them in the shells till morning. Open the shells, and trim away the beards and the black part, leaving only the white and the yellow portion. Allow a heaped table- spoonful of chopped parsley for a dozen scallops, and take a third of the bulk of the flesh of the fish in fine bread-crumbs. Wash the meat which is to be used, drain it, mince it finely, and mix with it the bread-crumbs, parsley, pepper, and salt. Scald and dry the deeper scallop shells, butter the shells inside, sprinkle bread- crumbs over, lay in the minced fish, put bread-crumbs over all ; place little pieces of butter here and there over the top, and lay the shells in a Dutch oven before the fire till the meat is hot through. Serve very hot in the shells, with a little vinegar if liked. Allow three scallops for each shell, and one shell for each person. By so doing you may calculate that a dozen scallops will be sufficient for four people. When the shells are done with, scour them, well wash, and dry them. They can 152 The GirPs Own Cookery Book. be used for “scalloping” cold meat, poultry, or fish generally. For this the same recipe can be followed, minced meat being substituted for minced scalloped flesh in the preparation. Poultry or Game, after having been served for dinner, may furnish a very excellent breakfast relish by devilling the legs of the birds for breakfast. Where it is convenient the legs of the birds should be left untouched for this purpose. Occasionally people are met with who like the “ dark meat ” of poultry, but the taste is not usual, and well-devilled drum-sticks are a delicacy which the most fastidious epicure would not despise. Prepare the drum- sticks over night, as they should lie in the hot mixture for some hours before they are broiled. Take the skin off the legs and score the flesh deeply on both sides of the bone. Mix on a plate a spoonful of mustard, a little cayenne pepper, a small spoonful of anchovy sauce, and a large spoonful either of salad oil or dissolved butter ; a teaspoonful of Worcester sauce may be added if liked.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

large ones, because large herrings are too fatty to be enjoyable. Cut oft the heads and tails, slit the fish open, remove the backbone, and draw out as many of the small bones as possible. Rub a little salt on the fish, sprinkle pepper over, roll each fish separately, and tie them with soft string to keep them in position. Place them in a pie-dish or a stone jar, pour over them vinegar, to which a little water has been added ; place a cover over the dish, and bake in a gentle oven for a couple of hours. Some people put a little nutmeg with the pepper and salt inside the herring, but this is a matter of taste. When dishing the fish break the rolls in half, and put a little sprig of parsley on each small roll. Scallops, too, are very good for breakfast, but they are not nearly so well known as they deserve to be, except in certain districts. I have been astonished to find how few people use them, and when they have been laid out on the fishmonger's stall, I have heard passers-by say, "What are those queer-looking things?" The queer-looking things in question are shell-fish, rather larger than oysters. The shells are pale pink, and the flesh is white and deep orange coloured. The fish must be fresh when bought, or it will not be good. The scallops can be prepared overnight, although it will be best not to put them in the shells till morning. Open the shells, and trim away the beards and the black part, leaving only the white and the yellow portion. Allow a heaped tablespoonful of chopped parsley for a dozen scallops, and take a third of the bulk of the flesh of the fish in fine bread-crumbs. Wash the meat which is to be used, drain it, mince it finely, and mix with it the bread-crumbs, parsley, pepper, and salt. Scald and dry the deeper scallop shells, butter the shells inside, sprinkle breadcrumbs over, lay in the minced fish, put bread-crumbs over all ; place little pieces of butter here and there over the top, and lay the shells in a Dutch oven before the fire till the meat is hot through. Serve very hot in the shells, with a little vinegar if liked. Allow three scallops for each shell, and one shell for each person. By so doing you may calculate that a dozen scallops will be sufficient for four people. When the shells are done with, scour them, well wash, and dry them. They can 152 The GirPs Own Cookery Book. be used for “scalloping” cold meat, poultry, or fish generally. For this the same recipe can be followed, minced meat being substituted for minced scalloped flesh in the preparation. Poultry or Game, after having been served for dinner, may furnish a very excellent breakfast relish by devilling the legs of the birds for breakfast. Where it is convenient the legs of the birds should be left untouched for this purpose. Occasionally people are met with who like the “ dark meat ” of poultry, but the taste is not usual, and well-devilled drum-sticks are a delicacy which the most fastidious epicure would not despise. Prepare the drumsticks over night, as they should lie in the hot mixture for some hours before they are broiled. Take the skin off the legs and score the flesh deeply on both sides of the bone. Mix on a plate a spoonful of mustard, a little cayenne pepper, a small spoonful of anchovy sauce, and a large spoonful either of salad oil or dissolved butter ; a teaspoonful of Worcester sauce may be added if liked.

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Pickled Herrings

The girl's own cookery book