The fat under the skin of the herring, like that of the sprat, is never of good taste, and should, if possible, be extracted. This is best done bj’ broiling the fish, whether it be fresh, or salted, or smoked. Soyer {loc. cit. 143) signifi- cantly observes that herrings certainly could be crumbed and fried, but scarcely any person would like them. This would be perfectly true if the eater were to attempt to eat the crust with the meat, as he does in the case of sole or smelt ; but let him skin the crumbed and fried herring, and then pick the fillets off the skeleton, and he will find the flesh delicate and pure ; the oil has been absorlied by and removed with the skin and the crust over it. 538 THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY Herrings may receive a great number of different dress- ings ; they may be baked, or prepared en matelote or an (jratin. The preserved and salted herring (French liaremj 2)ec, i.e., j)iclded) is frequently eaten uncooked, like an- chovies, with hot green vegetables (entremets) ; when it is salted, smoked, and dried, it is best grilled ; when dipped into pyroligneous acid, and dried, it becomes kippered, as it is technically termed ; it then tastes of vinegar and smoke. Boned, stewed, and marinaded in the collared, rolled-up state, fillets of herring pass in North Germany under the name]of Boiler-Mops, in Lancashire and Scotland under that of sour herring. In Eoman Catholic districts several pre- parations from preserved herrings are current. The sardine is a small sea-fish, bearing its name from the Mediterranean island where it abounds. It occurs in many seas, abundantly on the coast of Brittany, where many thousands of barrels and millions of tin cases of this fish are annually filled. They are, like the sprats, hardly good to eat fresh, owing to an oil, which has to be got rid of. This is done by draining and pressure, and by salting. Great masses of sardines are taken along the coast of Galicia and imported in a salted state into Spain ; then they are fried in oil, and we always found them excellent. Fresh sardines should be broiled like sprats, clamped in a gridiron. Sardines have scales, and thereby are distinguished from anchovies at first sight, the skin of which is bare. The anchovy, French anchois, German Sardelle, is a small sea-fish little more than five inches in length, with a smooth skin destitute of scales, a large head, large black eyes, a large swallow, a silvery body, and round back. It is taken during the night on the eastern coasts of Italy, France and Spain. The head being cut oft' and the trail removed, the washed fish is immediately stratified with salt in barrels. The fishermen of Broven9e used salt coloured with ochreous earth, which made the fish red. Both SARDINES, ANCHOl’IES AND TUNNY 539

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The fat under the skin of the herring, like that of the sprat, is never of good taste, and should, if possible, be extracted. This is best done bj’ broiling the fish, whether it be fresh, or salted, or smoked. Soyer {loc. cit. 143) significantly observes that herrings certainly could be crumbed and fried, but scarcely any person would like them. This would be perfectly true if the eater were to attempt to eat the crust with the meat, as he does in the case of sole or smelt ; but let him skin the crumbed and fried herring, and then pick the fillets off the skeleton, and he will find the flesh delicate and pure ; the oil has been absorbed by and removed with the skin and the crust over it. Herrings may receive a great number of different dressings ; they may be baked, or prepared en matelote or au gratin. The preserved and salted herring (French harengs pec, i.e., j)iclded) is frequently eaten uncooked, like anchovies, with hot green vegetables (entremets) ; when it is salted, smoked, and dried, it is best grilled ; when dipped into pyroligneous acid, and dried, it becomes kippered, as it is technically termed ; it then tastes of vinegar and smoke. Boned, stewed, and marinaded in the collared, rolled-up state, fillets of herring pass in North Germany under the name]of Boiler-Mops, in Lancashire and Scotland under that of sour herring. In Eoman Catholic districts several preparations from preserved herrings are current. The sardine is a small sea-fish, bearing its name from the Mediterranean island where it abounds. It occurs in many seas, abundantly on the coast of Brittany, where many thousands of barrels and millions of tin cases of this fish are annually filled. They are, like the sprats, hardly good to eat fresh, owing to an oil, which has to be got rid of. This is done by draining and pressure, and by salting. Great masses of sardines are taken along the coast of Galicia and imported in a salted state into Spain ; then they are fried in oil, and we always found them excellent. Fresh sardines should be broiled like sprats, clamped in a gridiron. Sardines have scales, and thereby are distinguished from anchovies at first sight, the skin of which is bare. The anchovy, French anchois, German Sardelle, is a small sea-fish little more than five inches in length, with a smooth skin destitute of scales, a large head, large black eyes, a large swallow, a silvery body, and round back. It is taken during the night on the eastern coasts of Italy, France and Spain. The head being cut oft' and the trail removed, the washed fish is immediately stratified with salt in barrels. The fishermen of Provençe used salt coloured with ochreous earth, which made the fish red. Both SARDINES, ANCHOl’IES AND TUNNY

The spirit of cookery