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| Herring Pie |
There was always a great
rejoicing when the last of the corn was reaped at harvest time, and it was
usual for the farmer to provide a supper for all the workers. The end of the
reaping was known as the Mheillea (The Harvest Home) - a name which is still
applied to harvest suppers.
When the last
sheaf of corn was cut it was made into a garland with wild flowers bound with
ribbon in the shape of Ceres, the Goddess of the Harvest. This garland known as
"The Maiden" was then carried by one of the women reapers to the highest part
of the land amid the cheers of the other workesr. A smaller sheaf, taken from
"The Maiden" and preserved until the following harvest was called "The Harvest
Doll".
The workers would put on their best
clothes to attend the harvest supper, and after the meal there would be singing
and dancing to the music of a fiddler until the early
hours.
A dish that was popularly served at the
Mheillea was herring pie. It was usually made with potatoes, but the following
variation was found in a late eighteenth century cookery
book.
6 Fresh Herring
1/2 Teaspoon Mace
Salt and Pepper
3 Large Cooking Apples
2 Onions
A Little
Butter
Pastry
Line a
large oven-proof dish with pastry, Scale, gut and clean the herring, removing
heads, fins and tails. Season the fish with the mace, salt and pepper. Put a
little butter in the bottom of the pie dish, and then a row of herring. Pare
the apples and place thin slices over the fish. Slice the onions and lay on top
of the apple. Put a little butter on top and pour on a quarter of a cup of
water. Cover with pastry and bake in a moderate oven for thirty to forty
minutes.
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