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| Salt Herring |
Late 18th Century
Recipe
Oh, the Herrin, boys, for
me,
Red or kippered
Fresh or pickled
The Herrin's the
king of the Sea.
Traditional
Song
For centuries the prosperity of The Isle
of Man depended on the success of the herring season and the "King of the Sea"
was the staple diet of the people. In winter the men would work on their small
holdings, but in summer they would leave the land to reap the harvest of the
sea.
Every family had a crock of salted
herring for use throughout the year, and sometimes herring would be cured on
hooks outside the cottage door.
The reverence
with which this fish is regarded is illustrated by the fact that the Deemsters
- the Islands supreme judges - when they take the oath, swear to execute
justice as indifferently as "the herrings backbone doth lie in the midst of the
fish".
Any quantity of fresh
Herring
Salt
Bay Salt
Saltpetre
Brown Sugar
Gut the fish and salt them lightly with plain salt. Lay them
in a basket and leave them overnight to drain. Wipe each one in a dry cloth to
take off all the scales. Pound together equal quantities of saltpetre, bay salt
and brown sugar.
Place a layer of this in an
earthenware crock, then a layer of fish, and so on until the crock is
full.
Spread a thick layer of the salts on
top. Cover the crock and leave for a few months before
using.
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