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📝 Description
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🥘 Ingredients
12 herrings, 4 bay-leaves, 12 cloves, 12 allspice, 2 small blades of mace, cayenne pepper and salt to taste, sufficient vinegar to fill up the dish.
👨🍳 Method
Take the herrings, cut off the heads, and gut them. Put them in a pie-dish, heads and tails alternately, and, between each layer, sprinkle over the above ingredients. Cover the fish with the vinegar, and bake for 1/2 hour, but do not use it till quite cold. The herrings may be cut down the front, the backbone taken out, and closed again. Sprats done in this way are very delicious.
📜 From Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861). Public domain.
⭐ Reader Reviews
Honest opinions from readers who have explored this book.
I tried Mrs. Beeton's Baked White Herrings this week, eager to explore a vintage fish dish. I found the process delightfully simple: gut the herrings, layer them with aromatic spices, and bake. The surprise came when I tasted the cooled dish. The vinegar, which I'd initially feared would dominate, had melded with the spices to create a subtle, tangy marinade that complemented the delicate herring fillets beautifully. This recipe is perfect for the modern weeknight cook seeking a quick, frugal, and flavorful meal. The hands-on time is minimal, and the use of pantry staples keeps the cost low. Plus, the unique combination of spices and vinegar offers a intriguing twist on everyday fish. I recommend serving it chilled, perhaps with some crusty bread to soak up the marinade. It's a delightful way to enjoy herrings, and a testament to Mrs. Beeton's timeless culinary wisdom.
