SIMPLE     WAYS     WITH

Fresh Herrings.

Every housewife should be able to pick
out her herrings, and usually a fishmonger
will let her have soft or hard-roed fish,
according to fancy. With eyes bright
and full, gills red, the whole fish bright
and shining, also with scales showing, there
is no mistaking a good fresh herring.
Plump herrings are usually preferred, but
medium sized fish are equally good.

A . fishmonger will clean, gut, remove
the heads, and often bone and fillet them,
but after one has seen it done the process
is very simple.

To remove the scales do not use too
sharp a knife or the flesh may be cut, and
as the scales are removed run the cold tap
over the herring. Holding the herring in
the left hand begin at the tail end, insert
the knife between scales and skin, and
gently press upwards towards the head.
Do one side first, then the other.

Next remove the heads, pull out the gills,
make a slit about half an inch long in the
under side of fish, pulling out the inside,
leaving the roe unbroken. Wipe out the
inside with a damp cloth after rinsing
beneath the tap.

To bone a herring a sharp knife is
required. After cutting off heads and
tails and cleaning and scaling, make a
shallow cut down the back, beginning at
the head end. With thumb and finger
open the fish, lift up the backbone with
the knife and remove as many other small
bones as possible. " Practice makes per-
fect " with this part of herring preparation.

The herring has always been popular
amongst British folk, although in olden
days probably it was salted and pickled
rather than eaten fresh. The oldest
document relating to the herring fishery
is  dated  a.d.  709,  and  is  found  in  the