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To Collar and Pot Fresh Herrings

A method of preserving fresh herrings by salting, seasoning, and covering them with vinegar before slow baking.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 4 ingredients
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To Collar and Pot Fresh Herrings

Oven, in the book's wordsA slow oven

Ingredients

Directions

The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.

Prepare

  1. Scale and clean the herrings.

  2. Season them with salt and spices.

Pack and bake

  1. Pack them neatly in potting cans, laying the shoulder of one to the tail of the other.

  2. Pour enough vinegar to cover the herrings.

  3. Cover the cans tightly and bake in a slow oven at 300°F (150°C).

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Herrings
Provide the main flesh, which firms and turns opaque as it cooks gently in the acidic liquid.
Vinegar
Adds acidity that preserves the fish and gives the pickled flavour and a firmer texture.
Spices
Add aroma and savoury flavour that penetrates the fish during seasoning and pickling.

The step that matters

Cover the cans tightly and bake slowly. A tight lid traps steam and the low, slow oven heat cooks the fish gently. This keeps the flesh moist and tender instead of dry or broken apart.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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