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3. Poach the halibut and serve with parsley, hard-cooked eggs, and a mayonnaise heavily spiked with dill.

4. Serve the poached halibut with a Russian dressing, a tossed green salad, sliced cucumbers, and hard-cooked eggs.

Herring

Herring is one of the most plentiful catches in the Atlantic. There is no great demand for it fresh, but it is enormously popular in other forms — smoked, pickled, salted, kippered. Every year millions of herring find themselves in cans labeled “sardines.” The young fresh herrings, however, are considered a great delicacy in the spring, so much so that on almost every street corner in Holland herrings are held by the tail and devoured to the finger by adults and children alike.

For centuries herring have been a mainstay of commercial fishermen, and for many more centuries they have been the prey of practically every voracious fish in the sea. So great is the general chase for herring that the supply fluctuates sharply, and no one can accurately predict the catch.

Fresh herring weighing over a pound are seldom found in the markets. In fact, they are usually much smaller. They can be cooked whole or cut into fillets. Plan one or two fish per serving, depending on the size of the fish.

Fresh Herring

GRILLED HERRING

Split the fish and remove the backbone. Brush well with butter or oil, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and a dash of paprika. Grill according to directions on page 9.

VARIATIONS

1. The whole fish may be grilled without splitting. Be sure to turn it once during the cooking process.

2. Baste with butter, and sprinkle dried fennel or thyme on top a few minutes before the fish is done.

HERRING SAUTÉ MEUNIÈRE

Clean and trim the fish. Roll in flour and follow the directions for sauté meunière on page 10.

HERRING, ENGLISH FASHION

Split and remove the bones from 8 small herring. Dip them in milk, then in finely rolled crumbs, and sauté quickly in 6 tablespoons of butter. Turn once. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve with tartar sauce (pages 35–36).

VARIATIONS

1. Dip the herring in milk and then in corn meal seasoned with salt, curry powder, and a little chopped garlic. Sauté as above and serve with mayonnaise blended with chutney.

2. Add finely chopped tomato to the pan while you are sautéing the fish. Or add 1/2 cup tomato paste to the pan after the fish are removed. Heat the paste, add 4 tablespoons sherry or red wine, let it cook up, and pour over the fish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

FRIED HERRING

Clean the fish and fillet them. Dip them into beaten egg and then into crumbs, and deep fry according to directions on page 11.

BAKED HERRING BOULANGÈRE

Oil

4 large herring

Butter

4 large or 6 medium potatoes

2 large onions

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of dried thyme

Oil a flat oval baking dish. Clean the fish and arrange them in the dish. Dot them with butter, covered with a layer of thinly sliced potatoes and then a layer of thinly sliced onions. Dot with butter again, season with salt, pepper, and a little dried thyme. Bake at 350° until the potatoes are cooked through. Baste from time to time with the pan juices.

VARIATION

Omit the potatoes and cover the herring with 3 large onions, thinly sliced and steamed in butter for 15 minutes. Dot with butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 450° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8), basting often. A few minutes before the fish is done, sprinkle the top with grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese. Serve with plain boiled potatoes.

SMOTHERED HERRING

6 shallots or green onions

4 tablespoons butter or oil

8 split, boned herring or fillets

Butter

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

White wine

Beurre manié (page 475) (if desired)

Chop the shallots very fine and sauté them in the butter or oil for 5 minutes. Place the herring, or herring fillets, on top of this. Dot them with butter and season with salt and pepper. Cover them with white wine.