Spiced Herrings

4 herrings
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons whole pickling spice
salt
freshly ground black pepper
450 ml/3/4 pint dry cider

Split the herrings down the back, open out and clean thoroughly. Reserve the rocs. Wash the herrings well and dry them on kitchen paper towels. Mash the roes with a fork and mix with one quarter of the chopped onion. Stuff the fish

with this mixture and arrange them, head to tail, in a baking dish.

Sprinkle the remaining onion, the pickling spice, and salt and pepper to taste, over the fish. four on the cider. Cover and bake in a preheated moderate oven (160 °C/325 °F, Gas Mark 3) for 11/4 hours. Leave the fish to cool in the cooking liquid, then chill in the refrigerator overnight. Serve cold with salad.

SERVES 4