Herrings are dressed in a variety of fashions; they are fried, boiled, broiled, dried, potted, baked, smoked pickled.

There are three sorts of herrings, fresh, salted, and red herrings; they are cleaned like any other sort of fish; when fresh they are boiled and served with melted butter, white sauce, etc.; the salted herring should be soaked in cold water before it is cooked; this is broiled. Sometimes it is cut in pieces and eaten raw; the red herring is split down the back, the head and tail taken off, and the fish broiled like the others; they may be also dressed in the following manner: when they have lain in cold water some time, soak them in milk for two hours; then split them down the back; have ready some melted butter in which have been mixed basil and bay leaf minced small; the yolks of two eggs, pepper and nutmeg; rub the herrings well with this bread, then broil them over a gentle fire, serve with lemon juice; the best red herrings are full of roe, are firm and large, and have a yellow cast; of the fresh herrings the scales are bright; if good, the eye is full and the gill red; the fish should be stiff.