Bloaters

I have mentioned our local fish-stall before, Blue Walpole's marvellous shop in a shed at Oare. Smelts are in, and we've been buying pigeon, pheasant and partridge (how marvellous, this quirky remnant of feudal law which puts the sale of game birds into the hands of fishmongers).

Last Saturday, we bought bloaters from Blue. These delicacies are little herrings which have been smoked. Unlike kippers which are split open and cleaned, and then spread-eagled out onto tenterhooks in a flat shape before smoking, bloaters are left whole and plump and cleaned only after the chimney-treatment. This encourages them to swell up, hence the name. Modern techniques are more dainty than they were even just a few decades ago, so the flavour is nothing like as gamey as I remember for any of these items, but easier to manage as a result and more acceptable to cautious guests. Here are our bloaters....

These are to be lightly turned under the grill, and served with bread and butter.