Herring
melts or milts – the soft, creamy roe of male herrings (vastly different from
the female ‘hard roe’) - have to be one
of the most underrated foods in my book. Especially given the fairly cheap
price – about £4 a kilo. You often see them on fish counters, but I never see
anyone buying them. Just the odd pensioner - probably an overhang from a time
when they were a lot more popular – which is a real shame as they make a
delicious lunch or light supper.
There
are plenty of ways of cooking them, but I think the best is to have them on
toast with ‘devilled’ spices thrown in, as in this recipe below. They have the
texture of scrambled egg, somehow, and are apparently packed full of vitamin D,
whatever that is.
200g
herring melts
3
tbsp flour
2
tsp mustard powder
2
tsp smoked paprika
1
garlic clove, finely chopped
Salt
and pepper
2
tbsp butter
Put
the roes in a colander and swill under the cold water tap, then drain in the
colander. Meanwhile, get a clean plastic bag and put in the flour, mustard, garlic, paprika and salt and pepper. Pinch the top of the bag and shake. Then toss in
the roes.
Cook for three
minutes until well sealed on the bottom then turn over and cook for another two
minutes. Season to taste. Serve on hot buttered toast.
