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Dressing Shell Fish (Two nutmegs a little mace four)
two nutmegs, a little mace, four cloves, and a handful of salt, all in the finest powder; mix and, making holes in each bit of fish, thrust the seasoning into them, and rub each piece with some of it; then fry them in brown oil; let them stand till cold, then put them into a stone jar, and cover with vinegar; if to keep long, pour oil on the top. Thus done, they may be preserved for months. 178. MACKEREL PIE will do well, the fish being treated in the same way as described for cod at page 65, but do not salt them till used. Parsley, picked and put in, may be used instead of oysters.
This is the old English "caveach" method: fish spiced, fried, and held under vinegar and a seal of oil for months at cellar temperature. The technique is worth understanding, but it cannot be reproduced safely in a modern kitchen.
- Why it fails todayFried fish stored under oil at room temperature is a classic vehicle for Clostridium botulinum, which thrives in the oxygen-free layer beneath the oil seal. Nothing here measures the acidity of the vinegar or the temperature of storage, so there is no way to know whether the fish is acid enough to prevent toxin formation.
- The vinegar is unquantifiedNineteenth-century household vinegar varied widely in strength, and the recipe gives no volume, no dilution and no proportion of vinegar to fish. Safe acid preserving depends on a known pH throughout the jar, not on covering to taste.
- "Preserved for months"That claim assumes a cold, dark larder and a tolerance for spoilage risk that no current food-safety guidance supports. If you want spiced soused or pickled fish, follow a modern tested recipe with stated acid strength and refrigerated storage.
- Brown oilProbably oil taken to a deep colour in the pan, i.e. a dark, well-heated frying oil rather than a distinct product; the book does not explain the term.
- The spicing, for referenceTwo whole nutmegs, a little mace, four cloves and a handful of salt, all ground fine. The recipe states no weight of fish. Pushed into holes made in the flesh and rubbed over each piece, it seasons through rather than sitting on the surface.
- The mackerel pie noteThe entry cross-refers to the treatment of cod at page 65 rather than repeating it, and supplies only the variations: do not salt the fish till used, and picked parsley may be put in instead of oysters.