For fish lovers these pastes provide contrasting tastes and they may be served together to give a variety of flavours to sample. Potted trout and potted herring will keep for some time in a cold place, providing they are completely covered by melted butter.
12 trout
1 pound butter
1/4 pint wine vinegar
1 pinch mace, nutmeg, ground clove
salt and pepper to taste
Scale and clean trout. Wash with a little wine vinegar, slit them down back. Remove backbone, sprinkle with salt, pepper inside and out. Leave for several hours to absorb seasonings. Place head to tail in ovenproof dish. Dot each fish with large nut of butter, using half of amount listed above. Cover, bake 3/4 hour in oven at 300 F (150 C) – 325 F (160 C). Remove carefully from liquid, let get cold in clean dish. Cover completely with rest of butter heated with mace, nutmeg, clove. Serve cold on toast or bread.