Herrings in oatmeal

• 4 herrings
• medium oatmeal, for coating
• salt and freshly milled pepper
• 8 rashers streaky bacon</

Clean the herrings and cut off the heads. Place on a work surface and spread out flat, skin side up. Press along the back to loosen the bone, then turn each herring over and gently pull away the bone. Put the oatmeal on to a plate and season with salt and pepper. Coat the herrings by firmly pressing each side in the oatmeal. Shake away loose oatmeal.

Trim the bacon. Heat the oil in a la