Fresh Herrings

1. Cut the heads and tails off the herrings, and clean them.
2. Split them down the back.
3. Take out the backbone and with it as many of the small bones as you can.
4. Dip them in oatmeal and
5. Fry or grill them.

This recipe is interesting in another way: writing in 1817 Dr. Kitchiner recommends oatmeal as a cheap substitute for bread-crumbs, when crumbing is required.