Herring Pie
History and Tradition
There was always a great rejoicing when the last of the corn was reaped at harvest time, and it was usual for the farmer to provide a supper for all the workers. The end of the reaping was known as the Mheillea (The Harvest Home) - a name which is still applied to harvest suppers.
When the last sheaf of corn was cut it was made into a garland with wild flowers bound with ribbon in the shape of Ceres, the Goddess of the Harvest. This garland known as "The Maiden" was then carried by one of the women reapers to the highest part of the land amid the cheers of the other workesr. A smaller sheaf, taken from" The Maiden" and preserved until the following harvest was called "The Harvest Doll".
The workers would put on their best clothes to attend the harvest supper, and after the meal there would be singing and dancing to the music of a fiddler until the early hours.
A dish that was popularly served at the Mheillea was herring pie. It was usually made with potatoes, but the following variation was found in a late eighteenth century cookery book.
Ingredients
- 6 Fresh Herring
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mace
- Salt and Pepper
- 3 Large Cooking Apples
- 2 Onions
- A Little Butter
- Pastry
Method
Line a large oven-proof dish with pastry, Scale, gut and clean the herring, removing heads, fins and tails. Season the fish with the mace, salt and pepper. Put a little butter in the bottom of the pie dish, and then a row of herring. Pare the apples and place thin slices over the fish. Slice the onions and lay on top of the apple. Put a little butter on top and pour on a quarter of a cup of water. Cover with pastry and bake in a moderate oven for thirty to forty minutes.