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BREAKFAST WITH SIR WALTER SCOTT 3
It’s not all haggis... 3
From: Guy Mannering, Sir Walter Scott, 18 3
From: Johnson in Scotland, 1773 4
TASTE OF SCOTLAND 5
The traditional Scottish breakfast 8
My first real Scottish breakfast 10
A fishy issue. 13
Kippers, Kippered Herring 13
HERRING 15
HERRING 15
KIPPERS 16
Grilled Kippers 16
Introduction 17
TEA & COFFEE 11
WARM BREAD 11
Loaves 12
SODA LOAF 12
Cakes/Bannocks 12
LAURA SCOTT’S BANNOCK 12
BARLEY BANNOCK 12
PEASE BANNOCK 12
MASHLUM BANNOCKS 12
SELKIRK BANNOCK 12
Biscuits 12
SOFT BISCUITS 12
COOKIES 12
DEER HORNS 12
Other varieties 12
SCOTS CRUMPETS 12
BAPS 12
HOT CROSS BUNS 12
ABERDEEN CRULLA 12
Oatcakes 12
Scones 12
SOUR-SKONS 12
RUTHERGLEN SOUR CAKES 12
SOWEN SCONES 12
WHITE GIRDLE SCONES 12
MRS MACNAB’S SCONES 12
POTATO SCONES 12
CLAP SCONES 13
HIGHLAND SLIM CAKES 13
DROP SCONES 13
EGGS 13
SMOKED MEAT AND FISH 13
Kippers 13
MARMALADE 13
ALL THE OTHER DELICACIES 29
peat-smoked bacon, 29
black pudding, 29
white pudding, 29
just-picked mushrooms 29
OATMEAL PORRIDGE 29
Crowdie 29
BREAKFAST WITH SIR WALTER SCOTT
It’s not all haggis...
From: Guy Mannering, Sir Walter Scott, 18
...he descended to the breakfast parlour with the intention of taking leave of
the family... He found Miss Bradwardine presiding over the tea and coffee, the
table loaded with warm bread, both of flour, oatmeal, and barleymeal, in the
shape of loaves, cakes, biscuits, and other varieties, together with eggs,
reindeer ham, mutton and beef ditto, smoked salmon, marmalade, and all the other
delicacies which induced even Johnson himself to extol the luxury of a Scotch
breakfast above that of all other countries.
A mess of oatmeal porridge, flanked by a silver jug, which held an equal mixture
of cream and butter-milk, was placed for the Baron's share of this repast; but
Rose observed, he had walked out early in the morning, after giving orders that
his guest should not be disturbed.
From: Johnson in Scotland, 1773
he that shall complain of his fare in the Hebrides, has improved his delicacy
more than his manhood
At the tables where a stranger is received, neither plenty nor delicacy is
wanting. A tract of land so thinly inhabited, must have much wild-fowl; and I
scarcely remember to have seen a dinner without them. The moorgame is every
where to be had. That the sea abounds with fish, needs not be told, for it
supplies a great part of Europe. The Isle of Sky has stags and roebucks, but no
hares.
They sell very numerous droves of oxen yearly to England, and therefore cannot
be supposed to want beef at home. Sheep and goats are in great numbers, and they
have the common domestick fowls.
But as here is nothing to be bought, every family must kill its own meat, and
roast part of it somewhat sooner than Apicius would prescribe. Every kind of
flesh is undoubtedly excelled by the variety and emulation of English markets;
but that which is not best may be yet very far from bad, and he that shall
complain of his fare in the Hebrides, has improved his delicacy more than his
manhood.
...
Their native bread is made of oats, or barley. Of oatmeal they spread very thin
cakes, coarse and hard, to which unaccustomed palates are not easily reconciled.
The barley cakes are thicker and softer; I began to eat them without
unwillingness; the blackness of their colour raises some dislike, but the taste
is not disagreeable. In most houses there is wheat flower, with which we were
sure to be treated, if we staid long enough to have it kneaded and baked. As
neither yeast nor leaven are used among them, their bread of every kind is
unfermented. They make only cakes, and never mould a loaf.
A man of the Hebrides, for of the women's diet I can give no account, as soon as
he appears in the morning, swallows a glass of whisky; yet they are not a
drunken race, at least I never was present at much intemperance; but no man is
so abstemious as to refuse the morning dram, which they call a skalk.
The word whisky signifies water, and is applied by way of eminence to strong
water, or distilled liquor. The spirit drunk in the North is drawn from barley.
I never tasted it, except once for experiment at the inn in Inverary, when I
thought it preferable to any English malt brandy. It was strong, but not
pungent, and was free from the empyreumatick taste or smell. What was the
process I had no opportunity of inquiring, nor do I wish to improve the art of
making poison pleasant.
Not long after the dram, may be expected the breakfast, a meal in which the
Scots, whether of the lowlands or mountains, must be confessed to excel us. The
tea and coffee are accompanied not only with butter, but with honey, conserves,
and marmalades. If an epicure could remove by a wish, in quest of sensual
gratifications, wherever he had supped he would breakfast in Scotland.
TASTE OF SCOTLAND
Though haggis may spring to mind first, Scotland's cuisine offers so much more.
With the finest local ingredients from sea and land, Scottish chefs can create
inspiring menus, making a Scottish visit a real gastronomic treat. A climate
without extremes means that many parts of Scotland are particularly associated
with food production.
i) The rich pasture of Ayrshire delivers quality dairy produce, cheeses such as
Dunlop; there is also cheese from Campbeltown, in Kintyre across the Clyde
estuary.
ii) East Lothian, the countryside east of Edinburgh, is sometimes called
Scotland's granary, as the high sunshine records and low rainfall are ideal for
cereal growing.
iii) Clydesdale, the upper valley of the River Clyde, is still noted for its
orchards; while
iv) Strathmore, the long wide valley below the Highland edge in Angus, is
Europe's leading soft fruit growing area.
Meanwhile,
v) Aberdeen Angus cattle, still the byword for quality meat, are raised both in
Angus and Grampian; while
vi) Moray's favoured position in the rain-shadow of the Grampian Hills means
plenty of sunshine to ripen the barley for the local whisky distilleries.
vii) From the "Scotch lamb" of the Border hills to
viii) the wild venison of the northern Highlands, Scotland offers plenty of
regional produce - while
ix) the rich waters around its coasts provide further diversity for the Scottish
menu. Peterhead, for example, in Scotland's northeast, is the largest white-fish
landing port in Europe. Fishing and fish processing are still important to many
of Scotland's coastal communities, from the Moray Firth down to Eyemouth in the
Borders in the east, and from Kinlochbervie down to the Solway Firth in the
west.
Scotland's culinary skills did not develop in isolation. Before the union with
England in 1707, Scotland had many continental links. The 15th century Stewart
monarch, James I, insisted on a French cook in his household, so that by the
time of King James V (who had a French wife, Mary of Lorraine) cuisine, at least
in the royal court, was very sophisticated and continued to be so under King
James' daughter, Mary, later to become Queen of Scots.
An interest in good cooking was sustained, partly through trading links - no
Lowland laird or Highland chief went without his French claret - and partly
through political links with the Continent by way of the Jacobites, the
supporters of the exiled Stewart monarchs. In the late 18th century, by the time
of Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, French culinary terms were quite
familiar.
They can be found, for instance, in Burns' poem 'To a Haggis', where the poet
compares favourably the humble Scots dish of haggis (see below) with the French
ragout or fricassee.
Scotland and oats
Scotland is associated with oats, originally because in the poorer soils of the
Highlands and in the cooler summers it was a reliable cereal crop. Many a
clansman, cattle drover or soldier could march all day on just a portion of it,
perhaps cooked over an open fire on a griddle to form a primitive bannock. In
the Lowlands, too, oatmeal was important. Well into the 20th century it was the
staple diet of Lowland farm servants.
Formerly, in farm kitchens, the art of oatcake making was highly regarded. In
its simplest form oatmeal was made into brose, that is, oatmeal with hot water,
the first cousin of the more familiar porridge still popular today - especially
since oats are an excellent source of soluble fibre. Oats is also the chief
ingredient of skirlie (oatmeal fried with onions and animal fat, sometimes as a
stuffing for chicken) or in the white or mealy pudding, a particular favourite
in northeast Scotland. It also is used as a coating for fried fish or chicken
and even turns up mixed with cream or ice cream on the sweet course.
Finally, it forms an important ingredient in haggis, which is probably the best
known Scottish dish. Haggis is a sheep or lamb's stomach bag (or a plastic
substitute), which is stuffed with oatmeal, suet, stock, liver and other offal
(e.g. heart), onion, pepper and spices. Some butchers make a vegetarian version.
It is part of the ritual to be observed at Burns Suppers, Scotland's annual
celebration of its national poet's birthday on January 25th.
Several hotels and restaurants also offer haggis in various forms as a starter
so that visitors can at least say they have tried it.
The kitchen garden
Long ago the humble green vegetable called kale was a staple for the ordinary
folk of Scotland. Its use in everyday speech suggest its former importance in
the Scottish diet. For example, the "kaleyard school" of Scottish literature is
the name given to the 19th century fashion for Scottish writers to choose
parochial, cosy or homely subjects; and 'cauld kale het up' (cold kale warmed)
means any old tale or fashion revived.
Where kale was used in soup, specifically a thick and warming vegetable soup,
modern recipes often substitute parsley - though the Highlanders of old
preferred nettles in their soup and considered kale-eating Lowlanders effete!
However, as the Scots are keen gardeners, there is a long-established tradition
of vegetable growing, and today plenty of more exotic species can be found in
the Scottish 'kaleyard'.
Many country house hotels pride themselves on their kitchen garden.
Beef, game, fish - the main courses
Perhaps the best known Scottish meat is Aberdeen Angus beef, which originated in
the early 19th century when the breed was developed first in Angus from the
native black cattle. The strain was further refined in Aberdeenshire and still
gives high-quality lean meat from a hardy and easy-to-feed animal.
Venison in Scotland is mostly from red deer, an important animal in the
economies of Highland sporting estates. Some venison is farmed and some also
comes from roe deer, a species found in quite high numbers in woodlands all over
Scotland. The best roasting venison, chefs maintain, comes from a young stag
culled late in the autumn. The cook, however, must watch the joint carefully, as
venison is a very lean meat which should not be overcooked.
The salmon is Scotland's best-known game fish with some salmon beats (fishing
stretches) on some Scottish rivers commanding very high prices. But others claim
the flavour of fresh sea trout (basically, a native brown trout which has run
away to sea
is a match for salmon, or that the taste of the brown trout, grown
slowly in a Highland loch, is equally good. Some stocked waters also hold
rainbow trout, a North American species. Both salmon and trout are also farmed.
Traditions of baking
The idea of a dessert or a pudding course (from the French desservir - to clear
or take away [i.e. the main course]) took root in Scotland in the 16th century,
about a century before the notion was widely accepted in England. This gave the
Scots about a hundred-year start in practising the art of baking and sweet
making. Scones, for example, which in Scotland are pronounced to rhyme with
'lawns', not only take their place in traditional cream teas or afternoon teas,
to be found in cafes and hotels in Scotland, they may also be part of the array
of baking to be enjoyed at high tea.
A Scots high tea is still found in some hotels and restaurants and consists of
an afternoon tea bulked with a simply cooked hot dish, perhaps fish or steak
pie. It is served from late afternoon into the early evening, i.e. before
dinner, and is often a substitute for it. The tea part was introduced in
Scotland by Mary of Modena (wife of King James VII and II). The menfolk, in
particular, needed some sustenance to go along with this new-fangled, tea-making
ritual, hence afternoon tea and, eventually, high tea. Afternoon (or high) tea
seems to be a meal designed to allow the Scots baker to show off his or her
baking skills.
As Scotland became a less rural society, fewer and fewer people baked their own
bread. The town or village baker became increasingly important. Originally,
professional bakers would have used French methods and would have been
patronised only by the wealthier townsfolk but, with the development of a more
urban society, good bakers began to flourish and cater to a wide market.
The
traditional Scottish breakfast
This robust start to the day is still standard fare in the most basic of bed and
breakfast establishment and will be on the menu in all hotels.
Porridge,
kippers or yellow (smoked) fish,
bacon,
black pudding,
sausage,
mushrooms and
eggs of all kinds in any combination
form the basis of a meal designed to sustain the visitor through a hard day's
sightseeing.
HIDING AWAY IN HARRIS... An Ancient Scottish Isle of Crofters, Fishermen and
Tweed-Weavers
by David Yeadon
My first real Scottish breakfast
came at Katie MacAskill's Ardhasaig House overlooking West Loch tarbert on North
Harris and included such traditional delights as
fresh oatmeal porridge,
smoked herring 'kippers,'
peat-smoked bacon,
black pudding,
white pudding,
just-picked mushrooms and tomatoes,
free-range eggs,
oatcakes,
bannock cakes,
scones,
honey,
crowdie (a deliciously rich cream cheese), and
cream
-everything in fact except the once-customary tumbler of island whisky, "to
kindle the fire for the day."
"Oh, the breakfasts are still very fine," agreed Mary MacDonald, postmistress of
Leverburgh village, when I later sat by her blazing peat fire drinking tea and
nibbling her homemade buttery shortbread. "The world's getting smaller
everywhere," she told me. "Things are changin' here too—we talk in gaelic
about an saoghal a dh'fhalbh —'the world we have lost'—but y' can always
find a good breakfast!"
I wondered about all these changes (hoping she might be a little more optimistic
than Hector in Ullapool).
...he descended to the breakfast parlour with the intention of taking leave of
the family...He found Miss Bradwardine presiding over
the tea and coffee,
the table loaded with
warm bread, both of
flour, oatmeal, and barleymeal, in the shape of
loaves, cakes, biscuits, and other varieties,
together with
eggs,
reindeer ham, mutton and beef ditto,
smoked salmon,
marmalade,
and all the other delicacies
which induced even Johnson himself to extol the luxury of a Scotch breakfast
above that of all other countries.
A mess of oatmeal porridge, flanked by a silver jug,
which held an equal mixture of cream and butter-milk,
was placed for the Baron's share of this repast; but Rose observed, he had
walked out early in the morning, after giving orders that his guest should not
be disturbed.
TEA & COFFEE
WARM BREAD
Loaves
Soda loaf
Cakes/Bannocks
Laura Scott’s bannock
Wheaten bannock
Barley bannock/2
Pease bannock
Mashlum bannocks
Selkirk bannock/2
Biscuits
Soft biscuits
Cookies
Deer horns
Other varieties
Scots crumpets
Baps/2
Hot cross buns
Aberdeen crullas/2
Buttery rowies
Oatcakes
1/2
Scones
âGRIDDLE SCONES
Unlike oven-baked versions, griddle-cooked scones get a wonderful golden crust, which is a delicious contrast to the soft, tender interior.
Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 35 min
2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
Advertisement:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, meltedSpecial equipment: a well-seasoned cast-iron griddle or skillet
Accompaniments: softened butter and jamSift together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt into a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and butter in a small bowl with a fork, then add to dry ingredients and stir just until a soft dough forms.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half and knead each half 3 or 4 times. Pat each half into a 6-inch round (1/2 inch thick), then cut each round into 4 wedges.
Heat griddle over low heat until hot. Working in 2 batches if griddle is small, lightly dust both sides of each scone with flour, shaking off excess, and cook scones over low heat, undisturbed, 3 minutes. Increase heat to moderately low and cook until scones are puffed and undersides are golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Turn scones over and cook until golden brown and cooked through (watch scones closely and adjust heat as needed so they cook through but do not burn), 7 to 8 minutes (cut one scone open to check for doneness).
Transfer to a rack and cool to warm, 3 to 4 minutes.
Makes 8 scones.Gourmet
April 2003
Sour-skons Rutherglen sour cakes Sowen scones White girdle scones Mrs Macnab’s scones Potato scones Tattie scones Clap scones Highland slim cakes Drop scones Buttermilk scones EGGS SMOKED MEAT AND FISH Kippers A fishy issue. Dear Word Detective: My question is something I heard frequently in reference to the presidential election: the phrase "That's a red herring." I know that a herring is a fish, but I have been unable to decipher the meaning of the phrase "red herring" within the context of a sentence, and I just feel too foolish to ask anyone, because everybody else seems to understand. Please help. -- J.D., via the internet. Don't feel foolish. I'd be willing to bet that a majority of the people you hear using the phrase "red herring" only vaguely understand what it means, and many probably don't even know they're talking about a fish. But we are, and a noble fish at that. Until over-fishing depleted their ranks, herring were so numerous and so important as a staple foodstuff to both America and Europe that many writers referred to the Atlantic Ocean as "the herring pond." The downside of the little critters, however, is that they spoil very rapidly and become inedible. The only practical way to preserve herring is to cure them with a combination of salting and smoking, and those herring most heavily cured turn a deep crimson color from the process. Voila, red herring. Curing herring in this fashion not only preserves the fish and changes its color, but also gives it a distinctive smell, and thereby hangs the modern meaning of "red herring." In training hounds to hunt foxes, these red herrings, dragged on a string through the woods, were used to lay down a trail of scent for the dogs to follow. There is also some evidence that red herrings were, later in the training process, sometimes dragged across the scent trail of a real fox to test the ability of the hounds to ignore a false clue and stick to the scent of the fox. From this practice comes our use of "red herring" to mean a false clue or bogus issue designed to confuse one's opponent (or, in the case of our recent election, the voters). "Red herring" first appeared in the literal "smoked fish" sense around 1420, but the figurative "phony issue or false clue" sense didn't appear until around 1884. Kippers, Kippered Herring British: The term 'kippers' refers to herring that is split, dressed, salted and smoked. Originally, kippers were salmon, and herring was not used until sometime in the 19th century. Sec. 540.550 Kipper and Kipper Unsplit - Definitions (CPG 7108.0
POLICY:
The following definitions for "kipper" and "kipper unsplit" are recognized and
will be used in the enforcement of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with
regards to the labeling of fish products.
Kipper - A fish which has been split through the back from tail to head,
eviscerated, lightly salted, and lightly smoked. Example, kippered herring.
Kipper unsplit - A fish which has been headed and eviscerated (but not split),
lightly salted, and lightly smoked. Example, kippered herring unsplit.
The designations "kippered round" and "whole kipper" for kipper unsplit are
objectionable because a round or whole fish has head and viscera intact. The
adoption of a distinctive name, "buckling", for example, for kipper unsplit is
undesirable because the term "kipper" has become well established in trade
practice. The designation "kipper unsplit" is believed to be sufficiently
distinctive.
Issued: 11/4/76
Reissued: 10/30/80
Revised: 10/30/89
HERRING
This huge family of saltwater fish has over a hundred varieties. The popular
herring swims in gigantic schools and can be found in the cold waters of the
North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the United States, two of the most popular
members of this family are the American shad and the alewife, both of which are
anadromous, meaning that they migrate from their saltwater habitat to spawn in
fresh water. Herring are generally small (ranging between ¼ and 1 pound) and
silvery. The major exception to that rule is the American shad, which averages 3
to 5 pounds and is prized for its eggs - the delicacy known as shad roe. Young
herring are frequently labeled and sold as sardines. Fresh herring are available
during the spring on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. When fresh, the
high-fat herring has a fine, soft texture that is suited for baking, sauteing
and grilling. The herring's flesh becomes firm when cured by either pickling,
salting, smoking or a combination of those techniques. There are many variations
of cured herring. Bismarck herring are unskinned fillets that have been cured in
a mixture of vinegar, sugar, salt and onions. Rollmops are Bismarck herring
fillets wrapped around a piece of pickle or onion and preserved in spiced
vinegar. Pickled herring (also called marinated herring) have been marinated in
vinegar and spices before being bottled in either a sour-cream sauce or a wine
sauce. The term can also refer to herring that have been dry-salted before being
cured in brine. Kippered herring (also called kippers) are split, then cured by
salting, drying and cold-smoking. Bloaters are larger than kippers but treated
in a similar manner. They have a slightly milder flavor due to a lighter salting
and shorter smoking period. Their name comes from their swollen appearance.
Schmaltz herring are mature, higher fat herring that are filleted and preserved
in brine. The reddish Matjes herring are skinned and filleted before being cured
in a spiced sugar-vinegar brine.
kipper = 1) a split, salted and cold smoked herring; sometimes a salmon. May be
artificially coloured, and is sold chilled, frozen, canned or made into a paste.
Also called kippered herring.
kipper = 2) a male salmon or sea trout during or just after the spawning season.
kipper-split fish = a fish split along the backbone.
kippered herring = kipper (1).
kippered products = in the U.S.A. refers to hot smoked, dyed and brined fish.
kippering = 1) making kipper from herring.
kippering = 2) cold smoking (U.K.).
kippering = 3) hot smoking (U.S.A.).
HERRING
This huge family of saltwater fish has over a hundred varieties. The popular
herring swims in gigantic schools and can be found in the cold waters of the
North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the United States, two of the most popular
members of this family are the American shad and the alewife, both of which are
anadromous, meaning that they migrate from their saltwater habitat to spawn in
fresh water. Herring are generally small (ranging between 1/4 and 1 pound) and
silvery. The major exception to that rule is the American shad, which averages 3
to 5 pounds and is prized for its eggs-the delicacy known as shad roe. Young
herring are frequently labeled and sold as SARDINES. Fresh herring are available
during the spring on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. When fresh, the
high-fat herring has a fine, soft texture that is suited for baking, sautéing
and grilling. The herring's flesh becomes firm when cured by either pickling,
salting, smoking or a combination of those techniques. There are many variations
of cured herring. Bismarck herring are unskinned fillets that have been cured in
a mixture of vinegar, sugar, salt and onions. Rollmops are Bismarck herring
fillets wrapped around a piece of pickle or onion and preserved in spiced
vinegar. Pickled herring (also called marinated herring) have been marinated in
vinegar and spices before being bottled in either a sour-cream sauce or a wine
sauce. The term can also refer to herring that have been dry-salted before being
cured in brine. Kippered herring (also called kippers) are split, then cured by
salting, drying and cold-smoking. Bloaters are larger than kippers but treated
in a similar manner. They have a slightly milder flavor due to a lighter salting
and shorter smoking period. Their name comes from their swollen appearance.
Schmaltz herring are mature, higher-fat herring that are filleted and preserved
in brine. The reddish Matjes herring are skinned and filleted before being cured
in a spiced sugar-vinegar brine. See also FISH.
HERRING
a.k.a.: Sardines (young herring), common herring, California herring
Waters:Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Description (in water): Over one hundred species of this silvery school fish
inhabit the cold saltwaters of the world. Most range from 1/4 to 1 lb. Shad,
which ranges from 3 to 5 lbs., is the largest member of the herring family.
Description (in market): The dark flesh of fresh herring has a rich, strong
flavor, a high fat content, and a soft, fine texture. When cured, herring
acquires a firm texture; its flavor alters according to the way it has been
cured (smoked, salted, pickled, etc.).
Sold as: Whole; canned and sold as "sardines"; smoked; salted; pickled
Best cooking: You can prepare fresh herring in the same way that you would
mackerel and other dark-fleshed, soft-textured, strong-flavored fish. It is
particularly good broiled or breaded and pan-fried, and can also be baked,
sautéed, or grilled.
Buying tips: When purchasing fresh whole herring, look for unbruised specimens
(these delicate fish bruise easily). Make sure they're well iced and
fresh-smelling.
In the U.S., it's not always easy to come across fresh whole herring--most of it
has been cured. It's important to know the names of the available varieties and
the differences between them: kippered herring, or kippers (herring that's been
split, salted, dried, and cold-smoked); bloaters (same as kippers but larger and
milder in flavor); Bismarck herring (skinless fillets cured in a
vinegar-salt-sugar-onion mixture); rollmops (individual Bismarck fillets wrapped
around small pickles or onions, preserved in vinegar); Pickled or marinated
herring (names used interchangeably for herring that's been marinated in vinegar
before it's bottled in a sour cream or wine-based sauce, or herring that's been
dry-salted and preserved in brine); schmaltz herring (large, fatty fillets
preserved in brine); Matjes herring (reddish fillets cured in a
vinegar-sugar-spice mixture).
Substitutes: Sardine, mackerel
Notes: Fresh herring is in season in the U.S. in springtime; you'll find it in
specialty fish markets on both the East and West Coasts.
KIPPERS
Kipper is now usually a noun but was formerly a verb, meaning the method of
curing herring (and formerly salmon) by splitting open, salting and smoking.
The kipper is a British institution and is perceived as part of our gastronomic
heritage. However, in its present form, as applied to herring, it only dates
back to the first half of the 19th century. It was in the 1840s that a
Northumbrian curer, after years of experimentation, launched his kippered
herring on the London market. He borrowed his term from a cure applied to
salmon, but how far that went back is uncertain.
Most kippers today are also dyed: this is done to compensate for what would
otherwise be their anaemic under-cured appearance. Some undyed kippers are still
available from parts of Scotland and the Isle of Man, but they're mainly
available only in the north-west.
Look for plumpness, oiliness, a silvery golden colour and a good smoky smell in
a kipper. All fish (and meat) tastes better cooked on the bone, and kippers are
no exception. They are excellent baked in a hot oven, but line the baking tray
with foil to avoid any fishy flavours. We think grilling or barbecuing works
well, too.
Grilled Kippers
Pre-heat the grill, and then line the grill pan with foil and brush the foil
with melted butter. Remove the heads and tails from the kippers with scissors,
and then lay the fish on the foil, skin side uppermost. Grill them for 1 minute,
turn them over (flesh side uppermost), and brush the flesh with melted butter
and grill for a further 4 or 5 minutes until the butter is sizzling. Serve
immediately with lemon to squeeze over them and perhaps a dash of cayenne. If
you have an aversion to bones, you can of course buy kipper fillets: treat them
in just the same way.
Introduction
This note explains what a kipper is, and how it is made from herring. Advice is
given on the care of the raw material, and on the whole commercial process from
splitting the fish to storage and distribution of the finished smoked product.
Some information is also given on the preparation and smoking of small
quantities of kippers, and sketch designs are shown for small, home-made kilns.
The manufacture of kipper fillets is described, and the storage life of kippers
and kipper fillets is given for a range of temperatures.
The origin of the kipper
The word kipper probably derives from the Dutch küppen, meaning to spawn, and
was first applied to out-of-season salmon which, because of their emaciated
condition and lack of fat, were usually split and smoked to make them more
palatable. As early as the fourteenth century there were references to the
‘kipper time’ in connection with the Thames salmon fishery.
Kippered herrings of the kind we are familiar with today were probably first
made in the first half of the nineteenth century; John Woodger of Seahouses in
Northumberland is reported to have made kippers in the 1840s by rousing split
herring in dry salt and then smoking them heavily for several days in a brick
kiln.
Heavy salting and smoking were necessary then to prevent spoilage during
distribution but improved transport facilities and the advent of refrigeration
made these requirements no longer essential; the modern kipper is a lightly
brined, lightly smoked product with a much shorter shelf life at room
temperature and a mild smoky flavour.
Definitions
A kipper is a fat herring with guts and gills removed, split down the back from
head to tail, lightly brined, dyed if desired, and cold smoked at an air
temperature not higher than 30°C.
Boneless kippers are block fillets of fat herring, brined and smoked as for
kippers. Kipper fillets are either single fillets of fat herring brined and
smoked as for kippers, or single fillets cut from boneless kippers.
Fat herring make the best kippers
The quality of kippers depends a great deal upon the fat content of the herring
from which they are made. The herring spawns once a year, in spring or in
autumn, and the amount of fat present in the flesh varies throughout the annual
reproductive cycle. There is usually a long period of starvation after spawning,
followed by a time of intensive feeding while the milts and roes are developing.
The feeding rate sometimes falls again just before the roes mature and the fish
spawns. When the herring is feeding, fat is deposited in the brown layer just
beneath the skin, and when it is starving these reserves of body fat are drawn
upon. Thus for a typical autumn spawner the fat content may be as low as 2 per
cent after a long period of starvation, then rise to as high as 20 per cent or
more in a month or two when the fish is feeding; as the feeding rate falls
again, the fat content may fall to 15 per cent by the time the fish spawns, and
then continue to fall during the post-spawning period back to about 2 per cent
when the cycle starts again. Spawned, starved herring with low fat content are
known as spents.
The annual reproductive cycle of the herring can also affect its suitability for
kippering in other ways. Herring approaching maturity and feeding actively often
have very soft flesh and thin skin; they are therefore easily damaged during
processing. Digestive juices are very active during feeding, and these can
quickly perforate the belly wall of the dead fish after capture, making it
unsuitable for kippering. The belly walls of newly spawned herring are often
black and unsightly.
The water content of herring increases as the fat content falls; therefore lean
herring do not make the best kippers. If they are smoked long enough to give the
desired flavour, the texture becomes unacceptably dry.
Fat content can be used as a rough guide when selecting herring for kippering;
fish with more than about 7-8 per cent fat are usually suitable. Since the
weight of fat plus water remains constant, a rough measurement of weight loss on
drying can be used as a simple quality control procedure.
Fig. 1. Fat content of herring.
Freshness is important
Fatty fish like herring spoil very rapidly; therefore they must be chilled
quickly immediately after capture, and kept chilled until they are processed.
Since herring are usually caught in great numbers in a very short space of lime,
gutting at sea is generally impracticable; rapid chilling and protection from
damage are therefore even more important.
Herring should be stowed at sea in thin layers to prevent crushing, preferably
in shallow boxes to avoid rehandling during landing. There should be a layer of
ice in the bottom of the box, a sprinkling of ice among the fish and another
layer of ice on top. Top icing only is not good enough. About 1 kg of ice is
required to reduce the temperature of 6 kg of warm summer herring from 15°C to
0°C, plus extra ice to compensate for warm air and warm structure in the
fishroom, and to keep the fish cold all the way to the factory. Re-icing may be
necessary at the quayside if most of the top layer of ice has already melted
before landing. Well iced herring should be kippered within 24 hours of catching
to give a first class product, but acceptable products can sometimes be made
from herring kept well iced for 3-4 days.
Herring for kippering, or for freezing prior to kippering, can also be stowed at
sea in refrigerated sea water (rsw) at 0 to - 1°C, although the method is not
at present used commercially in the UK. Brining times before kippering have to
be shortened slightly when rsw herring are used, to allow for the salt taken up
during storage. Herring in rsw are generally still acceptable for kippering
after 4-5 days’ storage, and for freezing after 1 day, provided there has been
no delay between catching and immersion in the refrigerated sea water. Feedy
summer herring are particularly susceptible to delays before chilling and
freezing; they develop burst bellies which make the fish unsuitable for
kippering. Bulk stowage of herring is not recommended; the large mass of fish is
generally inadequately iced, and spoilage is extremely rapid, particularly when
the herring are fat and feeding heavily. Kippers made from herring kept in this
way for only a few hours will include a high proportion of seconds and rejects.
Overland transport of iced herring from quayside to factory should be in
insulated vehicles; all too often herring become warm and spoilt when what
little ice there is disappears during a long cross-country journey on an open
lorry.
Freezing herring for kippering
Most large smoking plants require to operate all the year round for economic
reasons, but British-caught herring with the desired fat content are not
available throughout the year. On the other hand, there are sometimes surpluses
of good, fat herring that the factories cannot cope with. Whole herring can be
frozen in time of plenty to provide the smokers with good raw material
throughout the year.
Herring for freezing should be properly iced at sea or stored in rsw and frozen
within 24 hours of catching. The freezing can be done either in trays in an air
blast freezer, or in a vertical plate freezer producing large blocks about 50 mm
thick and about 25 kg in weight. The frozen herring should be glazed or closely
wrapped and sealed in stout polyethylene film to reduce dehydration and
rancidity in cold storage, and kept at -30°C for no more than 8 months.
Great care must be taken when freezing herring for kippering to avoid physical
damage. Tails are particularly prone to damage once the fish are frozen; fish so
damaged are impossible to handle in splitting machines that depend on gripping
by the tail. When using a vertical plate freezer, damage to tails and skins can
be largely avoided by freezing the herring in a polyethylene sack containing
water.
It is also possible to freeze herring after they have been split, but they store
less well, since fish with a large cut surface go rancid rather more quickly
than whole fish. Furthermore, there is unlikely to be spare splitting machine
capacity available at the times when surpluses need to be frozen.
Thawing frozen herring
Blocks of herring can be thawed satisfactorily in a number of ways, for example
in still or moving warm air, in warm water or by electrical heating methods. An
outline of each of these methods is given in Advisory Note 25.
Fat herring have a rather soft texture and can easily be damaged during
splitting. If thawing is closely controlled so that a little ice still remains
along the backbone when the fish are removed from the thawer, tearing of the
flesh during the cutting and cleaning operations in the splitting machine is
much reduced.
Making kippers
Washing
All herring, whether chilled or thawed after cold storage, should first be
washed to remove loose scales and other debris. Small quantities can be washed
by hand, by swilling the fish in open-mesh baskets in baths of clean water, but
several machines are available for dealing with herring in bulk. Most types
comprise a revolving drum which is either partially immersed in water or fitted
with sprays. Where mesh-belt elevators are used to carry the herring to the
splitting machines, the fish can be washed quite effectively by fitting sprays
at intervals above the belt.
Splitting
Herring may be split by hand or by machine, but in all commercial operations of
any size, splitting is now done by machine. There is a variety of makes on the
market and, with proper maintenance, they present no serious problems. The
herring is usually pulled by the tail through a succession of cutting and
cleaning operations, in which the guts and gills are removed, the fish is split
along the back from tail to head, opened flat and cleaned along the backbone.
Most splitting machines are loaded by hand and, where a proportion of the
herring have broken tails, care must be taken to make sure the mechanism
properly grips the fish.
For hand splitting, the herring is laid on the filleting bench with the back of
the fish facing the filleter. The blade of a small kippering knife is inserted
at the centre of the back of the head and a cut made through the skull to the
mouth. The knife is again inserted at the same entry point and a second deep cut
is made down to the tail, keeping the blade of the knife close enough to the
backbone to leave just a thin layer of flesh over it. The herring is then opened
so that the backbone is on the left side of the kipper, gills and guts are
removed, and the backbone trimmed where necessary with the knife. The split
herring is then washed before brining.
Brining
The brining time for kippers depends mainly upon the size of the fish and the
fat content; the salt content of the finished product should be between 1-8 and
2-5 per cent to suit the average palate. The split herring may be immersed in a
brine bath in batches, or they may be moved through the bath on a conveyer.
Brine strength in baths for batch operation is usually kept at 80° brineometer,
whereas in continuous briners it is possible to maintain a strength of about
98°, thus reducing considerably the residence time.
Fig. 2. Process diagram for kippers.
Medium-sized fat Scottish herring brined in batches require about 15 minutes in
80° brine to give the kipper an acceptable salt content, whereas very large
herring, from Iceland for example, may take 20-30 minutes and a small, lean
winter herring may take only 10 minutes. A herring that takes 15 minutes in an
80° brine bath requires only about 6 minutes in a continuous briner where the
split fish are in a single layer and the brine is almost saturated.
The disadvantages of batch brining are the difficulty of achieving uniform salt
uptake throughout the mass of fish, the variation in brine strength as salt is
absorbed by the fish, and the increasing contamination of the brine with scales
and debris until it is changed. The larger the bath, the less frequently the
operator is willing to change the brine; it is therefore very difficult to
maintain the correct brine strength and to keep the brine clean. Brine strength
is controlled by taking a sample from the bath, checking it with a brineometer,
and then stirring in additional salt in the bath to bring it back up to
strength. This check should be made at least four times a day.
In large kippering plants, a continuous briner is a practicable proposition
which eliminates most of the problems encountered with batch briners. In a
continuous briner the split fish are moved in a single layer through the brine
by paddles on an endless chain, the speed of which can be adjusted to give the
required residence time. The brine is continuously recirculated through a
vibrating sieve to remove debris, and then passed through a bed of solid salt to
maintain the strength close to saturation point. Dimensions of the bath can be
made to suit the output and the physical space available.
Fig. 3. Continuous briner.
Colouring
There is a small demand for undyed kippers, but these are rather pale in colour
after smoking. Most consumers prefer a rich mahogany colour which cannot be
achieved by smoking without losing a lot of weight and producing an overdried
product, so that most kippers for the British market are dyed in the brine bath.
The dyes used are mostly water-soluble coal tar derivatives, which the processor
buys in powder form; a dye is dissolved in water and added to the brine bath
until the dipped fish are judged by eye to be of the required colour. The dye
mixture used almost universally at present for home kipper production is known
as brown FK, but mixtures of other permitted dyes are available that give the
desired colour. It would be possible to control the concentration of dye to a
specific level in the finished product, at least with continuous briners, by
metering the amount of dye added to the bath.
Tentering
This is a laborious, time-consuming step in the process. The tenter stick is a
strip of wood, typically 1 -2 m long by 40 mm by 30 mm, fitted with a row of
right-angled sharp hooks along each side. Each split fish is hung tail down on a
pair of hooks so that it remains open when exposed to the smoke in the kiln. The
tentered fish are left to drip for about an hour before they are loaded into the
kiln.
Fig. 4. Split herring on tenter stick.
Tentering has a number of disadvantages. Apart from the labour involved in
tentering the fish, the tenter hooks make unsightly holes in the kipper, the
sticks inevitably become rather dirty since the hooks make them very difficult
to clean, and some of the dirt is transferred to the product. Tenters are used
in all types of kiln but, for use in the mechanical kiln, wire-mesh trays are a
more attractive alternative.
Trays instead of tenters
Plastic-coated or stainless steel wire-mesh trays have been in use for some
years for the smoking of boneless kippers and kipper fillets but have not, until
recently, been used for making kippers. The main difficulty has been that when
the split herring are left to drip on trays, a small pool of brine remains in
the belly cavity of the fish; this leaves either a wet patch on the kipper after
smoking or, if the pool dries up, a white patch of salt which spoils the
appearance of the product. It is possible, however, to overcome this problem by
draining the split fish before they are laid on the trays by tumbling the fish
through a rotating perforated drum to remove the excess brine.
Smoking
When split herring are hung in a stream of smoke, two things happen: chemical
constituents of woodsmoke are deposited which give the kipper its characteristic
flavour and also act as a very mild preservative, and some of the moisture in
the fish is lost by drying, thus making the texture firmer. Hardwood chips and
sawdust are burned to produce the smoke.
Brined, dyed, fat herring take four hours in a mechanical kiln with all fires
lighted to yield well cured kippers, and during this time should lose on average
about 14 per cent of their brined, drained weight. The temperature of the kiln
should not rise above 30°C. A weight loss of about 10 per cent during smoking
is necessary to obtain the typical texture of a kipper when using lean herring,
whereas a weight loss of up to 20 per cent can be tolerated when kippering very
fatty herring without the product tasting too dry. Thus, although it is
reasonably straightforward to make kippers of uniformly good quality in a
mechanical kiln, the operator must have some knowledge of the raw material in
order to obtain the right amount of drying and at the same time produce the
desired smoky flavour. In large installations it is worth while making regular
checks on weight loss by first weighing the empty trolleys complete with tenters
or trays, weighing the same trolleys when loaded with fish after dripping and,
finally, weighing again after smoking. The trolleys can also be weighed at the
half-time turnround as a process check during smoking. Weight loss can be
checked on a smaller scale by weighing individual tenters or trays.
Full details of the design and operation of mechanical smoking kilns are given
in the publication ‘Fish Smoking: A Torry Kiln Operator’s Handbook’ by G.
H. O. Burgess and A. McK. Bannerman, published by Her Majesty’s Stationery
Office, 1963.
The smoking of kippers in a traditional chimney kiln is a slower and less easily
controlled process; it is impossible to give precise smoking times because so
much depends on outside weather conditions and on the ability of the smoker to
control his fires, re-arrange the tenters during smoking and strip the kiln on
completion. Even the most experienced smoker has difficulty in turning out
uniformly smoked and dried kippers, both within a batch and from one kiln
loading to another. Typical smoking times range from 6-12 hours.
Mechanical kilns based on the original Torry design are now available in a range
of sizes from several British manufacturers, and large traditional kilns are
rarely built nowadays. However, there are occasionally requests for advice from
individuals who want to construct a very small kiln as cheaply as possible in
order to smoke a few kippers for their own use. The performance of small,
homemade kilns is unpredictable, and the user has to experiment to determine the
best working conditions. Some simple sketches of possible designs are shown in
figure 6; there is no room in this short note to give details of construction,
but the sketches may serve as a starting point for those who wish to try their
hand.
Fig. 5. Diagram of a Torry mechanical kiln.
Fig. 6. Sketches of simple home-made kilns.
Cooling
Warm kippers straight out of the kiln will rapidly turn flabby and sour if
packed right away and, in summer, may turn mouldy. The full trolleys can be left
to cool at ordinary air temperature, preferably well away from wet areas where
the air is likely to be very humid. Where the kilns are supplying a packing line
in a large installation, an air blast chilling tunnel operating at 0°C is
essential for cooling the full trolleys rapidly before the trays or tenters are
emptied. Chilling after smoking is strongly recommended for kippers that are to
be distributed in consumer packs for sale from chilled retail cabinets.
Packing
The traditional container for kippers is the ½-stone or 1-stone wooden box,
with the kippers in pairs face to face, either loose or wrapped in film and heat
sealed or closed with a label. The wooden box is rapidly being replaced by
coated fibreboard boxes which can carry attractive advertising material for
display in the retail shop. Kippers are also distributed chilled in individual
consumer “packs for sale in self-service shops, either over-wrapped in film
and heat sealed or in vacuum pouches. The shelf life of kippers distributed
chilled is not significantly extended by any kind of packaging. A considerable
proportion of kipper production is distributed frozen or kept in bulk in cold
store by the processor for breaking down later into smaller packs. Packing for
freezing and cold storage is discussed in the next section.
Freezing and cold storage of kippers
Kippers can be frozen satisfactorily for long term storage; in practice quick
freezing means that the time to pass through the temperature range 0 to -5°C
should not be more than a few hours, and the fish is retained in the freezer
until the warmest part is reduced to -20°C. Kippers should be frozen as soon as
they have been cooled after removal from the kiln; stale kippers should never be
frozen.
It is extremely difficult to freeze kippers properly when packed in thick wooden
boxes, even when spaced out in an air blast operating at - 35°C; when boxes are
stacked in a cold store to ‘freeze’, the centre of the stack may take days
to come down to temperature, and the method cannot be recommended.
Kippers in waxed cartons less than 50 mm thick are normally frozen in horizontal
plate freezers; kippers in cartons thicker than 50 mm are usually handled in an
air blast freezer. Care must be taken to space the cartons so that cold air can
flow past the upper and lower surface of each pack; when the stack is a solid
one, most of the cold air bypasses the product altogether, and freezing rate is
poor.
For cold storage in bulk, kippers can be frozen into blocks by packing them in
metal trays with a waxed paper or polyethylene liner, and then freezing them
between plates or in an air blast; each layer should consist of single fish, not
pairs, with adjacent fish slightly overlapping to make a cohesive frozen block
that can be handled without falling apart. The blocks are packed in an outer
fibreboard carton for storage. Blocks of this kind have a longer storage life
when they are vacuum packed in pouches that are a good barrier to oxygen, since
the kippers go rancid less quickly.
Kippers can be frozen in consumer packs, most commonly in pairs in a
boil-in-the-bag vacuum pouch, in either air blast or plate freezers.
Guidance on the quick freezing offish is given in more detail in Advisory Note
27.
Kippers keep less well in cold store than whole herring, and herring keep less
well than white fish; therefore frozen stock should preferably be in the form of
whole herring rather than kippers. Kippers spoil in cold storage mainly because
the fat becomes unpleasantly altered, and disagreeable flavours and odours
develop; the changes are accelerated by the presence of salt. The lower the
storage temperature, the longer kippers can be kept in first class condition; a
temperature of -30°C is recommended. Vacuum packaging can further increase the
frozen shelf life by keeping out oxygen. Typical storage times for chilled and
frozen kippers are given in the table below. More detailed advice on the cold
storage of frozen fish is given in Advisory Note 28.
Storage life of kippers
storage temperature °C keep in first class condition
15 2-3 days
0 4-6 days
-10 3 weeks
-20 2 months
-30 4-5 months
-30 vacuum packed 1 year or more
Making kipper fillets
Most of what has been said about kippers applies equally to kipper fillets. This
section describes only those parts of the process that are different.
Kipper fillets are prepared either by cutting block fillets, smoking them and
then cutting single fillets from them, or by cutting single fillets from the raw
herring and smoking them.
Block fillets are taken by making a transverse cut across the back of the head
of the herring, and then cutting down towards the belly wall and in towards the
backbone, continuing the cut to the tail so that the flesh on one side of the
fish is separated from the bone. Care must be taken not to penetrate the belly
wall. The cut is repeated on the other side of the fish, so that the double
fillet, joined by the skin and back fins, can be removed from the head and
skeleton in one piece. The tail fin is left on if the block fillets are to be
tentered. Machines are available commercially for taking either block fillets or
single fillets from herring for kippering.
Fillets from medium sized fat herring require 3-4 minutes immersion in 80°
brine, whereas large fillets may require 6-8 minutes. As with kippers, brining
times are shorter for lean herring than for fat ones. The brining time for
fillets in an almost saturated brine in a continuous briner is 1½ minutes.
Kipper fillets are smoked for 2½-3 hours in a mechanical kiln, depending on
size, and should lose 10-12 per cent of their brined weight. The temperature in
the kiln should not rise above 30°C. Kipper fillets may take 4-8 hours in a
traditional chimney kiln.
Kipper fillets for canning
Kipper fillets for canning can be prepared in the following way. Block fillets
are cut from good quality herring, brined for 3 minutes in 80° brine without
dye and hung on tenters to drain for 1 hour. They are smoked in a mechanical
kiln for 2½ hours at 30°C, and then for 1 hour at 50°C. When the block
fillets are cool, single fillets are cut off, packed in 200 g oval cans and
covered with vegetable oil. The lids are clinched on, and the cans are
evacuated, seamed and heat processed at 115°C for 1 hour. The cans are then
cooled, washed, labelled and stored. The period of hot smoking helps to remove
moisture that would otherwise be released during processing in the can, and
results in a canned product of the desired golden brown colour. Less smoke is
added when kippering for canning, by lighting only half the usual number of
fires, but drying is still important to give the right texture; weight loss
during smoking should be about 20 per cent.
Do’s and don’ts for distributors and retailers
Handling fresh kippers and kipper fillets
Have a look at some of the kippers as soon as they are delivered. These are some
of the points to look for before putting them in the chillroom:
an attractive gloss with some oil showing on the undamaged cut surface
no black smuts
no sliminess or green discoloration of the belly walls
a pleasant smoky smell, free from any off odours
flesh that is firm and springy to the touch
dark reddish brown colour for dyed kippers, golden brown for undyed ones
no sign of mould.
Keep kippers chilled: they should be cooled to 0ºC before despatch, and kept at
this temperature throughout the distribution chain, preferably in insulated
vehicles. Run the chillroom at 0·5 to 2·0°C if both wet and smoked fish are
being kept; the temperature can be lower, 0 to -1°C, if only smoked fish is
kept. Spread the boxes out in the chill; they will cool more quickly.
Don’t keep kippers more than 3-4 days; they won’t keep in first class
condition, even at chill temperature, after this time.
Order fresh stock at least twice a week, and don’t order too much.
Don’t put out large displays; keep most of the stock in the chill, sell from
the display and replenish from stock at frequent intervals.
Refrigerate the display; if the cabinet or slab is not refrigerated, put the
kippers on trays on a bed of ice, but don’t put ice on the fish.
Wrapped kippers don’t keep any longer than unwrapped ones; keep them no more
than 3-4 days and watch for signs of mould.
Never try to sell kippers of doubtful quality; try eating some; they should be
slightly salty, pleasantly smoky, and free from any rancid or bitter flavours.
When in doubt, throw them out!
Don’t attempt to freeze unsold kippers; they can be properly frozen only when
they are newly made; freezing isn’t a salvage operation.
Handling frozen kipper products
Don’t keep them for ever; frozen kippers will keep in cold storage at - 30°C
for 4-5 months in first class condition, but in a shop frozen food cabinet
running at about -20°C the shelf life is 1-2 months. Try to turn the stock over
at least once a month. Examine kippers frequently for signs of surface drying.
Frozen kippers may be allowed to thaw during distribution, or at the shop, but
when they are thawed, treat them as fresh; thawed kippers won’t keep any
longer than chilled ones.
Never attempt to refreeze thawed kippers.
Don’t try to freeze on the cheap; newly made kippers should be frozen in a
plant that is designed for the job. Badly frozen kippers can damage the trade.
Keep the freezer cabinet in working order; have it maintained regularly, don’t
overfill it, and make sure it’s never switched off.
Further advice on the display of fish in retail shops is given in Advisory Note
12, and more detailed advice on the retailing of smoked fish is given in
Advisory Note 14.
Main Entry: 1kip·per
Pronunciation: ki-p r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English kypre, from Old English cypera; akin to Old English
coper copper
Date: before 12th century
1 : a male salmon or sea trout during or after the spawning season
2 : a kippered herring or salmon
Main Entry: 2kipper
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): kip·pered; kip·per·ing \-p( -)ri \
Date: 1773
: to cure (split dressed fish) by salting and smoking
- kip·per·er \-p r- r\ noun
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