A TWEEDSIDE KETTLE. 311 



circumstances, is as follows : Crimp the fish immedi- 

 ately on its being killed, by the water-side, making the 

 cuts slantwise, and at a distance of two inches from 

 each other; separate also the gills, and holding it by 

 the tail, immerse its body in the stream for the space 

 of three or four minutes, moving it backwards and for- 

 wards, so as to expedite the flowing off of the blood. In 

 the meantime, give orders, if you have not previously 

 done so, to have the fire briskened and the pot or caul- 

 dron filled, or nearly so, with spring water, set on to 

 boil. The fish, after being crimped and bled as I have 

 directed, must now be conveyed to a table or kitchen- 

 dresser, and there thoroughly cleansed inside. This 

 done, divide it through the backbone into cuts or 

 slices, of the thickness already indicated in the crimp- 

 ing, throwing these into a large hand-basin as you pro- 

 ceed. I shall presume, by this time, that the water is 

 at the boiling point. If so, convey to it a large bowlful 

 of kitchen salt ; do not scrimp the material or you ruin 

 the fish. Allow the water, thus checked, again to bubble 

 up, and then pop in the cuts of salmon, head and all. 

 Several minutes will elapse before the liquid contents 

 of the pot once more arrive at the boiling point ; when 

 they do so, begin to note the time, and see, as you 

 measure it, that the fire is a brave one. For all fish 

 under nine pounds weight, allow ten minutes brisk 

 boiling, and when exceeding nine pounds, grant an 

 extra minute to every additional pound. When ready, 

 serve hot, along with the brine in which the fish was 

 cooked. This is salmon in perfection, and constitutes 

 the veritable kettle of Tweedside, such as frothed and 

 foamed in the days of the merry monks of Melrose and 

 Kelso, and what, no doubt, has been feasted on in a 

 less civilised age than ours, by the crowned heads of 



