manx kippers

david’s family live on the isle of man. i’ve not been very lucky with my visits over the years – there has been only one which was filled with sunshine and more often than not i seem to encourage the rain and grey skies whenever i am there.

there is, however, one part of manx life which always makes me smile – kippers. these are smoked herring and are very popular on the isle of man. every time we are local, or david’s family visit us in london, i get the chance to stock up (devereau & son is the place to buy them, in person or online).

i’m never very sophisticated with my kipper-eating habits – they are always poached in the bag (it’s less smelly than grilling and the little pieces of butter in the bag mix with the other juices to bathe the kippers in buttery deliciousness) and served atop buttery toast or, as shown above, in a sandwich – the bread must be white and smeared with butter before the hot kippers are added, seasoned with freshly ground black pepper, and then eaten with a mug of tea to wash it down. the perfect choice for a weekend breakfast or if you're working from home mid-week.