Matelote of Fresh Herring

Red wine, onion and mushroom give a rich, elegant flavor to matelote of fresh herring.

Take some herring, half of which have soft and half hard roes; gut them through the gill opening. Cut off the heads and tails and divide each herring lengthwise into two fillets, removing the bones. Put a small quantity of butter in a fryingpan, and enough flour to nearly absorb it, then add a little chopped parsley and shallots; lay the herrings in the pan, sprinkle over them three wineglassfuls of red wine and cook over a hot fire. Put them on a hot dish and lay over some small onions and fried mushrooms, garnish the dish with fried breadcrumbs and serve hot.