Long John Silver is a fictional character from the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. He is the ship’s cook aboard the Hispaniola and has a parrot named Captain Flint who perches on his shoulder. Long John Silver has become an iconic representation of a pirate in popular culture. His character is known for having only one leg, replacing the other with a crutch. He is also often depicted with a parrot on his shoulder.
Quick Answers
Long John Silver most likely used whatever fish was most readily available to him and his pirate crew. As a ship’s cook he would have been in charge of preparing meals onboard, which often consisted of salted and preserved meats and fish. Some likely candidates are:
– Cod – A common white fish available in the waters of England and the Caribbean. Often salted and dried for long storage.
– Herring – An abundant schooling fish found in northern Atlantic waters. Frequently salted for preservation.
– Tuna – While not native to the Caribbean, tuna was often salted and barreled for long voyages. A hearty and protein-rich fish.
– Mackerel – Another schooling fish known for its rich flavor. Salted mackerel was a naval staple.
– Eel – Fishermen often caught eels along coastlines. Could be smoked or cooked into stews and pies.
What Kinds of Fish Might Pirates Have Eaten?
As a seafaring bunch, pirates would have eaten a diet heavy in fish. Here are some of the likely candidates available to them during the 18th century Golden Age of Piracy:
– Cod – Abundant in the North Atlantic and easy to salt and preserve. A favorite of naval crews at the time. Thick white flesh.
– Herring – Traveling in large schools, herring was easy to net and pickle for long voyages. Strong flavor.
– Mackerel – Plentiful in both the Caribbean and North Atlantic. Meaty texture and rich, oily taste. Good pickled or salted.
– Grouper – Common reef fish in tropical waters. Mild sweet taste. Frequently salted and dried.
– Snapper – Found off coasts and near islands. Lean delicate meat. Could be salted or smoked.
– Salmon – Caught in northern waters and the Pacific. Delicious fatty flavor. Often salted in barrels.
– Halibut – A large flatfish caught in northern Atlantic and Pacific waters. Dense and lean. Usually dried into hard tack.
– Trout – Freshwater fish sometimes caught at sea. Mild flavor. Eaten fresh or salted when available.
– Herring – A small schooling fish. Very inexpensive. Usually pickled in large quantities. pungent taste.
– Swordfish – A very large, meaty fish found worldwide. Dense texture and mild flavor. Barrels of salted swordfish often provisioned ships.
What Fish was Most Commonly Used?
While pirates certainly took advantage of any fresh catch they could pillage, there were a few types of fish that were most commonly used and stored onboard ships of the 1700s:
– Cod – The plentiful Atlantic cod was a staple foodstuff, often salted and dried into hard tack. Its white meat was protein rich and preserved well.
– Herring – Abundant, affordable herring was most often pickled for storage in barrels. The small fish packed well.
– Salmon – Caught in northern waters, salmon was prized for its rich oils and delicate flavor. It was often salted in barrels for shipment.
– Eels – Found off coastlines and up rivers, eels were easy to catch. Their meat was smoked or jellied for longer preservation.
– Mackerel – Another common schooling fish, mackerel was inexpensive, nutritious and kept well when salted. It had a distinctive rich, oily taste.
So while any fresh catch was greatly appreciated, those five fish – cod, herring, salmon, eels and mackerel – were staple foods for 18th century seamen, including pirates. Their ease of preservation and nutrition made them ideal for long voyages away from port.
Preservation Methods
In the 18th century, there were several common methods used to preserve fish for long sea voyages:
– Salting – Most often, fish were layered in salt or brine inside wooden barrels. This drew out moisture and preserved the meat. Cod, herring, mackerel and salmon were often salted.
– Drying – Some fish like cod and halibut were air or sun dried, which hardened them into nutritious and non-perishable dried tack.
– Smoking – Fish like salmon, eel and herring were sometimes smoked over fires. This both cooked them and infused preservative compounds.
– Pickling – Small fish like herring were frequently pickled in vinegar or brine. The acidic liquid helped keep the fish from spoiling.
– Jellying – Fish like eels could be boiled into a gelatinous collagen-rich aspic or jelly. It kept well and provided nutrition.
Keeping fish from rotting was a priority on long voyages. Salting, drying, smoking and pickling helped preserve essential proteins and fats and prevent sickness on ships, including those of pirates.
Common Recipes
While pirates ate their food simply, ship’s cooks did their best to provide some variety with the staple ingredients on hand. Here are some common 18th century recipes that may have been prepared aboard pirate ships using whatever fish they had:
– Salted cod cakes – Dried cod soaked, minced and fried into fishcakes
– Pickled herring – Herring filets preserved in vinegar brine with onions
– Salt fish and potatoes – Salted cod boiled with ship’s stores of potatoes
– Smoked salmon in pastry – Leftover ship’s biscuit dough baked around smoked salmon
– Mackerel or herring drizzled with lime juice – Lime juice was often carried onboard to prevent scurvy
– Salt fish stew with ship’s biscuit – Tough dried cod stewed with onions, ship’s biscuit and bacon or salt pork for flavor
– Jellied eels – Boiling eels into a firm, collagen-filled aspic or jelly
– Fried fish with cornmeal coating – Using up stale ship’s biscuits or cornmeal to coat and fry fish
– Salted cod hash – Salted cod, ship’s bacon, onions and leftover potatoes chopped and fried together
With minimal ingredients on hand, ship cooks had to get creative to keep the crew happy and fed on long voyages. Fish of all kinds were a staple protein source.
Preparing Salted Fish
Salting was the most common way to preserve fish for ships:
| – Soak salted fish overnight before cooking |
| – Changing the water helps remove excess salt |
| – Boil salted fish briefly before eating to soften it |
| – Try breading salted fish in ship’s biscuit crumbs before frying |
| – Add potatoes, onions and bacon to salted fish for more moisture and flavor |
| – Salted fish often substituted for fresh fish in stews and soups |
With the right techniques, salt-preserved fish could be quite palatable on long voyages away from port. It provided vital nutrition for 18th century pirates and sailors.
Conclusion
While details are scarce on the exact eating habits of Long John Silver and his fictional fellow pirates, we can surmise from historical records that they likely subsisted on a diet heavy in preserved and salted fish. Common 18th century seafaring fare like cod, herring, mackerel and salmon would have been staples, supplemented with fresh catches when available. With few supplies onboard, the ship’s cook worked hard to keep the crew nourished and avoid malnutrition and scurvy. Fish was an essential source of protein and healthy fats for swashbuckling buccaneers roaming the seas, pillaging ships and seeking fortune and adventure. Though times were tough, the promise of fresh catches and exotic new flavors always awaited beyond the horizon.
