More Recipes from Eighteenth-Century Englandeatsegetablesesserts
Excerpt from Martha Lloyd's (second wife of theReverend James Austen) recipe book, (Black, TheJane Austen Cookbook, p. 37)ForcemeatBallsTake a little fat bacon, beat it in a marble mortar, take two anchovies,two or three pigeons livers, chop them together; add a little lemon-peelshred, a little beaten mace, nutmeg, cayenne, stale bread crumbs, and beef-suetan equal quantity, mix all together with an egg.Makes 16 balls about 1 inch/2.5 cm in diameter4 oz/110 g/2 cups breadcrumbs2oz/50g/scant ½ cup shredded suet2 canned anchovy fillets, soaked, chopped and pounded1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or ½ tablespoon driedoreganograted rind of ½ lemonsalt and pepperpinch each of grated nutmeg and ground macea few grains of cayenne pepper1 large egg, beatenegg wash for glazing (optional)The original mixture is stronger in flavour and fattier than we wantfor most purposes today, but you can add a finely chopped chicken liverand chopped bacon rasher (slice) to the milder mix here if you wish.Mix together all the ingredients and adjust the quantity of breadcrumbsif required to make a mixture which will cohere when squeezed. Roll intosmall balls, coat with egg wash and fry or bake until heated through.
(Black, The Jane Austen Cookbook, p. 79)
Back to the DinnermenuBack to the topof this pageMutton HamsTo dry a leg of mutton like ham:
Cut it like a Ham and take 2 oz. salt-petre and rub the Mutton allover and let it lie a day and make a Pickle of Bay Salt and spring waterand put the Mutton in and let it lie 8 days and take and hang it in a chimneyfor 3 weeks, and then boil it till it is tender. The proper time to doit is in cold weather. [1]
Back to the DinnermenuBack to the topof this pageAsparagusDressed the Italian WayTake the asparagus, break them in pieces, then boil them soft anddrain the water from them; take a little oil, water, and vinegar, let itboil, season it with pepper and salt, throw in the asparagus and thickenwith yolks of eggs
the Spaniards add sugar, but that spoils them.Serves 6About 60 stems fresh asparagusSalt and pepper3 tablespoons white wine vinegar3 egg yolksabout 5oz/150g/ 2/3 cup butter, flakedCut any woody ends off the asparagus stems and scrape the white parts ifneeded. Tie the stems in bundles with all the heads at one end and trimthe stem ends level. Put a pan of lightly salted water on the stove andstand the bundles upright in the pan so that the stems are almost covered;only the heads should be above water level. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Thenlay the bundles flat in the pan and simmer for another 5-10 minutes untilthe heads are tender. Drain thoroughly. (Small, thin asparagus or spruecooks in 5 minutes.) When they are ready, cut the tender green heads andstems of the asparagus into 1 inch/2.5cm pieces, and keep warm in a servingdish. In a small pan, boil the vinegar and 1 ½ tablespoons wateruntil reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Cool slightly. Beat the egg yolksuntil liquid in a heatproof bowl, then stir in the vinegar. Place the bowlover simmering water and stir until the mixture thickens. Gradually whiskin as much of the butter as the egg sauce will hold without separating,sprinkling in a little salt and pepper as you do so. The sauce should bethick and quite sharp to the palate. Serve it over the asparagus whilestill warm.
(Black, The Jane Austen Cookbook, p. 115)
Back to the DinnermenuBack to the topof this pageHerb PuddingTake a quart of grots, and steep them in warm water half an hour.Take a pound of hogs lard, and cut it into little bits. Take of spinach,beets, parsley and leeks, a handful of each; three large onions choppedsmall, and three sage leaves cut fine. Put in a little salt, mix all welltogether, and tie it close. It will require to be taken up in boiling,to loosen the string a little.Serves 4-64oz/110g/1 cup self-raising flour, sifted4oz/110g/1 cup fine oatmeal2oz/50g/1 cup soft white breadcrumbs5oz/150g/1 ¼ cups shredded suet or pork drippinga good fistful of finely chopped spinach and other green leaves,including parsley and green of young leek (use enough leaves to tint thepudding)1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or ½ teaspoon dried sage½ teaspoon saltUntil potatoes replaced it in our daily diet, a plain or savoury puddingwas often served with meat, or as a filer before it in poorer countryhouseholds. Flour and oatmeal make an easier pudding to manage than hulled,pounded oats for this basic dish.
(Black, The Jane Austen Cookbook, p. 47)
Back to the DinnermenuBack to the topof this pageApplePudding of 1700:Peel and quarter eight gold-runnets, or twelve golden-pippins; castthem into water, in which boil them as you do for Apple sauce; sweetenthem with loaf sugar, squeeze in them two lemons, and grate in their peels;beat eight eggs, and beat them all well together; pour it into a dish,cover with puff paste, and bake it an hour in a slow oven.
[2]Back to the DinnermenuBack to the topof this pageMarthas Almond CheesecakesTake half a pound of blanchd almonds pounded small with a spoonfulof Orange flower water and half a pound of double-refined sugar 10 yolksof Eggs well beat add the peels of two oranges or Lemons which must beboild very tender then beat in a Mortar very fine, then mix them togetherand put in three quarters of a pound of melted butter being almost coldand bake it in good Crust.Makes 24-281 large lemon or orange4oz/110g/ 2/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar, plus 1 extra tablespoonfor sprinklinga few drops orange-flower water4oz/110g/1 cup ground almonds2 whole eggs, separated, plus 2 egg whites2oz/50g/4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled1lb/450g shortcrust pastryPare the rind of the lemon or orange thinly, taking off the top colouredlayer only. Boil the parings in a small pan of water until soft; drain.Pulverize them with some of the sugar in a n electric blender or grinder.Put them in a bowl, add the rest of the sugar and the orange-flower water,then mix in the ground almonds.
(Black, The Jane Austen Cookbook, p. 123)
Back to the DinnermenuBack to the topof this pageA Hasty Pudding of 1742:Break an egg into fine flour, and with your hand work up as muchas you can into as stiff a paste as possible [the size of the egg and drynessof the flour make it impossible to give quantities, but go on adding flourtill the egg rubs into fine crumbs]. Add milk boiling, and put ina little salt, some rose water, or orange-flower water, a few drops putto your taste, some butter, and keep stirring all one way till it is thickas you would have it, pour it oute and when it is in the dishe stick itall over with littel bits of butter, and beaten cinnamon over. [3]
Back to the DinnermenuBack to the topof this pageA TrifleTake three Naple Biscuits cut them in Slices dip them in sack laythem in the bottom of your dish, then make a custard of a pint of creamand five Eggs and put over them then make a whipt Syllabub as light aspossible to cover the whole the higher it is piled the handsomer it looks.Serves 61 quantity Solid Custardplain Madeira cake, cut in 1 inch/2.5 cm slices, to line thebottom and 1/3 of the sides of a 2 ½ pint/1.4 litre/6 ¼ cupglass bowlmedium dry sherry to moisten1 quantity Solid Syllabubchopped, candied or crystallized fruits to decorate (optional)The original Naples biscuits were twice-baked, hard sponge cakes storedfor used when needed for eating with or in eighteenth-century sweet creams;I have used instead plain Madeira cake. The sack (sherry) was intendedto soften the biscuits, so go easy when adding it to the softer moderncake. Make the Solid Custard first so that it is cooled (but not set) whenyou are ready to add it to the sponge cake and before you want to add thesyllabub. The dessert will then have interesting, contrasting layers. Followthe original recipe above for adding the syllabub. Use chopped, candiedor crystallized fruits, if you wish, for a period-style decoration on topof the trifle.
(Black, The Jane Austen Cookbook, p. 121)
Back to the DinnermenuBack to the topof this pageSweetmeats as prepared for dessert after the meal,(Black, The Jane Austen Cookbook, p. 22) 
