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Food is very important to me. Looking up recipes for this section is always fun. To expand the section, though, I hope to include broader articles on the topic of dining. In the month of November, Americans look forward to Thanksgiving, not just a time of giving thanks, but a time of togetherness and dining together. But in the nineteenth century, when dining in hotels and restaurants was uncommon and society was closer knit, dinner-parties where frequent and events of great import. In London, during the Season, it was required that invitations be sent at least three weeks in advance. So many parties were held that people needed plenty of notice to avoid conflicts. It was conceivable that one could attend a dinner party every evening. There were two essential typs of dinners, diners a la francaise and diners a la Russe. In the former, the dishes were served at the table, the host usually responsible for the carving. A la Russe meant that the butler prepared diners' plates and then placed on the table before them. The butler would ring a bell to indicate that each course should be brought from the kitchen to the dining room. Servants were expected to remain quiet and move efficiently. One did not address the butler or footman, but merely caught his eye. A significant custom was that of never drinking alone. Before taking a drink, one would catch the eye of another diner, nod and drink. Another important part of the dinner party was the quantity and variety of the food. Numerous wines were also required. Following is a sample menu. Hare Soup - Soup a la Reine - Pheasant Soup - Puree of Grouse SECOND COURSE Larded Pheasants - Cold Pheasant Pie - Grouse - Larded Partridges - Hot Raised Pie of Mixed Game ENTREMENTS AND REMOVES Apricot Tart - Vol-au-Vent of Pears - Maids of Honor - Compote of Apple - Charlotte Russe - Plum Pudding - Dantzic Jelly ENTREES Salmi of Widgeon - Salmi of Woodcock - Lark Pudding - Fillet of Pheasant and Truffes - Curried Rabbit - Game Patties THIRD COURSE Snipes - Golden Plovers - Wild Duck - Pintails - Quails - Teal - Woodcocks - Widgeons DESSERT Preserved Cherries - Filberts - Dried Fruit - Ginger Ice Cream - Figs - Strawberry Ice Cream - Pineapples - Pears - Apples - Grapes - Lemon Water Ice - Orange Water Ice - from Beeton's Book of Household Management After dinner, the butler would prepare the fire in the drawing room where the ladies would retire to drink tea, while the men remained in the dining room to drink port and perhaps smoke cigars. Hot Raised Pie of Mixed Game is a complex dish, but quite worth the effort. INGREDIENTS1 pheasant 2 guinea fowl 2 wood pigeons 4 lamb chops 8 slices of bacon 1/4 lb. ham, cut into large pieces 5 large anchovy fillets, chopped Bone the birds and set aside the bones. Coat the pieces of bird in spiced pepper.
SPICED PEPPER Halve the lamb chops and wrap each piece with bacon.
FORCEMEAT Cook the livers, bacon, shallots and mushrooms in the butter for 3 to 4 minutes, then puree in a blender. Spread the forcemeat across the bottom and up the sides of a large pie dish. Lay the lamb chops on the bottom and fill the rest of the dish with the birds, ham and anchovies, distributing them evenly around the dish. PIE CRUST2 cups whole wheat flour 4 1/2 oz shortening 1 egg Mix the shortening into the flour then add water until soft dough is formed. Roll out the dough and cover the pie with it. Punch a couple of holes into the dough. Cook the pie for 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees. Then add stock to the pie through the holes, enough to cover the meat.
STOCK Put all the stock ingredients except the last three into a large pot with the bones from the birds, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer 45 minutes to an hour. Strain then cool and add the remaining three ingedients. After adding the stock, use remaining pastry to cover the holes. Glaze the crust with beaten egg and cook another 20 minutes at 350 degrees. This pie was generally served hot, but also makes great leftovers. The stock recipe is more than enough for use in the pie, but what remains can be served as a soup. Bon apetite! |