Wonder how to make a portable soup for travellers? Set an 18th century table? Make soup a la reine?
The Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffald is an essential book to discover not only what people ate in the 18th century, but also how their meals were cooked. There’s a wonderful section on preserves and confections, extensive chapters on meats (ox cheek anyone?). And, of course, you’ll want to learn how to make an edible “amulet.” Many of the recipes are easy to whip up today, provided you translate the odd spelling. It’d be rather funny if you didn’t.
“Eels or Lamprey with pudding in the belly” aside, here are a few I’m planning on for a future 18th century test kitchen:
Note: If you decide to delve into the book, remember it was published in 1782. The spelling is surprisingly uniform but what looks like “f” is typically “s” in older english books.
Enjoy!
Tags: 18th Century, Domestic
