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At the April meeting we covered the variety of arrangements
for meals and balls with respect to class/location, times of eating,
service style, menus and some specific dishes. We then talked about
some specific dishes and ingredients, followed by sampling of seven
dishes, selected on the basis of the Austen's novels and letters.
Here are some of them in pictures.
Potato Pie
Mrs Austen had a kitchen garden at Steventon where she grew potatoes
amongst other things, doing the planting and digging them herself.
This recipe comes from Hannah Glasse (1747).
Salmagundi
This dish which is a mixed salad of cooked meats, eggs, fish, fresh
and pickled vegetables, which was very popular in 18th C England.
This is based on Mrs Glasse's method for presentation.
Dairy products
The use of butter, cream and milk in dishes was very common. Many
rural houses had dairies, as did the at both Steventon and Chawton,
to ensure supplies. We tasted a syllabub flavoured with lemon and
blancmange flavoured with rose water.
Ratafia Biscuits
These biscuits have a very strong almond flavour as the original
recipes call for bitter almonds, which are no longer available due
to the small amount of poison in them. Thankfully, essences are
available with flavour but no poison.
This recipe is based on one by Mrs Beeton, and there is also a recipe
in Martha Llyod's recipe book.
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