Elizabethan Food Recipes

The Elizabethan era witnessed an introduction of some different foods from the New World. It also saw an expanded use of sugar as well as increased cultivation of beehives and fruit trees. New foodstuffs such as potato, tomato and turkey were introduced during the Elizabethan era. Cayenne, red peppers, chili and paprika were also imported from the New World. The Elizabethan food was prepared using various methods such as spit roasting, boiling, baking, salting, smoking and frying. Some of the common ingredients used in the Elizabethan food recipes were avens, borage, clary, dittany, galingale, hyssop, laver, orach, pellitory, purslane, St John’s Wort, southernwood, blaunderelle, bullace, cubeb, medlar, almond milk, warden, turnsole, etc.

Some of the starters in the Elizabethan meals were an excellent boiled salad, mortis, pottage with whole herbs, Elizabethan pickled mushrooms, savory pottage, etc. The main course included boiled meats ordinary, roast capons, stewed beef etc. Some of the accompaniments to main course were asparagus in orange sauce, Lombardy tarts, stewed potatoes, buttered colle-floure, grand sallet, etc. The main course was followed by various desserts such as a tarte of strawberries, quaking pudding, cheesecake, sack posset, etc.

Here are some popular lip-smacking Elizabethan food recipes that you can prepare for the parties or for some special occasions.

Elizabethan Pickled Mushrooms

Ingredients
230 gm mushrooms, about 3 cm in diameter
480 ml water
2 cloves
2 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp salt
180 ml white wine
1 thin slice of fresh root ginger
½ nutmeg, sliced into fragments
1 tsp vinegar

Preparation
Wash the mushrooms with a damp cloth (Avoid washing under running water as they will absorb water and won’t pickle properly). Slice off its stems within 1 cm of its cap. Add water, mushrooms and half the salt to a saucepan and bring it to boil. Once it gets started to boil, immediately drain the mushrooms and keep in a large screw-top jar. Add the spices, remaining salt and then pour the white wine and vinegar over the top. If the liquid is not sufficient on the top, then add more white wine and vinegar. Cover the jar with a plastic ring in order to protect the cap from corrosion. Invert the jar several times so that the spices are evenly distributed in the pickling liquid. Then store the jar in a cool place for about 3-4 days before serving.

Roast Fillet of Beef

Ingredients
1 kg beef fillet
180 ml beef stock
2 egg yolks
60 gm finely chopped chives
2 tablespoon molten butter (for the sauce)
4 tablespoon molten butter (to baste the meat)
60 g finely chopped parsley
¼ tsp savory
¼ tsp thyme
60 ml red wine vinegar
Large pinch of ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 220c. Place the beef fillet in the roasting dish, cover it with molten butter and place it in the oven. Then immediately reduce the heat to 180c. Roast it for about 30 minutes and cover it with some of the remaining butter every five minutes. At the end of the cooking, keep the beef aside to rest in a warm place. To make the sauce, place all the remaining ingredients (except egg yolks) in the saucepan and bring them to boil. Immediately reduce the heat and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove 60 ml of sauce and add the egg yolks to the sauce in a bowl. Beat it continuously so that it properly gets mixed. Place the egg mixture in the saucepan and cook it stirring continuously, until the sauce starts to thicken. At this point, add the meat juices into the sauce and cook it for a few minutes. Arrange the beef slices on a warmed plate and spread the sauce over the meat and serve immediately.

Sack Posset

Ingredients
300 ml sack (Any fortified wine such as marsala, sherry or port will also work)
1.1 ltr single cream
4 egg whites
8 egg yolks
150 gm sugar
4 nutmeg quarters
2-3 sticks of cinnamon
Caster sugar for dusting
Ground cinnamon, to decorate

Preparation
Place the cream and cinnamon sticks in the pan, bring it boil and keep it at low temperature for a few minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat. Beat the eggs together and add a spoonful of egg mixture to the cream. Keep stirring continuously until all the eggs are mixed with cream. Meanwhile, bring the sack to boil and add sugar in it to dissolve. Then add the nutmeg quarters. Keep the cream mixture to heat. Don’t allow it to boil. Take it off the heat. Allow the sack to boil. Whisk the cream mixture and gently pour it in the sweetened sack. Remove the nutmeg and cinnamon and keep it to heat so that it gets thickened. Don’t allow it to boil. This custard-like dessert can be served immediately or when it can be poured into glass bowls and chilled in the fridge. You may dust the surface of the sack posset with caster sugar and cinnamon.