Mrs Beeton was born in London in 1836 and was christened Isabella Mary Mayson. In July 1856 she married Samuel Orchard Beeton and became Mrs Beeton. In 1859, after the tragic death of her first child in 1857 she began writing articles on cookery and household management for her husband's publications.
In 1861 these publications were gathered together in a single volume, entitled, rather imposingly: The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine and in October 1861, the articles were published as a single volume: The Book of Household Management Comprising information for the Mistress, Housekeeper, Cook, Kitchen-Maid, Butler, Footman, Coachman, Valet, Upper and Under House-Maids, Lady's-Maid, Maid-of-all-Work, Laundry-Maid, Nurse and Nurse-Maid, Monthly Wet and Sick Nurses, etc. etc.Beetonalso Sanitary, Medical, & Legal Memoranda: with a History of the Origin, Properties, and Uses of all Things Connected with Home Life and Comfort. Though the book quickly became known rather more succinctly as: Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.
It gave an extensive collection of recipes, as well as tips on how to run a Victorian household. As well as having recipes that are still made and which are still relevant today it is also our best guide to the foods (both opulent and frugal) of the Victorian dining table. This book also represents the first time that recipes were published in the modern manner, with a list of ingredients and instructions on how to cook them.
Below you will find two of Mrs Beeton's classic recipes, for a starter and a main course, redacted (re-written) for the modern age.
Apple Soup
Ingredients:
900g cooking apples
3/4 tsp freshly-ground white pepper
6 cloves
cayenne pepper, or ground ginger, to taste
3l beef stock
Method:
Peel and quarter the apples then remove their cores. Add to a pan along with the stock, bring to a simmer then stew gently for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Take off the heat and either purée in a blender or press through a fine-meshed sieve with the back of a spoon.
Return the purée to a pan, add the seasonings then bring to a boil, take off the heat, ladle into warmed bowls and serve.
Grouse Pie
Ingredients:
2 grouse
450g rump steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
290ml well-seasoned stock
350g fresh puff pastry
cayenne pepper
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 egg yolk, beaten, to glaze
Method:
Line the base of a large pie dish with the steak. If the grouse are large then joint them, if they are small, halve them. Lay the bird pieces on top of the meat then season liberally with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Pour in the stock then cover the pie with the puff pastry. Brush the top with the beaten yolk of an egg make a few steam holes in the top and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the meat is cooked and the pastry is golden brown. Serve hot with mashed potatoes and root vegetables.
Note: If you are jointing your grouse then you can make a gravy by stewing the grouse backbones and trimmings with an onion, a little sherry, herbs and a blade of mace.
I hope you enjoyed this article an recipes and are now keen to learn more about Mrs Beeton and her recipes.
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