In our last Historical Fayre, focussing on Georgian cookery, we looked at the huge changes in the culinary world thanks to the developments wrought by the Industrial Revolution. This saw people who formerly lived almost exclusively off the land, slaves to the seasons and harvests, flock to more urban conurbations in a quest for a higher standard of living and a broader education.
The first major change wrought was at meal times and what they consisted of. Previously, the middle and upper classes would usually breakfast around 9 or 10 and eat nothing else until dinner at 2 or 3. By the end of the 18th century, dinner had got progressively later and later and was now not eaten till 6 or 7. This meant there was a long gap between the two meals which was filled by afternoon tea. The poorer amongst us continued to eat their main meal in the middle of the day but now had a dish for tea in the afternoon and/or some cold meats, cheese and bread for supper.
If soup was being served at a meal, this was always eaten first, then fish, then meat, roasted, boiled, stewed or fried, served with sauce but rarely vegetables, unless they were served as a garnish for the meat. The first course was removed and lighter dishes of meat and fish were served, and perhaps some pies, puddings and tarts. Small dishes of pickle and biscuits remained on the table throughout the meal to nibble on, if desired. Once this second course was removed, dessert followed which consisted of jellies, sweetmeats, fruits, nuts and cheese. After dessert had been taken away, and a few glasses of wine had been drunk, the ladies left the men to carouse a bit more before they were joined by them to play cards or simply chat. Another major change was that at the beginning of the century, the hostess did all the carving and therefore missed out on most of the fun. By the middle of the century, host and hostess sat at opposite ends of the table and carved and served their guests to the meat on the table in front of them and guests also felt free to help themselves. By the turn of the century, when Eliza Rundell wrote A New System Of Domestic Cookery, many could afford servants, who did both the carving and serving.
Another significant influential factor was the increasing use of sugar to make food more palatable. Old spices like musk and ambergris fell out of fashion, native herbs like daisies and violets did too. Pickles replaced mashed herbs and vinegar and ketchups and bottled sauces started appearing. Food became less complicated. The taste was now for sauces that tasted of one thing only, mustard, anchovy, parsley or just melted butter. Lastly, there were major changes wrought in agricultural practices. No longer did cattle have to be slaughtered and salted for consumption through the winter because winter feeding practices were borrowed from the Dutch, which meant that animals could be kept right through the winter and only killed when needed. Also new breeds were introduced from overseas that strengthened the gene pool and that domestic animals rather than wild animals now formed the bulk of the diet. Transportation also improved so that sea fish and shellfish could be brought inland in barrels of sea water to replace many fresh water fish, though carp, eel and pike remained favourites.
Suet puddings gained in popularity. They would be filled with all manner of foodstuffs, steak, giblets, pigeon, duck, fruit, currants. Boiled and baked puddings also burgeoned, made from rice, oatmeal, sago, curd, fruit, both fresh and dried, potatoes, spinach, almonds and vermicelli. The most common vegetables used were cabbage, turnips, carrots, parsnips and onions. Green vegetables were usually just boiled and served with melted butter. Tomatoes also began to appear in recipes in the 18th century, but were always cooked. The raw fruit was viewed with great suspicion and only started being eaten that way at the end of the following century.
Because transportation had improved so radically, local specialties became known further afield, such as Cheddar, Stilton and Wensleydale cheeses, or Scotch salmon, or Newcastle haddock. Foodstuffs were now regularly imported from overseas, Parmesan and pasta from Italy, pickled mangoes and pilau rice from India and ready-mixed curry powder was on sale from 1780 onwards. Fresh food was kept in cellars or larders but only for a week or less because it tended to go off or get stale. So this was the era of the preserve. Jams and pickles were made, meat was potted, cured, salted or smoked, fish was potted or smoked too. The idea of ice as a preserving agent took hold and the wealthier members of the population built ice houses in their grounds, where the ice would last most of the year round. This was the start of our love affair with ice cream (for those of us who could afford the ice house, that is!)
Slow Roasted Lamb In White Wine
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 kg leg of lamb
2 tbsp plain flour
2 onions, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
75cl dry white wine ( we use Sauvignon)
1 pint chicken stock
A pinch of dried oregano
A pinch of dried mint
2 tbsp redcurrant jam
A pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas 3. Pour the olive oil into a large, roasting tin which is suitable for a hob and heat on a medium heat.Season the lamb then roll it in the flour. Brown the lamb all over in the hot oil for 5-10 minutes.
Add the onions and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, turning the lamb and stirring the onions until both are nicely browned. Add the garlic, white wine, stock, oregano, mint and jam simmer for 5 minutes, before placing in the oven for 3-3½ hours. Baste the meat every 40 minutes with the liquor. There should be a good quantity of wine left in the bottom of the tin to serve with the lamb but if you feel it is getting too dry, just cover with foil. Take the lamb out of the tin and place on a large board to rest in a warm place for 20 minutes. While the lamb is resting, Pour the juices into a pan to make a tasty gravy. Simply reduce the wine and herbs by half. Cut the lamb into thick slices – you’ll find the meat falls away from the bone so you may end up with more chunks than slices. Serve with seasonal vegetables and the wine reduction.
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