Receipts

The following receipts (or recipes) have been copied from 2 manuscript cookbooks in our collection, which are of English origin. The first, dated 1760, belonged to Mrs. Hugo Partridge. The second is anonymous and dated 1776. We have not corrected any spelling or punctuation.

The recipes contained in these books vary in date from 1749 to 1796, but would have been passed down from one generation to the other, until the advent of the Whimpy Burger enticed hordes of English folk out of their homes -- and into 'melancholia' for the better tastes of times gone by. We bear no responsibility for the results, or the condition of your health arising from the use these recipes (especially the one with Barberries).

1. Directions for cleaning the cast iron Bath Stove.
Mix a small quantity of Black lead with Milk, rub it on wet, & when dry, rub it off with a hard brush.

2. To make fondeux.
Grate the crumb of a penny loaf or the same quantity of stale bread, double the quantity of parmesan or Cheshire cheese grated, half a pint of cream boil'd, then soak the bread in it & add 2 ounces of butter & the yolks of two eggs, mix them all together, put them in papers, & bake them in a slow oven.

3. Pancakes.
To a pint of milk, put three eggs, a little salt, a little grated nutmeg, a bit of lemon peel, a very little sugar, a spoonful of oiled butter, & flour enough to make it into a thick batter.

4. Fricassee of eggs.
Boil the eggs hard, then take out the yolks, chop them & put them into a saucepan with pepper, salt, cheeses shred small, & a little melted butter, then make a little white sauce with some nice veal broth & a little cream thickened with flour & butter, cut the whites into two, & fill them with the yolk that is chopped, but the white sauce under them.

5. Thatched House.
Take a plain smooth mould either long or round according to your dish, butter it well & lay in it a sheet of thin white paper, & butter that, take Vermicelli the whole rings, & begin at the top edge, & go round sticking them rather leaning upon another till the paper is covered all over, upon that put a sheet of paste, have ready some thin slices of veal & ham, seasoned to your taste with pepper, salt, toss it all up with a little cream butter & flour, fill the mould with it, & lay a paste over. Close it well round the edges, & bake it of a fine brown, turn the flat side downwards, & carefully take off the mould & paper & send it up.

6. To Fricassee chickens.
Skin your chickens & cut them up, then boil them in milk & water, when done enough take them out & season them with Mace, Nutmeg, grated lemon-peel & Salt. Cover them up close till they are near cold, then boil your chickens in cream & thicken it with flour & butter.

7. Omelet
Take 4 eggs beat them up with a little cream, pepper, & salt, some chopped parsley, & shallot, then fry it only on one side.

8. Macaroni
Take some macaroni & steep it in warm water, & boil it tender, put a piece of butter in a stew pan with a little flour & stir it over the fire, then put some gravy (veal is best) add the macaroni, season it with pepper & salt, cover it with grated cheese & bread, bake it brown, & send it to table hot, or you may make some hot paste & covering the bottom of your dish serve it up with a raised rim round it.

9. Pickle Pidgeons.
First cut them down the back, then take out all the bones, season them with pepper, mace, cloves, nutmeg, & salt, sew them up in the shape of a Pidgeon, a pint of double distilled vinegar a pint of Lisbon wine to a quart of water, put the bones in this liquor, let them boil a quarter of an hour, & season the liquor as above, then strain it from the bones, put in the Pidgeons, boil them a quarter of an hour, then take them out, when cold put them in the liquor, cover them over with sallad oil, & tye them down close.

10. Mr. Gill of Bath, receipt for a mock turtle.
Take a calves head with the skin on & boyl it if a large one three hours: cut it into large pieces, have ready some strong brown gravy, put the pieces & gravy together in a sheet pan: Then put in some truffles & morels & eight or ten oysters, let them stew over a slow fire till it is quite tender. Then put in a little cayenne pepper, half a pint of Madeira, shred in two or three shalots as it is stewing, make some large force meat balls & eggballs: fry some oysters & the brains.

11. To Pickle Cucumbers. Mrs. Ellis.
Put as much salt in the vinegar till it will bear an egg, and pour it boiling hot upon the cucumbers, then let it stand two days then boil it and pour it hot upon the cucumbers again standing two days as before, then boil the pickle and put the cucumbers in and let them simmer about six minutes keeping them covered with writing paper doubled. N.B. It must be the best wine vinegar.

12. To Keep Mushrooms all the Year. Take your mushrooms (large buttons) clean & stew them with spice as for pickling, then lay them in a cloth & cover them close ,make a brine strong enough to bear an egg & put them into a jar & cover them with the brine, stop close & put them in a dry cellar, when you use them pour some scalding milk over them & let them stand in it half an hour, repeating the same two or three times to take out the brine. Then stew them in cream as when fresh.

13. Oyster Sausages.
Take half a pound of the inside of a loin of mutton, ten ounces of fresh beef suet well picked from the skins, half a pound of oysters just scalded the beards being taken off. Chop the oysters separately very fine, then chop & mince them well together, seasoning with pepper, salt, & a little mace to your taste, add to them two eggs, when you use them they must be rolled in the shape of a sausage, fry them in fresh butter, & remember to roll them in crumbs of bread when you put them into the pan.

14. To make Broth for the Poor. An ox head 1/2 peck of peas 2 pounds of oatmeal 4 pounds of onions of leaks do.(ditto)loaf toasted 90 pints of water. Well stewed together.

15. Turnip Soup. First have some good broth made of beef of veal then take six or eight turnips peeled & cut in pieces, put them into a saucepan with some good butter, a little lean ham or gammon of bacon, & let them fry till they are of a good brown, then wet them with some broth & put to it the crust of a roll & let it boil till the turnips are well done, strain the whole through French flannel & with a wooden spoon take some of what is strain’d & add to the broth to make it the consistence you like, then boil it & skim it carefully.

16 White soup.
Take two pounds of veal, 6 ounces of lean ham or bacon, three onions, two carrots, two heads of celery, put them on in a stew pan, set it on the fire till it almost covers itself with liquor, then take so much out of your stock pot as will do for your soup & let it stew very gently till very strong, strain it off & when cold take off the top & bottom, boil three ounces of rice very tender, put it in your soup & have ready toe yolks of six eggs well beat with half a pint of cream, & just before you send it to table draw it backwards & forwards well, but do not set it on the fire after, least it should curdle.

17. To make a Plum-Cake Mrs. Jarrets way.
Take 4 pounds of flour dry’d ,the yolks of 12 eggs well beaten, one quart of cream, boil a pound and a quarter of butter, put the butter into the cream to melt a pound of fine sugar, one pint of ale yeast, half a pint of sack, half an ounce of beaten mace, 3 nutmegs, mix your sugar and spice together with your flour, then make a hole in your flour pour all these ingredients into it, then straw some of the flour into the hole, the thickness of half an inch, then set it to the fire, ‘till it works over, then mix them up & so bake it, it will take an hour baking put in half a pound of sweetmeats or what you please.

18. Milk Chocolate.
To a quarter of a pound of plain chocolate, put one pint of water, boil & mix them well together, then to a table spoonful of chocolate so prepared, put one large tea-cup full of milk with a little fine Lisbon sugar, boil & mill them well together.

19. Spa Pudding.
Boil your rice in milk till it is quite tender & thick; then put in sugar, & nutmeg, to your taste & three or four eggs according to the size of your pudding, mix it well together, butter your mould & shake some fine raspings all over it, when your pudding is a little cool, put it carefully into the mould & bake it an hour & a half.

20. Milk Coffee.
To three quarters of an ounce of coffee put about a gill of water, give it a boil up & then put to it about three quarters of a pint of milk & a pinch of hartshorn shavings, boil it and clear it as other coffee. If it is made in the patent Coffee pot, put the coffee into the bag & pour on it about a gill of boiling water, let it stand a few minutes, boil the milk & put it to the coffee, it requires no Hartshorn & is ready to use directly.

21. To Make Mrs. Brown's Shrub.
Take three quarts of Brandy and one dozen of lemons, pare them and put the paring into Brandy and squeeze in the juice, cover all up in an Earthen pot with a wet bladder ten days, then take two quarts of water boil it half an hour after which put a pound and a quarter of loaf sugar into it and boil it half an hour longer scuming it all the while, when it is cold strain it thro' a jelly bagg together with the Brandy, allowing some quantity of water for waste in boiling, then bottle it up and keep it for use.

If your lemons be small take more than a dozen.

22. To make Milk Punch.
Take one gallon of Brandy three quarts and a pint of milk five quarts of water one quart of clear lemon juice two pounds of single loaf sugar, put your lemons and milk together and dissolve your sugar in your brandy and water, mix all together and run it thro' a jelly bagg.

23. Un Gateau de Cinquante.
You must make this by practice for we never weigh the ingredients, but by guess it is much after this manner and quantity.

Take one pound and a half of flour, half a pound of mild Cheshire and Gloucester cheese grated very fine, mix these together, lay it in a dresser or in a pan, make a hole in the middle and break in four yolks of eggs and a little yeast and mix them well with the eggs, then put in a sauce from some new milk with good half pound of butter, let it softly warm over the fire till the butter is melted then when almost cold skim it off into your flour adding as much of the warm milk as will make it into a softish paste, mix it well together then flour a pewter dish and lay it on, set it before the fire to rise covered with a napkin, when risen lay it on your dresser and have ready about half a pound of the same sort of cheese cut as large as your nail and as thick as a lemon peeling, mix these in your paste, then butter a cake hoop and put it in, setting it by the fire covered as before to rise, when risen send it to the oven to bake. N.B. This eat new is the best.

24. To make a Tansey, Rect' from Mrs. Tayler 18th Augt. 1749.
Take 18 eggs and the half of the whites only beat them well, put to them a pint of cream the juice of spinnage to green it, beat a little tansy with it, sweeten it to your taste, strain it, two sugar rolls a half penny loaf grated, take 4 ounces of almonds blanch'd, beat them fine with a little orange flower water, what sweetmeats you please, set it over the fire, stir it one way till it thicken then butter your dish and bake it.

25. To make White Puddings.
Take three penny loaves grate them, half a pound of suet beaten, put them into a pot, with a little salt and flour on them, two quarts of milk boiling hot, and cover it close half an hour, break the bred and put to it 12 eggs and beat them with a pound of eight -penny sugar, strain them and put in 2 or 3 spoonfuls of Sack, season it with Nutmeg, Orange and Lemon peels minced currants or Almonds put to them, then clean your guts well, and fill them half full and and boil them in Milk and water with a little sugar.

26. To candy Apricocks of Pear plums.
Take Apricocks or Plums and give them a notch to the stone, then put them into an Earthen platter and straw powder sugar upon them, then put them into an oven, being as hot as for Manchet and when they have had half an hours baking, turn them and cast more sugar upon them, set them in for half an hour longer, then take them out, and lay them on lattice and so let them rest in the oven till it be cold, then take them out, and warm the oven again, and so let them remain for 24 hours, then afterwards a chafin dish of coals will serve and when they be thoroughly dry box them and keep them for use.

27. Gingerbread Cakes.
Take three pounds of four, two ounces of treacle, one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, two ounces of beaten ginger, boil the sugar, butter & treacle together near an hour. Two ounces of orange & lemon peel may be cut in if approved & then dropped on tins.

28. Mrs. Ives rect. for Lemon Cheese.
Take a pint of thick cream, a quarter of a pound of double refined sugar pounded very fine, the juice of two lemons & the rind of two grated, mix them well together & whisk them with a whisk until it is very thick, then put it into a lawn sieve just large enough to hold it. Let it stand 24 hours, turn it out, & garnish it as you please.

29. Tunbridge Cakes.
Take one pound of flour, half a pound of butter, half a pound of sugar sifted fine, & an ounce of caraway seeds, mix them all together with cold water, then roll them out as thin as you please & bake them in a slow oven.

30. Crumpets.
Beat two eggs very well & put to them a quart of warm milk & a large spoonful of yeast, beat in as much fine flour as will make them rather thicker than a common butter pudding, then make your bakestone very hot & rub it with a little butter wrapp'd in a clean linen cloth, then pour a large spoonful of batter upon your stone & let it run to the size of a tea saucer or larger if you like it, turn it & when you want to use them toast them very crisp & butter them.

31. Sponge Biscuit.
Take one pound of single refined sugar sifted, one pound of eggs, break the yolks into one bowl & the whites into another, whisk the whites to a stiff froth, then put in the yolks, whisk them a little, put in your sugar a little at a time, grate the rind of two large lemons to be ready to be put in, now take out your whisk & with a wooden spoon stir in half a pound of fine flour, it must be stirr'd as little as possible on the biscuit otherwise it will be heavy. Bake them in a quick oven.

32. Mrs Fews Rect. to make a Brown-bread Pudding.
Take one quart of milk one pound of coarse bread one pound of suet one pound of currants, six eggs, one spoonful or more of sugar, one nutmeg with a gill of Sack; cut the bread into small slices, the milk being boil'd, straw upon it so mixing them all together, boil the pudding two hours or thereabouts.

33. To make Orange Pudding.
Take 3 oranges and pare them thin, and lay them in water 3 days, then boil them in 4 or 5 waters very tender, and take out the seeds and pulp, then beat them in a mortar very fine while they are warm and grate in two sugar-rolls, then mix them all together with a pound of sugar a pound of melted butter, 10 eggs, the juice of 4 oranges a quarter of a pint of cream and a little sweet water, when mixt put puff-paste in the bottom and on the top, then set it into the oven an hour to bake.

34. Blancmange.
Put an ounce & a quarter of Isinglass into a little water the night before you want it, the next day put it into a quart of good milk or cream (Beer measure) the peel of a lemon & two ounces of fine sugar, boil it till the Isinglass is all dissolved and keep it stirring till cold, strain it off through cloth or jelly bag, a small quantity of Ratifia may be added.

35. Mrs. Raven's Lemon Pudding.
Take the rinds of two large lemons, boil them into two or three waters until the bitterness be out; Beat it fine in a mortar with 3/4 of a pound of blanch'd almonds, 3/4 of a pound of loaf sugar beaten, 3 or 4 spoonfuls of orange flower water, the yolks of ten eggs, 3/4 of a pound of clarify'd butter; mix all these well together and put puff paste round your dish.

36. Mrs. Little's Gingerbread.
Take a pound of flour and a quarter of a pound of butter and rub it into the flour, then take a quarter of a pound of sugar, a pennyworth of cloves, half an ounce of beaten ginger, and a few carraway and coriander seeds, put all these into the flour, then ming it up with half a pound of treacle and two or three spoonfuls of Sack or Brandy.

37. To make Almond Cakes.
Take three ounces of almonds and blanch them and cut them into small pieces, and a quarter of a pound of orange peel and citron peel and cut them very thin, and one ounce of carraway comfits and a few Barberries, mix these together, then take 1/2 a pound of double refin'd sugar beaten and sifted, and ti it just as much orange flower water as will moisten it, then set it over the fire and when it is hot put the other things to it and let boil a little then drop them on plates as you please and dry them.

38. Mrs. Rolfe's Seed Cake.
Take three pounds of flour dry'd very well, 3 pounds of butter, two pounds of sugar beaten and sifted, 18 eggs, leave out 4 of the whites, 2 ounces of carraway seeds, 1/2 gill of Brandy, a little orange flower water, a little beaten mace; the butter must be broke in a hot pan till it be as thin as cream, and be set in a quick oven. Beat the eggs, butter and sugar well together then strinkle the flour just as the cake is going into the oven.

39. Mrs. J. Chennery's Plum Cake.
Take 1/2 a stone of flour, well dry'd, 6 pounds of currants well wash'd pick'd and dry'd, one pound of raisins ston'd and cut small; then boil a quart of Cream, when you take it off the fire slice in almost two pounds of butter, cover it till the butter is melted, then take 1/2 a pint of Sack a gill of brandy and a Gill of orange flower water, the yolks of 16 eggs well beaten near a quart of very good ale yeast, 3/4 of an ounce of nutmegs, 1/2 an ounce of mace, one quarter of an ounce of cloves, a little salt, a pound of sugar; mix your sugar spice and salt in the flour, your Sack, Brandy and Orange flower water with your eggs, then put them to the yeast, stir them well together and run them thro' a sieve into the flour and mix them all lightly together, then cover it and set it to the fire one quarter of an hour to rise and when your oven is ready straw in your raisins, currants and what sweetmeats you please, put it into a tin hoop, prick it with a skewer and bake it at discretion. Your flour and currants must be warm.

40. Salamagundi.
Cut small sallad or lettuce very small, fill your dish so as to make it high in he middle, then mix oil, vinegar, & salt to your taste to pour over it so as not to wet the other ingredients, then take chicken or veal, ham or tongue scraped, the whites & yolks of eggs, parsley, & green onions. All these must be chopped small & separately excepting the parsley & onions which should be well minc'd with the different ingredients. The greater variety of colours the prettier which whou'd be laid round & round the sallad or in long strips till you reach the top which should be ornamented with an anchovy made into a flower or one boned & roll'd up. A stripe of beet root makes a pretty variety. Observe not to cover the edge of your dish.

41. Lady Rachel Morgan's Fricassee Sauce.
Make above a pint of good veal gravy with a bit of lean ham or bacon boiled in it, then thin your chickens & cut them in pieces, put them into your stew pan without any liquor & keep them turning till they turn white. Then throw them into cold water for a few minutes & take them out to drain. Put your veal broth into the pan with a bundle of sweet herbs, an onion stuck with cloves, a very small bit of mace & a few pepper corns, when it has boil'd some time put in your chickens & when they are near done take out your herbs &c, beat two yolks of eggs with 2 spoonfuls of cream & a little green parsley chopped very small. Take out a little of the hot liquor & mix it with the eggs & before you put it into the pan & keep it from turning. The parsley may be omitted.

42. To roast or bake a Pike.
Take two penny loaves, and grate them to a pint of oysters and boil them with a little whole pepper, then let them cool, then take 8 eggs with 3 of the whites six anchovies and shread them small, mix these all together, and take a few strawberry leaves, violet, sweet bryar, and rosemary leaves, a little sweet marjoram, penny royal, thyme and winter savory, cut some lemon peel, and grate some nutmeg and fling some allspice in and mix them all together with a pound of butter and suet in the pikes belly, when about to be sent to the oven or laid down to the fire, cut it cross and straw some grated brown bread on it, put some claret and butter in the dripping pan so roast it or bake it an hour then melt some butter and anchovy to pour in the belly.

43. Mr. Goddin's Rect., Septr. 1752, for Petit Poupettes of Veal or Bourgenot.
Take a fillet of veal cut some thin slices off the bigness of a half crown, hack them with the back of a knife strew on them some pepper and salt, fine minc'd parsley lemon peel and shalot, make a very good fine forced meat, cover the veal with it and roll them up, put them in a small lark-spit, and roast them cover'd with a double butter'd paper and when roasted have ready the following sauce, viz!

Put in a stew pan two or three slices of veal with a slice of ham on a little butter at the bottom of your pan add a piece of carrot and turnip sliced and one onion with a sprig of thyme, let it gently stew over a slow fire till it begins to crackle then have ready some good broth put to it, let it be of a fine brown colour, put in a glass of white wine (not sweet) let this boil gently till very strong and of a good taste, strain it thro' a sieve then add to it a little fine minc'd parsley and shalot and squeeze a lemon and when the veal is dished up pour the sauce over it, this is to be a clear sauce wilst thickening. Add a spoonful or two of water when you set your veal over a stewing.

44. A Fillet of Veal a la mode.
A fillet of cow calf is the best because of the udder which is fine eating.

Cut some large pieces of fat bacon as long as it may go thro' the lean part of the veal, and the thickness of two fingers, mince some parsley and thyme a little lemon peel some shallots, all exceeding fine, mix these amongst the bacon with salt and peppers and a little beaten mace for the seasoning. Season the bacon high, mix them well that the bacon may be covered with your ingredients, then with a long narrow knife make holes in your veal vastly thick, thro every hole put in a piece of your seasoned bacon when it is so done truss it up with skewers as to roast then gently pout it in an Earthen dish or a pye pan, but first season the veal gently with your pepper salt &c. Cover the top of the veal with some raw butter very thin and shake a dust of flour on it. Put in to the dish a Bay leaf and two or three onions and a quarter of a pint of water, so send it to the oven to bake for two hours in a pretty hot oven, that it may receive a good brown colour, when you dish it up take the veal out and strain the liquor and take the fat off adding to it a piece of butter and flour as big as an egg, set this over the fire to boil up and thicken, then squeeze a juice of lemon in and pour your sauce over it with a lemon cut in dice, taste it before you sauce it, for it may be too salt, if so add a little water to qualify it. This is a good dish to eat hott and exceeding good cold.

N.B. The baker is to taste it three or four times in the baking.

45. Beef a la mode.
Take some pieces of a buttock of beef cut as big as two hands, that is I mean in large pieces about a pound each more or less don't signify, have bacon cut and seasoned as you would for the veal directly so---and season the pieces all over, put it into a deep pot cover it with some butter and slices of fat bacon and some onions and two Bay leaves, add to it a pint or more of water according to your quantity and size of the pot, cover it with a stew pan cover, and all round the edges stick on paper with thin flour and water, that no steam may get out, send it to the oven at night, let them put it into the oven with their batch of Bread then when they draw the Bread let them draw it out, and put it into the oven again with their dinner things, when you dish up take 2 or 3 pieces out or so much as you may want for your dish, and thicken a little liquor as much as you'll want for the sauce as you do for the veal.

Set the other beef by in liquor fat, and all in Winter it will keep as long as you please, warming it in some of the liquor in a sauce pan as you want it. Eating this hot is the best way. N.B. It must be exceedingly well baked.

Some put white wine into it but that is as you please.