A Trio of Recipes Attributed to Household Cooks

Since my very first encounters with Early Modern receipt book manuscripts, I have been fascinated by the attributions of recipes to certain individuals. These often little-, or even un-known ghosts of history who glean a hope of being remembered through having once shared a favourite recipe, and a love of food or healing with a friend or kinsman who happen to have taken it upon themselves to write it down.

In the receipt books of Lady Oxford, Henrietta Cavendish Harley Holles (1694-1755), I was a little surprised (and yet pleased!) to find recipes referenced back to individuals I understand to be cooks from the household of her mother, Margaret Holles (nee Cavendish). I wanted to share them with you here...

To Roast Mackarell - James Brown

Clean the Mackarell & draw ‘em, take ½ a lb: of Beef Suit, 3 Anchovies, half a handfull of Caper, a Little Thyme, Parsley onion, & Sweet Marjoram, Mince ‘em very fine, & Mix them alltogether with a Little of the Spaume, a Good handful of Bread Crums, one Egg, a Nutmeg Grated, a Little Pepper & Salt, Mix ‘em well, & heat it in a Saucepan, then fill the Belly of Every fish, Lay ‘em in a Pan to Roast bast ‘em often & turn ‘em ‘till they are Enough, make Gravy Sauce as for other fish.

N.B. These Quantities of the Several Ingredients Serves for 3 or 4 Mackarell.

Pull'd Chicken's - James Brown

Boyl the Chickens by themselves in a Little pot you need not truss ‘em, but be sure do not Boyl ‘em to much, then take ‘em up & put ‘em in a Dish cut ‘em up as if you car’d em then pull of the outside Skin, pull off the flesh in the Little Long Pieces with your finger, Save the Gravy that come from ‘em then put into a Saucepan with some of the Small Bones, if there is not Gravy Enough, put in some of the Liquor they were Boyl’d in then have ready Scal’d Parsly shred, & put to the Chickens a little Salt, a good Quantity of very Sweet Butter, & a Spoonfull or two of Cream, Set these over a very clear fire for the least smoke spoyls ‘em, let em Stew a Little while, then toss ‘em up, if not thick Enough put a Little Flower to thicken the Butter.

To Fry Pears - G Admagall

Pare ‘em & cut ‘em in halves, then cut out the Core, Clarify ½ a lb: of Butter, & Stove em over a Gentle fire, for an hour & a half till they Become Crisp, then take em out dry, & Scrape on Sugar, with Sack & Butter in a Bason.