Elizabethan Food Recipes

The Elizabethan food recipes you find on this page are supposed to be from England between the years 1558-1603, it was the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The Renaissance was in full bloom, new discoveries and a booming economy made for great optimism. Gone were the religious struggles and diseases, it is still referred to as the "Golden Age" in English history. Although potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and turkey came from the Americas they would only really start to become important in England later.

Elizabethan Food Recipes - Soup

Mutton Soup
(Serves 6-8)
- 1500 ml beef stock
- 250 g minced mutton
- 3 crushed cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
- 1 tbsp currants
- 2 tbsp finely diced pitted dates
- minced fresh parsley
In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil, reduce to a simmer. In a bowl, mix mutton, cloves, thyme, salt, black pepper, currants and dates - make small meat balls. Place them in the stock and simmer under lid until meat is done, about 10 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley.

Elizabethan Food Recipes - Main Courses

Stewed Rump
(Serves 6 - 8)- 1500 g diced trimmed rump
- 1000 ml shredded cabbage
- 1 chopped onion
- 3 crushed and diced cloves garlic
- 300 ml white wine vinegar
- 650 ml cheap red wine
- 5 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp finely grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground mace
- 100 ml minced fresh parsley
- 100 ml minced fresh marjoram
- 100 ml minced fresh basil
- 4 sage leaves
- 150g grated cheddar cheese
- 100 g diced butter
- 650 ml wheat flour
- water
In a large frying pan, heat some butter and brown the rump. In a large lidded roasting pan put 500 ml shredded cabbage with onion and garlic on top, place browned beef on top of that. In a bowl, mix vinegar, red wine, sugar, nutmeg, mace, parsley, marjoram and basil - pour evenly over meat and add sage leaves, cheddar cheese and butter. Cover with the rest of the cabbage. Preheat the oven to 130 °C. In a bowl make a smooth dough mixing flour and water. Line the roasting pan with the dough and place lid on top with out using force, the dough should form a seal. Leave in oven for 6 hours. The last 30 minutes increase temperature to 175 °C. Remove and discard pastry, take out meat and shred. In a large serving dish tip all the ingredients from the roasting pan and spread out, put the shredded meat on top. Good for a late autumn Sunday dinner accompanied with red wine.

Poached Salmon
(Serves 4)
- 175 ml water
- 175 ml beer
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- white wine vinegar
- 4 salmon cutlets (about 200 g each)
- fresh parsley
In a large wide saucepan combine water, beer, minced fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt and vinegar and bring to a boil, reduce heat and slowly simmer for 5 minutes, adjust with salt if necessary. Now bring the temperature down further and add the salmon cutlets, put on lid and poach for about 10 minutes until fish is done. Garnish with parsley.

Elizabethan Food Recipes - Desserts

Parsnips With Orange And Marigold
(Serves 4)
- 1 tbsp dried marigold petals
- 300 ml fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp honey
- 500 g peeled and diced parsnip´s
Beurre Manié:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp wheat flor
- orange slices
In a large saucepan, put together marigold, orange juice, orange zest, butter, cinnamon and honey. Bring to a boil and then add parsnips and cover with lid, reduce heat to a simmer, leave for 30 minutes until parsnips ar cooked. Remove parsnips and bring liquid to a boil, knead flour an butter to a ball and add while whisking. Continue until sauce thickens and take off heat. Put parsnips on a serving tray and pour sauce over. Garnish with orange slices.

Almond Pie
Pie Pastry:
300 ml wheat flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 90 gr diced soft butter
- 3 tbsp cold water
Filling:
- 100 ml peeled almonds
- 350 ml double cream
- 4 tsp rose water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- natural strawberry jam
Pastry: mix flour and salt in a bowl, add butter and mix until looks grainy. Add water and work into a pastry, wrap in plastic film and refridgerate for one hour. Preheat oven to 225 °C. Roll out pastry and cover a pie form with it, bake shell for 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 175 °C (if you have an electrical oven let out some of the heat) and bake another 5 minutes. Take out. In a medium saucepan, combine almonds, double cream, rose water and sugar, boil gently while stirring continously until consistency is very thick. Pour into pie shell and bake for 30 minutes in 175 °C until top turns golden. Take out and let cool down for a few hours. Serve with strawberry jam.