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Location: Blogs Historic Food - Ivan Day
Posted by: historicfood	1/14/2007
We are all familiar with bread and butter pudding, but did you know that this old favourite had an ancient ancestor called the whitepot that actually tastes better? When I first started experimenting in the 1960s with recipes from old cookery books, I began to realise that some of the most extraordinary English dishes were sweets and puddings. However, despite being very good, many that were popular three of four hundred years ago have now vanished from the modern repertoire. Some of these are so delicious that they are worth reviving. Over the next few months I am going to introduce ArtisanFood readers to some worthy old English dishes. I am going to teach you to make such forgotten and lamented wonders as taffety tarts, comodore, wassel, tamarind tort, iced cabinet pudding, spinage rosa solis and whitepot. White-what? Yes whitepot. I am going to start with this wonderful rich creamy dish, a great favourite from the early modern period. This delicious confection of bread, cream, egg yolks, spice, dates and rosewater is truly the mother of all puddings and probably the great grandmother of that nursery favourite - the bread and butter pudding. In reality, there were many different whitepots - some were based on rice, others on stale bread - some had layers of apples or other fruit, others were flavoured with dates or candied peel. Some recipes were rich in butter, others required bone marrow. Here is a whitepot recipe from 1723 to get you in the mood. It is from a cookery book written by John Nott, master cook to the Duke of Bolton. Recipes like this are actually very easy to follow. Halve the quantities, so that you make a mace flavoured custard with a pint of cream and four egg yolks, sweetened to your taste. All you need is a pinch of salt. You then lay slices of dates and raisins on a layer of bread. Cover this with a few bits of butter (bone marrow makes a good substitute) and then another layer of bread, dates etc. and so on until your dish is full. A favourite variation of other cookery authors was to sprinkle a little rosewater over the layers - this really makes it special. Pour your custard over the layers so they are completely soaked in it and bake the whitepot in a gentle oven until it is cooked (about 35 minutes at 150 C). I am not going to spoil you with modern style recipes with exact quantities and timings. John Nott's recipe is perfectly clear. By sweetmeats, he means preserved orange and lemon peel. If you do try this recipe, let me know how you get on. Next time - Iced Cabinet Pudding.
Copyright ©2007 Ivan Day

Comments (2)

Re: White-what?	By chefnick on 1/15/2007
Oh Yes Ivan, Cabinet Pudding, But Iced ? Pray Tell.... Nick...

Re: White-what? (mace and nutmeg explained...)

By admin on 1/15/2007

I have been meaning to look up the difference between "a blade of mace" and ground mace, as I have come across recipes that require a blade of mace, and I only have ground mace. Anyway, here is a little bit of information on mace. It's from a website called www.homecooking.about.com. I will look at Nutmeg in a different light, given that it is an aphrodisiac and can cause "wild hallucinations" - all in one go - three nuts is enough!"

What is mace? :
The lacy aril is removed by hand from the outer shell of the nutmeg and then dried, becoming yellowish-brown mace. Mace is sold in whole pieces called blades or ground, and the color can often help you determine its origin. Orange-yellow blades most likely come from Grenada, while orange-red blades tend to be from Indonesia. Unlike most spices, ground mace has a longer shelf-life when stored properly.

Fresh whole nutmeg :
Once it is ground, nutmeg soon loses the oils which give its flavor and taste, so grating fresh nutmeg is recommended to achieve the full benefit of the fresh oils. A nutmeg grater should be a part of basic equipment in every kitchen, but if you don't have one, use the finest blade on a larger hand-held manual grater. The difference between fresh nutmeg and ground is like night and day. Testing for good quality fresh nutmegs is as easy as inserting a darning needle a centimeter into the meat; if a tiny drop of oil seeps out, the nut is good. Freshly-grated nutmeg should ideally be added at the end of the cooking process, since heat diminishes the flavor.

Nutmeg and mace usage and storage:
Mace has a flavor described as a combination of cinnamon and pepper, a more pungent version of nutmeg. It is used in cakes, puddings, custards, desserts, cheese dishes, souffles, sauces, soups, poultry, fish, and especially compliments dishes with cherries or chocolate. Slightly sweeter than mace, nutmeg is essential to bechamel sauce and also goes well with baked or stewed fruit, custards, eggnog, punches, curries, sauces (particularly onion-based and milk sauces), pasta, and vegetables (especially spinach).

Both whole fresh nutmegs, as well as ground nutmeg and mace should be kept in a tightly-sealed jar or container in a cool, dark place. Wrap leftover fresh nutmeg tightly so the oils are not lost. One whole nutmeg grated yields 2 to 3 teaspoons of ground nutmeg. One teaspoon ground mace equals 1 tablespoon mace blades. Mace can be substituted for nutmeg in a pinch and vice versa, but obviously the flavor will be affected as with any substitution.

Nutmeg may be toxic :
Nutmeg contains a substance called myristicin, a narcotic with very unpleasant toxic side effects if taken in large quantities. Ingestion of small amounts of nutmeg is harmless to the body, however the consumption of one to three whole nutmegs (in excess of one teaspoon ground) can cause wild hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, and/or circulatory collapse within one to six hours after consumption. Very large doses can be fatal. Although nutmeg is said to counteract stomach distress from gas, do not try any home remedies without first consulting your physician. It is also an astringent and stimulant, as well as a purported aphrodisiac.

- Martin