The Menu

The Menu

Enjoy a chorus of "Old Barbary" whilst you peruse the menu.............

Tonight the menu contains both the simple and scrumptious fare of 18th century Cornwall. The food brought from around the world by list members is being saved for the ball at the Tregenna Castle on Sunday.

A plentiful supper is always provided on wedding night feasts and a sweet giblet pie is one of the standing dishes. This is a kind of mince-pie into which the giblets of a goose, boiled and finely chopped, are put instead of beef. Cornwall is noted for its pies that are eaten on all occasions. Squab-pie might contain young pigeons in season but here it is made with layers of well-seasoned fat mutton and apples, onions and raisins are added for extra richness. Mackerel pie will also be on the menu. Winter salted mackerel, after steeping in milk for 24 hours, is placed in a dish of fresh milk with some parsley, the dish covered with a paste and baked When brought to table a hole will be cut in the paste and a basin of clotted cream thrown in. Also on the board will be Muggetty pie, made from sheep's entrails, parsley and cream.

All offal was considered by the Cornish to a great delicacy as, in relation to the size of a beast, there was very little of it. The name comes from the propensity of these being the bits that "off fell " from the carcass as it hung for 10 days.

The landlord has also laid on a Roast Suckling Pig, accompanied by that staple of the Cornish, winter cabbage. Of course the usual bread made with ale, a wedding reception staple, will have pride of place along with spiced sweetmeats and pies for dessert will add to the weight of the table.

As stated earlier metheglin is a favorite drink at parties and there are several method of making it. That favoured in West Penwith is to put four pounds of honey to one gallon of water; boil it one hour, skim it well, then add one ounce of hops to every gallon and boil it half-an-hour longer. Let it stand till next day.

Put it into your cask or bottles. To every gallon add a gill of brandy and stop it lightly till the fermentation is over, then stop it very loose. Keep it one year before you tap. The old ladies who are noted for making good mead boil the combs from which the honey has been drained until all the remaining honey is extracted. They then strain it and add as much honey as will make the drink strong enough to float an egg. To every gallon they add one ounce of cloves, the same of allspice, half-an-ounce of coriander and the same weight of caraway seed. Sometimes cinnamon and mace are used instead of the seeds. Others who prefer the flavour and perfume of aromatic plants, boil the tops of sweet-briar, flowers of thyme, rosemary, sweet marjoram or any other sweet herbs they liked in the water before they add the honey.

If you fancy an Eggy-hot, made with eggs, hot beer, sugar and rum poured from one jug to another until quite white and covered with froth, then you will have to ask one of the cross dressing pirates to bring it for you.

So the food will be here shortly, just time for a dance.

With thanks to Lesley Nelson-Burns for the information and she is also the creator of the midi file.