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shewhomustIn Yvonne Brewster's The Untertaker's Daughter (Black Amber), I found this item of party food:
That was in 1945, but Solomon Gundy seems to survive as a condiment, a "a mixture of mashed pickled herring, scallions, and hot peppers" (which in turn sounds likely to pack the same punch as garum, but let us not be distracted). The name Solomon Grundy (and the nonsense rhyme in which he features) derives from the English dish called Salmagundy.
Jane Grigson, in her English Food, derives the name (and, with reservations, the recipe), from a game dish with the French name 'salmi' meaning something salted or highly seasoned, (from the Latin sal, salis - salt. She credits Rabelais with the elaboration of the word into 'salmagonde' which (presumably reflecting the development of the recipe) came to have an extra meaning of a wild muddle or mixture of things, like another cookery word gallimaufry.
This is the pure fish-and-strong-flavours of the Jamaican recipe, but apparently Hannah Glasse also gives three other recipes, which include cold meats such as veal, chicken, pork, duck or pigeon. As Jane Grigson observes:
Yes, and the Swedes eat surstromming, which sounds like a survival of garum, and probably can't be elegant, but again, let's not go there.
In Lady Maclean's Cook Book, to which I hope to return later, this recipe for Grouse Salad is attributed to Mrs James Young, with the endorsement "This is a delicious way of serving cold grouse."
Since a gill seems to represent different quantities at different times, I'm not sure how much cream is required: a quarter of a pint at most, I think. And the quantity of sugar seems excessive. But it's recognisably the same dish.
There were hundreds of people present at Alvin's war-end Victory Feast. On arrival there was rum and coconut water, cold Red Stripe beer, hot Red Stripe beer known as 'hataps' (hot hops, for the uninitiated), rum punch and Solomon Gundy - a fiery delicacy made from preserved salted shad and mackerel served with dry crackers for ballast. As children we learned the rhyme to beware stale Solomon Gundy:
Solomon Gundy born on a Monday,
Christened on a Tuesday,
Married on a Wednesday,
Sick on a Thursday,
Worse on a Friday,
Dead on a Saturday,
Buried on a Sunday.
That is the end of Solomon Gundy.
That was in 1945, but Solomon Gundy seems to survive as a condiment, a "a mixture of mashed pickled herring, scallions, and hot peppers" (which in turn sounds likely to pack the same punch as garum, but let us not be distracted). The name Solomon Grundy (and the nonsense rhyme in which he features) derives from the English dish called Salmagundy.
Jane Grigson, in her English Food, derives the name (and, with reservations, the recipe), from a game dish with the French name 'salmi' meaning something salted or highly seasoned, (from the Latin sal, salis - salt. She credits Rabelais with the elaboration of the word into 'salmagonde' which (presumably reflecting the development of the recipe) came to have an extra meaning of a wild muddle or mixture of things, like another cookery word gallimaufry.
Salmangundi for a Middle Dish at Supper
'In the top plate in the middle, which should stand higher than the rest, take a fine pickled herring, bone it, take off the head, and mince the rest fine. In the other plates round, put the following things: in one, pare a cucumber and cut it very thin; in another, apples pared and cut small; in another, an onion peeled and cut small; in another, two hard eggs chopped small, the whites in one, and the yolks in another; pickled gherkins in another cut small; in another, celery cut small; in another, pickled red cabbage chopped fine; take some watercresses clean washed and picked, stick them all about and between every plate or saucer, and throw nasturtium flowers about the cresses. You must have oil and vinegar, and lemon to eat with it. If it is prettily set out, it will make a pretty figure in the centre of the table, or you may lay them in heaps in a dish. If you have not all these ingredients, set out your plates or saucers with just what you fancy, and in the room of a pickled herring you may mince anchovies.'
This is the pure fish-and-strong-flavours of the Jamaican recipe, but apparently Hannah Glasse also gives three other recipes, which include cold meats such as veal, chicken, pork, duck or pigeon. As Jane Grigson observes:
"The tastes of salmagundi are built up of piquancy such as salt herrings, anchovy and pickled vegetables, set off by bland and crisp things such as chicken, eggs, celery and fresh salad vegetables. Made with care, it becomes a splendid hors d'oeuvre, for a cold table if you like (the Danes still eat a salmagundi, with everything chopped up together, herring, chicken, apple, beetroot, onion and so on, called sildsalat, herring salad). It can be' elegant."
Yes, and the Swedes eat surstromming, which sounds like a survival of garum, and probably can't be elegant, but again, let's not go there.
In Lady Maclean's Cook Book, to which I hope to return later, this recipe for Grouse Salad is attributed to Mrs James Young, with the endorsement "This is a delicious way of serving cold grouse."
2 cold Grouse.
2 finely chopped Shallots.
3 dessertspoonfuls Tarragon and Chervil
4 dessertspoonfuls Castor Sugar.
2 yolks Eggs.
Salt, Pepper and little Cayenne.
6 tablespoonfuls Salad Oil.
4 dessertspoonfuls Tarragon Vinegar.
1 gill whipped Cream.
2 hard-boiled Eggs.
2 Beetroot.
Anchovy fillets.
Carve the cold grouse into thin slices taking all off the bone. Surround with diced beetroot, hard-boiled egg and anchovy fillets. Pour over a dressing made as follows:-
Mix the shallots with the herbs, add the beaten egg yolk and the castor sugar, pepper, salt and cayenne. Now stir in the salad oil and the vinegar and finally the whipped cream. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Since a gill seems to represent different quantities at different times, I'm not sure how much cream is required: a quarter of a pint at most, I think. And the quantity of sugar seems excessive. But it's recognisably the same dish.
