Murrell's Two Books of Cookery and Carving
- Year
- 1638
- Era
- 17th century
- Origin
- England · Europe
- Language
- English
- Category
- English pre-1800
Murrell's Two Books of Cookery and Carving, issued in 1638, gathers two of John Murrell's instructional works into a single English-language volume covering both the preparation of dishes and the etiquette and technique of carving at table. The collection reflects the cosmopolitan tastes of Jacobean and early Caroline households, drawing on Italian and French culinary fashions while documenting the ceremonial dimensions of polite dining in early seventeenth-century England.
Cooking from this book
Made Dish of Artichokes
Signature dishAmong the more memorable preparations in Murrell's volume is a made dish of artichoke bottoms, baked in a buttery coffin with marrow, dates, and warm spices, then finished with a sweet wine caudle. It typifies the book's cosmopolitan leanings, marrying the Italian fashion for artichokes with the older English love of sugared, spiced meat pies. The dish has become emblematic of the Jacobean table at its most refined, where continental novelty met native confectionery tradition.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
