Image: Carter, Charles · Public domain
The Compleat City and Country Cook
- Year
- 1736
- Era
- 18th century
- Origin
- England · Europe
- Language
- English
- Category
- English pre-1800
The Compleat City and Country Cook, issued in 1736, is a substantial English cookery book by Charles Carter, a professional cook who had served in noble households. Its recipes range across roasting, boiling, made dishes, pastry, pickling, and confectionery, addressing both urban and rural establishments. Notable for its engraved bills of fare and table plans, the work reflects the elevated cuisine practised in great kitchens of early Georgian England.
Cooking from this book
Grand Salamongundy
Signature dishFew dishes capture the theatrical ambition of Carter's book quite like his Grand Salamongundy, a composed cold platter that became a hallmark of Georgian table display. Arranged in concentric rings or pyramids upon a charger, it brought together shredded poultry, anchovies, pickles, eggs and herbs in a deliberately decorative pattern. Carter's version exemplifies the showpiece cookery expected of an accomplished household, where presentation mattered as much as flavour, and the cook's artistry was on full view.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
