While on twitter a few weeks ago I saw an interesting post regarding the launch of RRS Discovery in 1901 from Dundee, Scotland.
I knew that RRS Discovery was kept in Dundee at Discovery point and it is on our list to visit when we are allowed, but what intrigued me was the image of the menu for a luncheon that was provided by the Directors of the Ship Building Company after the launch ceremony.
Luncheon invitation after the launch of RRS Discovery
I was eager to know if they also had a copy of the actual menu and not just the cover so quickly replied to their tweet and their answer? Yes they did! Even more they were kind enough to share it and here it is.
Luncheon menu 1901
So lets take a little look at the menu and see what we may have been sitting down to in 1901.
As you can see the menu is written in French, not because there were a lot of French dignitaries attending, but because for many years it was the "posh" thing to do- have your menus written in French!
The first course is Julienne or Creme de Riz. Both of these are actually soups.
To julienne means to chop or slice vegetables in long think strips and when you see just Julienne on a menu at the start in 1901, you would know that means a clear vegetable soup with strips of vegetable in it.
The Creme de Riz translates as Cream of Rice and there was a soup made from rice, cream and seasoning but it could also mean just a plain white soup such as a cauliflower soup.
Next come the fish! Saumon is Salmon. The menu doesn't say how the Salmon would be served but when the waiter would come to take your order they would tell you how it was being prepared that day. It also depended on the chef as he ( and they were still mainly male at this point) may have a favourite way of cooking it,
Blanchailles are whitebait and like the Salmon they could be prepared in a few different ways. The most common way to serve them at this point in history was to coat them in a batter or breadcrumbs and deep fry them.
Technically the next course should be the Main course or Le Plat Principale however it seems to be a course of Savouries, which was popular around this time but usually came towards the end of the meal.
On this Savouries course we have Riz de Veau aux Champignon and Poulet saute a lorraine.
Riz de Veau aux Champignon is Veal sweetbreads with mushrooms, a typical savouries dish of the time. Poulet saute a lorraine is quite simply a chicken quiche, although the chicken would first be cooked in a lot of butter and there would be no cheese in the lorraine.
Next its the big one, the main course! You would be choosing from ...
Agneau Sauce Menthe
Galatine De Veau aux Pistaches
Boeuf presse Capon Jambon d'york
Sounds quite posh but they are in fact dishes you and I are familiar with.
First it's Lamb and mint sauce. Vegetables are not mentioned but again would be offered by the waiter or you would just accept what the vegetables of the day were.
Galatine De Veau aux Pistaches was rolled Veal stuffed with pistachios and again served with the vegetables of the day and Boeuf presse Capon Jambon d'york was a beef, chicken and smoked ham terrine . All sounds lovely and quite familiar.
Next the salad course is served and in this luncheon it is Mayonnaise de Homard, which was a light Lobster Mayonnaise salad.
The salad course is normally followed by the cheese course but again they seem to have done things a little bit different and we are diving straight into the puddings!
Gelee au Marasquin
Creme a la Vanille
Charlotte Russe
Tartes aux Rhubarbs
I am sure most of you reading this can work out that we have a vanilla cream (set like a blancmange) Charlotte Russe which is a type of trifle that is still quite common today and Rhubarb tart.
The Gelee au Marasquin is a Cherry Jelly but not made with cherries but rather from a clear cherry liqueur and it is the dish that I decided to have a go at making because it seemed the most challenging and while I have of course heard of Jelly, I hadn't heard of one quite like this!
Now I will say that this jelly experiment made me realise a few things.
1. The Victorians (technically March 1901 was Edwardian but this is a Victorian recipe) are completely mad when it comes to jellies
2. the chefs of the time were amazing and incredibly well skilled
3. I need more practice at this type of jelly
4. Jelly is incredibly hard to photograph!
This jelly is made using gelatine of course and gelatine was originally made by boiling the hooves of cattle. It was quite time consuming and was usually only done in large houses as they would have the means and staff available to do it. Thankfully by the mid 1800s it had become industrialised and a Gelatine powder was available.
The original Victorian recipes for jelly included the addition of egg shells to help the jelly set, but thankfully modern gelatines set the liquids perfectly so do away with the crushed eggs shells and all the sieving required.
When I decided to have a go at making this jelly I obviously done some research and found out it was quite a posh jelly and included edible silver leaf in the recipe! Some recipes have the silver leaf placed in the jelly middle and some gilded the top of the jelly when it was unmoulded. I thought I would have a go at both to find out how easy it was..... it's not easy at all!
To make the jelly requires these approximate amounts. See the packet of Gelatine you are using for the amount needed to set a certain measurement of liquid.
Half pint of Maraschino Liqueur
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 pint of water
juice of 3 lemons
2 egg whites
silver leaf.
Gelatine sheets, enough to set 1 and half pints
Put the water, sugar and lemon juice into a pan and bring to the boil.
Soak your gelatine sheets in cold water for at least 10 mins
When the water, lemon and sugar mixture is boiling, take of the heat. Stir in the
Squeeze out the gelatine sheets and put into the boiled water. Stir until completely dissolved.
Put an inch of your jelly mix into the jelly mould. Keep the rest of the jelly mix warm so it doesn't set
Add flakes of silver leaf to the top of your first layer of jelly and allow to set somewhere cool for a few moments, then in the fridge for 10 mins.
Take the jelly out of the fridge and pour on another inch of the warm jelly, repeat with the silver and allow to set. Continue this layering until you have about 4 tablespoons of jelly mix left.
Whip this jelly mix until frothy
Beat your egg whites until the soft peak stage.
Fold the egg white into the whipped jelly mix and pour into the mould on top of the other set layers.
Allow the whole jelly to set completely.
To serve, dip the jelly mould into hot water to loosen and turn out. If you want to be a bit extra or just see how difficult it is to gild a jelly, then when the jelly is just turned out place some silver leaf on the top with a small brush and press very gently onto the top of the jelly.
I have honestly never been so annoyed with a jelly until I had a go at making this but I will admit it was a great learning experience!
The eagle eyed amongst you will see that there is a Dessert course listed, This could have just been a cheese board or some small chocolates that were served at the end of the meal.
RRS Discovery is moored at Discovery Point in Dundee and tells the story of this amazing ship from when she was first laid down in 1900, her adventures to the Antarctic, her part WWI and WWII, her life with the Sea Scouts and her eventual return home to Dundee.