We also had spiced red wine, which was really lovely.
These, and other recipes, were from a Tudor cookbook the hostess had picked up at Hampton Court in England. Spoon the syllabub over the biscuit base and leave to chill for an hour or two before serving.
She then added a twist – that when we met to discuss the book, that we have a pot luck dinner with food tied in some way to the book. I thought I would share our progress. It is set in Botswana.
I used Nigella Lawson’s recipe for Turkish Delight Syllabub. Early recipes called for the cow to be milked directly into a pitcher of sweetened wine, producing a frothy head, the syllabub, which could be … Tagged as book club, book club menus, Food and Books, hilary mantel, mopane, nigella lawson, syllabub, tudor recipes, wolf hall, women.
Interestingly, the applesauce was not that sweet and had a lot of parsley in it – very unusual. So, what’s the big deal. Addsome rustic homemade bread for the crowning touch.
While an average Tudor family would have lived on a diet of stewed vegetables, pulses, grains, bacon and some dairy products, Henry himself was offered a tempting array of at least 13 freshly cooked dishes at every meal. Roughly crush the biscuits - leave them a little crunchy - and mix with the chopped apricots. Early recipes called for the cow to be milked directly into a pitcher of sweetened wine, producing a frothy head, the syllabub, which could be scooped off and eaten with a spoon. The book was a tough slog for most of the members.
I have always wondered what some of the more unusual brands and types might taste like (and not really wanted to waste money on something that was dreadful), so this was good fun. Add the saffron to the juice and zest of the orange and leave to infuse in a warm place for half an hour. is not enabled on your browser. Yes, that’s an over simplification, but it mostly is booze and whip cream. It’s a really simple dessert and you can tell your guests that it’s an authentic Tudor recipe. It reminded me of mulled wine, although we drank it at room temperature and not heated up.
Turns out it is booze and whip cream. Only three book club members made it through… one loved it, one hated it, and me? I have always wondered what the heck it was. It was difficult to know who was speaking, and for many of our members a bit too big a challenge for the first book. Only one of us is likely to read the sequel. Stir in the wine, most of the lemon zest and the juice.
Syllabub is a dish with a venerable ancestry, a favourite of Tudor times when a visit to the milking parlour was a recreational activity for the gentry.