The Mayor and Mayoress at Dinner.

Mr. J. Skeat, the eighteenth century author of our inspiration for the week appears to have been an important member of the catering community in Norwich, England. He details the bills of fare and the table settings for two important civic events – not dated but presumably not too distant from the time of publication of his book (The Art of Cookery and Pastery … ) in 1769. One of these bills of fare – that for the “Mayor’s Feast at Lynn”, is our topic for the day.

In previous times, the bill of fare served to you at an important dinner depended on your rank. Greater choice and finer food went to the most important folk, with fewer dishes and sometimes fewer courses going to those lower down in the pecking order (those “below the salt”, so to speak.) At the Mayor’s Feast at Lynn, all guests received two course, but different choices were offered to the Mayor’s table, the Mayoress’s Table, the Common-Council Table, the Middle Table, the Large Table in the Assembly Room, and the Short Table in the Assembly Room.

Interestingly, there was a greater variety of dishes at the Mayoress’s table than at the Mayor’s table at this feast. Here is the first course for both those tables (the lists also indicate the position of the dishes on the table).

The Mayor’s Table.

Carp &c.

Pigeons Fricandoe. M. Pudding [ Marrow]

Bombard Veal

Haunch of Venison.

Partridge Pye.

Chickens.

*

Callipee.

Roast Turkey.

Ham.

Venison Pasty.

Roast Pig.

Greens.

Tench.

The Mayoress’s Table.

Pike, &c.

Veal Sweetbreads. Italienne.

Haunch of Venison.

Chickens.

Greens.

Ham.

Partridge Pye.

Ducks A-la-Brazed.

*

M.Pye.

Callipee.

Roast Pig.

M.Pudding.

Veal Olives.

Roast Goose.

*

M.Pyes.

Tench.

Roast Turkey.

Tongue. Udder.

Greens.

Fowls.

*

Pidgeons Fricandoe.

Venison Pasty.

White Collops.

M.Pudding.

Bombard Veal.

Hash.

Tench.

White Collops.
Take a clean stewpan with a piece of butter, when melted have some small cutlets of veal, and just warm them through in the butter; dredge in a little flour, and keep shaking it about; season them to your liking; then add a little cream, a little white gravy, and the juice of a lemon; shake them all together, and serve them up with egg balls.


Quotation for the Day.

Banquet: a plate of cold, hairy chicken and artificially coloured green peas completely surrounded by dreary speeches and appeals for donations.
Bennett A. Cerf, Laughing Stock (1945)