Colys Van Champingnons

This recipe is taken from a classic Dutch cookbook published in Leiden in 1725, a period when cooks were beginning to experiment more with the natural essences of ingredients, such as 'zappen' or juices, rather than simply constructing secondary broths or heavy sauces. The dish, 'Colys van Champingnons', likely served as a refined mushroom puree or bread-thickened mushroom cream, intended for tables of the well-to-do classes, reflecting both French culinary influences and local Dutch tastes for mushrooms. In the early 18th century, recipes were concise, often relying on the cook’s skill and intuition, rather than step-by-step measurements. The focus was on technique and knowledge, passed down through experience and apprenticeship.

The original preparation would have relied on basic but ingenious kitchen equipment: a hair sieve ('hairen Teems'), which was a fine strainer made from horsehair or linen, ideal for creating smooth purees. Bread would have been soaked in shallow bowls or large basins. All would be done by hand, with perhaps a wooden spoon for stirring and pressing the bread through the sieve. Mushrooms would be harvested fresh, and their juice extracted either by pressing or gentle heating in a pan over an open hearth.