Perduse Espanole

This recipe comes from early 18th-century England, specifically around 1706, during a period of rich culinary exchange with continental Europe. Spanish-inspired dishes, like this 'Perduse Espanole,' found favor at the English table through the influence of international trade and aristocratic taste. Recipes from this era were often handed down in manuscript form and included luxurious ingredients, a reflection of the social status and wealth of the household. Partridge was a common game bird in England, and additions like truffles, currants, and anchovies signaled a nod to fashionable European flavors and the prosperity necessary to obtain such items. The sauce is thickened with a 'culle'—a roux—and enriched by the inclusion of both sweet and savory elements, typical of the period's taste for contrasting flavors.

In the early 1700s, this dish would typically be prepared in a well-equipped kitchen with a wood-fired hearth and brick oven. The cook would roast the partridges on a spit or in a shallow pan before transferring to a stew pot or deep pan. To fry and thicken the sauce, iron or brass pans were used, and sieving was achieved with a fine tamis (drum sieve) or muslin cloth. A mortar and pestle was likely employed to prepare any ground spices, and a small grater or knife used for the nutmeg and truffles.