To Make Corry Temperado
From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Elizabeth Langley
Written by Elizabeth Langley
To Make Corry Temperado
"Take 3 small chicken, cut them as for a fricassee put them into a stew pan with a quart of water & a little salt, set it on the fire to parboil them it well, when they are done enough, take the chickens out & put the liquor by in a pan. Then take one Ounce & half of Coriander seeds, braised in a Mortar (far out the husks) about 30 grains of Pepper either white or black, a very little bit of race Turmerick, & 20 Jordan Almonds blanched, all these must be ground in a marble Mortar, separately into a fine pulp with some of the liquor the chickens were boild in, then mix all but the Almond pulp in a pint of the same liquor. take about half a pound of Butter, put it in the stew pan & brown it with two sliced onions, then put in your chickens, let them fry a little, put in your mixt liquor & let them stew with a slow fire till you think it enough, then take about a quarter of a pint of the liquor the chickens were boild in & put to the almond pulp with the Juice of half a large lemon, beat together with a spoon it should be something thicker than cream, put it into the stew pan with the rest, shake it well together, let it simmer a little & then send it up."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in a direct, practical style typical of the mid-18th century, assuming a good deal of prior experience from the reader. Spellings like 'braised' mean 'bruised' or 'crushed'; 'race turmerick' is a historical term for turmeric root. Quantities such as '30 grains of Pepper' use apothecary-weight units no longer familiar in modern kitchens. Ingredient lists and procedural steps are interwoven, reflecting a time before the standardized, itemized format of today's recipes but offering a richly evocative narrative of the cooking process.
Title
Cookbook of Elizabeth Langley (1757)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Elizabeth Langley
Era
1757
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step into the Georgian kitchen with Elizabeth Langley's 1757 culinary collection, where refined techniques and delightful recipes await those with a taste for historic gastronomy.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe comes from an English manuscript dated 1757, attributed to Elizabeth Langley. The mid-18th century in Britain was a vibrant period for culinary exchange, with Indian spices and flavors making their way into upper-class kitchens through Britain's growing colonial presence. 'Corry Temperado' is an early Anglicized curry, blending traditional local techniques with the new excitement for coriander, turmeric, and pepper. Almonds and butter hint at the adaptation to rich, English tastes and available ingredients. The dish stands as a beautiful record of culinary globalization in the Georgian period, where cooks experimented boldly at a time when international trade brought extraordinary novelties into European homes.
The recipe would have been prepared in a large stew pan (iron or copper), a marble mortar and pestle for grinding the spices and almonds, a sharp knife for jointing the chicken, and a wooden spoon for stirring and blending. The dish would have simmered over an open hearth or a wood/coal-fired range, with attentive handwork essential for browning onions and achieving the right consistency for the sauce. Fine sieves may have been used to create smoother pastes, while the absence of precise measurements meant much depended on the cook's touch and judgement.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Servings
6
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- Three small chickens (approx. 2.6 lb in total)
- 1 quart water
- Pinch of salt
- 1.5 oz coriander seeds
- 0.07 oz (approx. 30 grains) white or black peppercorns
- 1/4 oz fresh turmeric root (or 1 tsp/0.1 oz ground turmeric as substitute)
- 20 Jordan almonds (approx. 1.25 oz, blanched)
- 8 oz unsalted butter
- 2 medium onions, sliced (approx. 7 oz)
- Juice of half a large lemon
- Optional: additional salt to taste
Instructions
- To make Corry Temperado, begin by taking three small chickens (about 2.6 lb total) and cutting them into joints as you would for a modern fricassee.
- Place them in a large saucepan with 1 quart of water and a pinch of salt.
- Bring to the boil, then gently simmer until the chicken is nearly cooked (about 20 minutes).
- Remove the chicken, reserving the cooking liquid.
- In a mortar and pestle (or a modern spice grinder), crush 1.5 oz coriander seeds (removing husks if possible), 0.07 oz (about 30 grains) of white or black pepper, and a small piece (about 1/4 oz) of fresh turmeric root (or 1 tsp ground turmeric).
- Separately, blanch and finely grind 20 Jordan almonds (about 1.25 oz).
- Blend each component to a smooth paste using some of the reserved chicken stock.
- Melt 8 oz unsalted butter in a large deep pan and brown 2 thinly sliced onions until golden.
- Return the chicken pieces to the pan and fry briefly.
- Add the spice mixture (except for the almond paste) to 2 cups of the reserved stock, pour into the pan, and let it gently simmer until the chicken is fully tender (another 20-25 minutes).
- Combine the almond paste with 1/2 cup of hot chicken stock and the juice of half a large lemon, stirring to a cream-like consistency.
- Stir this mixture into the pan, mixing well and allowing it to gently simmer for several minutes.
- When slightly thickened, serve immediately.
Estimated Calories
650 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You will need about 30 minutes to prepare all the ingredients, like cutting the chicken, slicing onions, and grinding spices and almonds. Cooking the chicken and sauce takes around 45 minutes. Each serving has about 650 calories if you divide the dish equally into 6 servings.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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