Recipe Manuscript

A Steak Florindine

Name: A Steak Florindine
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 kg mutton neck, cut into steaks (~2 cm thick) (lamb neck can substitute); 1/2 tsp ground mace; 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp fresh sweet marjoram, chopped (or 1/2 tbsp dried); 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/2 tbsp dried); 300 ml dry red wine (claret or Bordeaux-style); 300 ml water; 1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped (or 15 g anchovy paste); 2 shallots, peeled and finely minced; 20 small force-meat balls (see note: typically seasoned minced mutton or other meat, bound with egg); 1 lemon, thinly sliced; 1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry (ca. 250 g); Anchovy sauce, to serve (commercial or homemade from anchovies, butter, and a bit of wine)

1697

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Grace Blome, Kent

Written by Grace Randolph

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1697

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

A Steak Florindine

"Cut a Neck of Mutton in steaks beat & season it with Mace Nutmeg, Pepper, & salt; sweet Marjorum, & Thyme, lay it in a dish with half a pint of Claret, as much fair water, one anchovee, two shallots, twenty force-meat Balls, a Lemon sliced, ye same seasoning for Gutlets only let it be boyled over Charcole & served with an chovice sawce, Cover your Dish with puff Past & Bake it"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in loose 'receipt' form, typical of early manuscripts—more a set of instructions than precise measurements, with quantities left to the cook's preference and experience. Period spellings diverge from modern English: 'Boyled' for boiled, 'sawce' for sauce, 'anchovee' for anchovy, and so on. Ingredient names and methods are abbreviated and rely on the understanding of the skilled household cook. There are also references to then-common culinary terms, such as 'force-meat balls' (seasoned minced meatballs) and 'cover your dish with puff past'—directing the cook to make a raised pie or pudding.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of Grace Blome, Kent - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of Grace Blome, Kent (1697)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Grace Randolph

Era

1697

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful glimpse into late 17th-century kitchens, this culinary collection by Grace Randolph tempts taste buds with refined recipes and elegant flavors fit for a well-to-do English household. Journey through a banquet of historic treats and timeless techniques!

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe is drawn from a late 17th-century English manuscript cookbook, noting both the author (likely Grace Randolph) and a rough date of 1697. During this period, luxurious stews and pies were fashionable among the English gentry, calling on imported wines, spices, and aromatic herbs. The use of mutton, anchovies, claret, and force-meat balls signals a dish of some status—one designed to impress guests with its complexity and rich layering of flavors. Covering dishes with puff pastry before baking, to create a 'coffin' or 'lid,' was a typical presentation style of the age.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the late 1600s, the cook would have used a strong, sharp kitchen knife to slice the mutton, a wooden or stone meat mallet for tenderizing, and a mortar and pestle to grind spices. Force-meat balls were shaped by hand, possibly with the aid of wooden spoons. For cooking, a deep dish or earthenware pan would be set over glowing charcoal in a hearth, or (if making as a pie) covered with thick puff pastry and baked in a brick oven or before the fire with a metal cover to reflect heat. Sauce would be made in a small saucepan, possibly over a trivet.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Servings

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

2.2 lbs mutton neck, cut into steaks (~3/4 inch thick) (lamb neck can substitute)
1/2 tsp ground mace
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh sweet marjoram, chopped (or 1/2 tbsp dried)
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/2 tbsp dried)
10 fl oz dry red wine (claret or Bordeaux-style)
10 fl oz water
1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped (or 1/2 oz anchovy paste)
2 shallots, peeled and finely minced
20 small force-meat balls (see note: typically seasoned minced mutton or other meat, bound with egg)
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry (about 9 oz)
Anchovy sauce, to serve (commercial or homemade from anchovies, butter, and a bit of wine)

Instructions

Start by slicing about 2.2 lbs of neck of mutton into steak-sized pieces, around 3/4 inch thick.
Tenderize them gently with a meat mallet.
Combine 1/2 tsp ground mace, 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram, and 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, and season the steaks all over.
Lay the steaks in a baking dish.
Pour over 10 fl oz dry red wine (such as a young claret) and 10 fl oz water.
Add one finely chopped anchovy fillet and two peeled, finely minced shallots.
Prepare about 20 small force-meat balls (meatballs made of seasoned, minced meat or leftover mutton), and add these to the dish as well.
Slice one lemon thinly and scatter over the contents.
If you wish to attempt the fried version: cook gently over charcoal or stove to braise, or otherwise cover the whole dish with a sheet of puff pastry, seal edges, and bake at 350°F until the pastry is golden and meat is tender, about 1 hour.
Serve accompanied by a sauce made with anchovies.

Estimated Calories

550 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 30 minutes to prepare the meat and ingredients, and around 1 hour to bake the dish until the meat is tender and the pastry is golden. The finished pie serves 6 people, with each serving containing about 550 calories based on the ingredients used.

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.