Craw-Fish Soup
From the treasured pages of Various Cookeries
Unknown Author
Craw-Fish Soup
"Take some Crawfish and beat half of them in a Morter, and boyl all sorts of fish in strong broth and all sorts of spices and an Onyon and a bunch of sweet Earbs boyl all together and strayn it off and put some of it to the Crawfish and Rost a pike to put in the middle & stick it if you please and - Garnish it with Crawfish."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in a concise and direct manner, typical of early modern English culinary manuscripts. Spellings such as 'boyl' for 'boil', 'Morter' for 'mortar', and 'Earbs' for 'herbs' reflect contemporary usage and phonetic spelling conventions of the period. Ingredients and method are interwoven, relying on the reader's kitchen experience to fill in gaps. Precise measurements are rare, making the instructions more suggestive than prescriptive—a reflection of a time when cooks were expected to rely on intuition and familiarity with their tools and ingredients.
Title
Various Cookeries (1690)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1690
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful glimpse into late 17th-century kitchens, this book brims with recipes, methods, and culinary wisdom passed down through generations, capturing the essence of historical gastronomy.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe dates from the late 1600s in England—a fascinating era for British cuisine, marked by both medieval traditions and new international influences. Fish soups like this one offered both nourishment and a touch of luxury, often appearing on aristocratic tables. Crawfish (freshwater crayfish common in English rivers at the time) made their way into delicate soups, sometimes alongside more highly-prized fish such as pike. The inclusion of a roasted fish centerpiece was not just for flavor, but also dramatic presentation. The recipe reflects both status and seasonality, using herbs likely gathered nearby, and spices that signified culinary sophistication.
Back in the day, this soup would have been crafted using heavy bronze or iron pots suspended over an open hearth fire. The mortar and pestle were essential for crushing the crawfish to a pulp and extracting their intense flavors. Strainers (made from linen or fine mesh) would be used to clarify the broth, while long-handled roasting spits or deep roasting pans enabled whole fish like pike to be cooked beautifully over open flames. Kitchen knives and large wooden spoons completed the set.
Prep Time
20 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
- 1 lb crawfish (substitute: shrimp if unavailable)
- 2.2 lb pike (can substitute with whole freshwater fish or trout)
- 1 lb assorted fish (such as cod, haddock, carp, or available white fish)
- 4 cups (1 quart) water
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1/8 tsp mace (or a small pinch of ground nutmeg as substitute)
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 3-4 whole cloves
- Herb bouquet: several sprigs parsley, 2-3 sprigs thyme, 1-2 bay leaves, tarragon if available
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Begin by taking about 1 pound (18 ounces) of crawfish; set aside half and crush them in a mortar and pestle until well broken down.
- In a large pot, prepare a strong fish broth using 4 cups (1 quart) of water, 1 pound (18 ounces) of assorted fish (such as cod, haddock, or carp), and a bouquet garni consisting of bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and tarragon.
- Add a peeled and quartered onion, a selection of whole spices (such as 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, a few cloves, and a small amount of mace), and let this all simmer for 30 minutes.
- Strain the broth thoroughly to remove solids.
- Take the crushed crawfish and mix them with some of the strained broth to form a rich base.
- Meanwhile, roast one whole pike (approximately 2.2 pounds) until golden and cooked through; this will be used to garnish the soup.
- To serve, pour the crawfish soup into a serving dish, place the roasted pike in the center, and garnish with the reserved whole crawfish around the pike.
- Serve immediately.
Estimated Calories
350 per serving
Cooking Estimates
Preparing and cooking this fish and crawfish soup takes a bit over an hour, including simmering the broth, roasting the pike, and combining everything. Each serving has about 350 calories, and the recipe makes 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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