To Make Oyster Sausages

This recipe hails from the late 1600s, a time when English kitchens enthusiastically combined robust meats with the brininess of oysters. Oysters were common and affordable for all classes, giving rise to their starring role in both land and sea dishes. Sausages like these reflect an opulent mixing of ingredients: the richness of mutton and suet, fused with the freshness of oysters, speaks to the era's culinary creativity and sense of abundance. Recipes were transmitted orally or scribbled in household recipe books, often owned by women managing large households. This Oyster Sausages recipe is a stellar example of Anglo-Dutch influences and the embracing of both local produce and imported flavors.

In a 17th-century kitchen, the cook would use a heavy chopping knife and broad wooden board for mincing the meat and suet—a laborious, rhythmic task. The shellfish would be shucked with a stout oyster knife. All ingredients would be mixed in a large wooden or earthenware bowl. Sausages would typically be shaped by hand, sometimes encased, but often simply rolled. For frying, a heavy metal pan (iron or copper) would be set over an open fire or placed on a range, using sweet butter for cooking.