Recipe Manuscript

To Make A Grand Sallett

Name: To Make A Grand Sallett
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 100g large green olives; 40g capers; 30g dried currants; 100g button mushrooms (fresh or pickled, thinly sliced); 20g sea samphire (substitute: 20g purslane); 100g cucumber, thinly sliced; 50g young green beans, cut into short lengths (substitute for ashen-keys); 30g young Swiss chard leaves (substitute for white beet); 80g cooked red beetroot, sliced into rounds; 30g pickled caperberries (substitute for broom buds); 25g purslane leaves (if available); 8 dried prunes or wild crabapples (constipps); 40g dried barberries (substitute: dried cranberries or red currants); Zest of 1 lemon, in thin strips; 1 lemon, thinly sliced; 3 tbsp (45ml) extra virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp (30ml) white wine vinegar; Salt and black pepper, to taste

1703

From the treasured pages of The Lady Cravens Receipt Book

Written by Elizabeth Craven, Baroness Craven

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Beginner Lunch Dinner Other

Original Recipe • 1703

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

To Make A Grand Sallett

"Lord Cravens Take fine Olives and capers, Currant, musherooms, Sampher, Cowcumber, Ashen-keys, white Beet, red Beet broom-budds, purslaine Constipps, & Barberrys, You must lay every one of these in decent manner round ye Dish and Dress it up with Lemond peell shreed & whole Lemonds slic't and lay ye red Beet round about ye brims of ye Dish, and all ye rest by degrees and by themselves, so as to fill up ye Dish, And then if you please you may put in Oyle & vinegar & so serve it up"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the concise, almost list-like style typical of early 18th-century English cookery manuscripts. Ingredients are mentioned without fixed quantities, relying instead on the cook’s eye and judgment. Spellings like 'Cowcumber' (cucumber), 'musherooms' (mushrooms), 'purslaine' (purslane), or 'shreed' (shredded) reflect both phonetic spelling and period orthography, which was yet to be standardized. Rather than step-by-step instructions, period recipes offered 'assemblies' or 'dressing' guidance, presuming cooking knowledge and household support—trusting the experienced cook’s hand far more than we do today.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

The Lady Cravens Receipt Book - Click to view recipe in book

Title

The Lady Cravens Receipt Book (1703)

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

Writer

Elizabeth Craven, Baroness Craven

Era

1703

Publisher

Coome Abbey

Background

A delectable manuscript brimming with 18th-century English delights, Lady Craven's receipt book whisks readers from luscious cakes and puddings to savory feasts and creamy cheeses. Elegantly organized and sprinkled with recipes from an illustrious social circle, this culinary collection offers a sumptuous taste of aristocratic home economics.

Kindly made available by

Penn State University

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from Lady Craven's Receipt Book, a manuscript compiled between 1702 and 1704 at Coome Abbey in England. Lady Craven, known for her elaborate entertaining, collected recipes from her social circle, attributing them to friends and family. This 'Grand Sallett' appears in a section of recipes ascribed to Lord Craven, illustrating the fashionable trend of abundant and intricate mixed salads at noble English tables during the early eighteenth century. The dish is a visual centerpiece, celebrating both imported luxury and local foraged ingredients. The presentation reflects the era’s taste for showy, vibrant displays, ideal for a formal dinner in an aristocratic household.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Preparation would have required a large, shallow serving dish or platter for arranging the salad. A sharp knife for slicing vegetables and citrus, a mortar and pestle for preparing any pastes or spice blends, and possibly pickle jars for storing items like broom buds or ashen-keys would have been used. Sturdy wooden or pewter serving implements were typical for assembling and serving. No cooking is required for most elements, though beets and mushrooms may have been previously boiled or pickled and would need a pot and simple strainer.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

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

3.5 oz large green olives
1.4 oz capers
1 oz dried currants
3.5 oz button mushrooms (fresh or pickled, thinly sliced)
0.7 oz sea samphire (substitute: 0.7 oz purslane)
3.5 oz cucumber, thinly sliced
1.75 oz young green beans, cut into short lengths (substitute for ashen-keys)
1 oz young Swiss chard leaves (substitute for white beet)
2.8 oz cooked red beetroot, sliced into rounds
1 oz pickled caperberries (substitute for broom buds)
0.9 oz purslane leaves (if available)
8 dried prunes or wild crabapples (constipps)
1.4 oz dried barberries (substitute: dried cranberries or red currants)
Zest of 1 lemon, in thin strips
1 lemon, thinly sliced
3 tbsp (1.5 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (1 fl oz) white wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

To prepare a Grand Salad (Grand Sallett) as described by Lord Craven at the turn of the 18th century, start by gathering a vibrant array of both pickled and fresh elements: fine green olives, briny capers, sweet currants, mild mushrooms (blanched or pickled), sea samphire if available (or purslane as a substitute), thinly sliced cucumber, tender young ash keys (today, green bean slices can stand in), white beet leaves (young Swiss chard works well), red beet slices, pickled broom buds (pickled caperberries are suitable instead), purslane leaves, pickled wild crabapples (or dried prunes/constipps), and tart barberries (or dried cranberries for a touch of acidity).
Lay each ingredient artfully in a circular arrangement around the edge of a large serving platter, separately but touching, so that every color and texture shines.
Dress the entire showpiece with thin strips of lemon peel and slices of fresh lemon.
Finish by drizzling over extra virgin olive oil and a splash of white wine vinegar, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

Estimated Calories

190 per serving

Cooking Estimates

This is a colorful salad made mostly with fresh and pickled vegetables. Since there is no actual cooking—just slicing, assembling, and dressing—the prep time is short and there's no cook time. The calorie count is estimated based on the vegetables, olives, oil, and fruit used. The salad serves about 4 people as a starter or side.

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.