To Stew A Breast Of Veal

This recipe hails from 1707, penned by Rachel Kirk—a period when lavish, savory preparations of meats graced dining tables of the English gentry. The style combines both roasted and stewed techniques, a hallmark of festive and celebratory dishes in the early 18th century. Recipes like this reflect the interplay of imported luxury items—such as spices, anchovies, oysters, and wine—with traditional British meats, showing the expanding palate of post-Restoration England. The mixture of meat, shellfish, and sweetbreads in one dish reveals a Baroque love of rich, layered flavors and an eagerness to impress with both skill and ingredient diversity. Such a compound recipe would have been served at a grand table, garnished attractively and redolent with expensive ingredients.

Back in 1707, cooks worked over open hearths using spits for roasting, cauldrons or large pots for stewing, and heavy knives for boning the meat. Ingredients were mixed by hand in earthenware or wooden bowls. The parboiling of sweetbreads and asparagus would have taken place in small kettles, while frying was done in shallow pans over the fire. For thickening sauces, wooden spoons and possibly a whisk made of twigs or wire were used. For presentation, large platters were used—often pewter or silver for wealthy households—and the garnishing involved sharp knives and special serving utensils.