Oatmeal Puddings, Otherwise Of Fish Or Flesh Blood

This recipe comes from 'The whole body of cookery dissected' published in 1673, a period when English cookery drew heavily on rustic, practical ingredients and was influenced by both medieval traditions and early modern changes in kitchen techniques. Puddings like this one—based on grains, herbs, and whatever rich additions (butter, suet, or even animal blood)—were staples of both grand and humble tables. It was customary to distinguish between 'fish days' (when meat was not permitted, often for religious reasons) and 'flesh days' (when meat was allowed); the recipe flexibly adapts to both by including or omitting certain ingredients like animal fat and by offering substitutions in herbs and aromatics. It showcases the ingenuity of historical cooks, using local, foraged herbs and garden greens as flavor and nutrient boosters in an era of seasonal scarcity.

The 17th-century cook would have used a large earthenware or metal pot for soaking and boiling the oats, wooden spoons for stirring, and a sharp knife and wooden chopping board for shredding herbs and aromatics. The mixture was shaped for cooking using clean linen napkins or muslin, tied securely with kitchen twine, or packed into casings made from animal intestines (for a sausage-like pudding). For baking, the mixture would go into glazed earthenware or sturdy metal dishes, placed in a bread oven or over an open hearth with carefully managed hot embers. Basic implements like strainers and ladles would help handle the hot grains and cream.