Comments on: Jane Austen and Christmas: Mrs Musgrove’s Pies (1)

By: jfwakefield

jfwakefield — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:26:43 +0000

Thank you Gloria! As a recipe and history fanatic myself Im so glad you enjoyed it and hope you will visit ( and comment!) again soon.

By: Gloria Glasgow

Gloria Glasgow — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:17:53 +0000

This recipe and history are outstanding. I was watching on PBS, at 5 AM, the story of William Wilberforce. The history and biography of his life were so engrossing that I could not tear myself away. Mention was made the Mr Wilberforce served Yorkshire pie to his friends. Naturally, since most of my maternal ancerstors were from Yorkshire, I was determined to discover the recipe for Yorkshire pie! Even today, I doubt that I could afford to make such a magnificent pie, not to mention not having the cookware for such a thing. I congratulate all of you for your recipe, and the history. I am a history, and recipe, fanatic! Thank you.

By: myenglishcountrygarden

myenglishcountrygarden — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:16:12 +0000

It is- in a cold house it would have survived , health wise, pretty well, I think.A lot of work and expesnse but an amazing sight.I think its the most spectacular item I’ve ever had the opportunity to make at Ivan’s home.

By: imogen88

imogen88 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:02:21 +0000

Well, this is amazing. I can well imagine the idea worked so well in the times, with people coming, it’s ingenious, really.

By: myenglishcountrygarden

myenglishcountrygarden — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:23:05 +0000

Well remember you could only have game if you had shooting rights-the liberty of a manor;-) (unless you were made a gift of legally shot game)Not a problem for Charles and Mr Musgrove admittedly,but it implied a certain status. I could go on about having the necessary standing and rights to shoot here but Ill refrian for another day! Chickens were raised at home,as would have been pork and veal.

Thats why they were such sumptuous gifts-the amount and variety of meat within.in 1764 Lord Fairfax’s housekeeper paid £1 16 shillings for one. Not an inconsiderable sum

The pie could be resealed covering the meat that was left with clarified butter,the meat was chopped up so everyone would have a piece of every type of meat. This process could go on for some period of item.The house even, with a blazing Christmas fire, would not be that hot in the depths of winter(and certainly not in the mini ice age that occurred at the beginning of the 19th century).

By: Jessica Cogan

Jessica Cogan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:10:52 +0000

INCREDIBLE! My Goodness, the sheer amount of meat in it made me laugh. And FOURTEEN pounds of butter all told- LOLOL!! But, Yum!
What was more expensive in those days, veal/pork or the fowl? I am guessing the veal/pork was b/c there is less used? Would all of the meat like ingredients be purchased? I am guessing the the wildfowl would be acquired by shooting whatever they could get? And about how long would one expect to eat and re-eat one of these? A few days? A week?

And alcohol – more please!

By: myenglishcountrygarden

myenglishcountrygarden — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:26:12 +0000

But they -vegetarians-were very much oddities: the mainstay of late 18th century /early 19th century cookery in the English kitchen was the high standard of our roast meats(unparalleled anywhere else in the world,and a skill much envied) With respect, we are not talking about oddities or indeed your 21st century experience of food here:we are talking about what would have been served as Christmas food in Jane Austen’s novels,and that as primarily meat, expensively spiced food(savoury and sweet) and alcohol .

By: Elizabeth K

Elizabeth K — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:16:25 +0000

Oh, yes, I dare say it would not have been easy, but there were some veggies and IIRC, Mary Wollstonecraft was a vegetarian.

By: Jane Austen and Christmas: Mrs Musgrove’s Pies(2) « austenonly

Jane Austen and Christmas: Mrs Musgrove’s Pies(2) « austenonly — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:22:26 +0000

[...] Jane Austen and Food, Persuasion | by myenglishcountrygarden Yesterday we considered the Yorkshire Christmas Pie which would most certainly have been among the cold pies weighing down Mrs Musgrove’s festive [...]

By: myenglishcountrygarden

myenglishcountrygarden — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:36:52 +0000

I think the First World war probably did for it,as it did a lot of things. There are recipes up till the Edwardian era,then it faded out.Cost and labour and the sheer size of these great pies provably did for them:ours weighed over 30lbs!. You could make a smaller version using only breasts of different meats I suppose. I have to say it was one of the best pies I’ve eaten , hot or cold.Puts a humble pork pie into perspective