Favorite Reciepts

Another simple, favorite vegetable receipt that always goes over well are carrot puffs.

As root crops were stored over the late fall and though the winter, they began to look less appealing for simple cooking and serving. The bad parts were often cut off and the remaining portions of the vegetables were cut up and served in pancake or puff form, like the carrot puff receipt.

This receipt calls for the carrots to be boiled and mashed, mixed with other ingredients, rolled into small balls and fried. When done, they look very much like a meatball.

This is the original receipt is from The Compleat Housewife, by E. Smith, published in 1727:

To Make Carrot Puffs
Scrape and boil your carrots tender; then scrape or mash them very fine, add to it a pint of pulp, the crumb of a penny loaf grated, or some stale bisket, if you have it, some eggs, but four whites, a nutmeg grated, some orange-flower water, sugar to your taste, a little sack, and mix it up with thick cream’ they must be fried in rendered suet, the liquor very hot when you put them in; put a good spoonful in a place.

Modern version:

Ingredients
12 large carrots
6 medium eggs
1 cup grated bread crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup sack or medium sherry
1/2 grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon orange flower water
heavy cream as needed
1 pound rendered lard or suet a little water to test heat of fat

Peel carrots, cut off tips and tops, place in pot with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil.

Cook carrots until very tender, remove them, and mash them in bowl until smooth.

Grate bread crumbs into a bowl; for each 2 cups of mashed roots, add 1 cup of bread crumbs. stir to mix thoroughly.

Crack two eggs into a bowl. Separate remaining eggs, adding yolks to bowl and discarding whites (or use in another dish).

Whisk eggs to mix; then stir them into root mixture.
Grate half a nutmeg into root mixture, add sugar, sack or sherry, orange flower water, and stir to mix well.

Add heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until batter will just drop off tip of spoon.

You will need about 1 inch of melted lard in frying pan.
It is important that the fat is very hot before adding the batter. Test heat of fat by flicking a few drops of water into it; if the water sizzles and spits, the fat is hot enough. If fat is not hot enough, continue heating it for a little while and test again.

When fat is hot enough, drop batter into it by rounded spoonfuls. Don’t crowd the pan. Cook puffs until golden brown on both sides, turning as needed.

Continue frying until all fritters have been cooked.

I don't have a good picture of the finished project, but you can see them in the bottom, right hand corner of this photo, being served on plate around a roast.



This photo also illustrates the fashionable way to set a table of the time. If you notice, everything is symmetrical and balanced on the table. If there is a meat dish on one corner, there is a meat dish on the opposite corner. If there is a vegatable dish one side of the table, there is another vegetable dish on the opposing side, etc. You'll also notice that all dishes are put out at once on the table, so that everyone can see all of the food you are able to afford.

Lady Barbara - Thank you. That was a meal that I helped to make for a Twelfth Night party.

The carrot puffs are really good. I've made them many times and they are always a crowd pleaser. They have a sweet, delicate flavor that is sort of reminiscent of Japanese food. The carrot puffs are sweet like a carrot, but not quite carrot flavored. It's hard to describe because the sweetness of the carrots melds with the sweetness of the orange blossom water and makes its own flavor. I do know that most people who try them, like them. They are always surprised by how good and different they taste.