Recipes from If You Dared to Love a Laird

For your convenience, each recipe has been printed on a separate page.

Stewed Venison

(Which Clarice cooks for Cameron)
If you have much venison and do make many cold Baked meats, you may Stew a dish in haste thus; When it is sliced out of your Pye, Pot or Pasty, put it in a stewing dish and set it on a heap of coals with a little claret wine, a sprigg or two of Rosemary, half a dozen cloves, a little grated bred, Sugar, Vinegar, so let it stew together awhile, then grate on Nutmeg and dish it up.
—The Accomplisht Lady's Delight by Hannah Wolley, 1675

1 Please note: This recipe works with beef, too!

Put meat in a heavy pan or ovenproof casserole with the rosemary and cloves. Mix the sugar and breadcrumbs into the wine and vinegar and pour over the meat. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 1 ¼ hours if meat is raw, or 30 minutes if it is already cooked. Or you can bake it in a 350° F oven for the same amount of time. Remove rosemary sprigs (and cloves, if you can find them!), add salt and pepper to taste, then grate some fresh nutmeg over the top just before serving. This stew is even better if it is left for 24 hours to mature before eating. If the gravy gets too thick, add a little water. Serves 6.

Lauren's notes: Typical for 17th century dishes, the gravy this makes is delicious but very strong, so I like to serve this stew over rice to cut the flavor a little. I've made it with leftover roast beef—it's quick to cook that way, and comes out very well!

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