flipSack posset, curdled milk with wine to fortify
Sack posset, curdled milk with wine to fortify
Why this dish? Of fragile health and often suffering (gout, difficult pregnancies), Anne would have appreciated possets, those warm milks curdled with wine, sweetened and spiced, considered fortifying cordials and served at bedtime or to convalescents in all great houses.
A warm creamy milk, perfumed with nutmeg and sugar, delicately curdled by sweet wine (sack), yielding a thick drink halfway between cream and flan, comforting and warm.
When evening falls and my ailments keep me awake, they bring me a hot posset, and I know no better cordial. See: one heats the cream with grated nutmeg, then pours in good sack wine, and the milk curdles of itself into a thick sweetness like velvet. Sweeten it well, take it with a spoon while it steams. My doctors prescribe it to fortify; I love it for the comfort it brings.
- •Cream and milk — a good pint (base)
- •Sack wine (sweet sherry) — a glass (curdling agent and flavor)
- •Sugar — generously (sweetness)
- •Nutmeg and cinnamon — grated to discretion (cordial spices)
- •Egg yolks — a few (binder)
Sack posset, curdled milk with wine to fortify
A warm creamy milk, perfumed with nutmeg and sugar, delicately curdled by sweet wine (sack), yielding a thick drink halfway between cream and flan, comforting and warm.
Why this dish? Of fragile health and often suffering (gout, difficult pregnancies), Anne would have appreciated possets, those warm milks curdled with wine, sweetened and spiced, considered fortifying cordials and served at bedtime or to convalescents in all great houses.
When evening falls and my ailments keep me awake, they bring me a hot posset, and I know no better cordial. See: one heats the cream with grated nutmeg, then pours in good sack wine, and the milk curdles of itself into a thick sweetness like velvet. Sweeten it well, take it with a spoon while it steams. My doctors prescribe it to fortify; I love it for the comfort it brings.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cream and milk — a good pint (base)
- Sack wine (sweet sherry) — a glass (curdling agent and flavor)
- Sugar — generously (sweetness)
- Nutmeg and cinnamon — grated to discretion (cordial spices)
- Egg yolks — a few (binder)
Ingredients
- Whole milk — 400 ml (base)
- Heavy cream — 200 ml (creaminess)
- Sweet sherry (oloroso or cream sherry) — 100 ml (curdling agent and flavor)
- Sugar — 50 g (sweetness)
- Egg yolks — 2 (binder)
- Grated nutmeg + 1 pinch cinnamon — to taste (cordial spices)
Method
- Gently heat the milk and cream with nutmeg and cinnamon, without boiling.
- Whisk the egg yolks with sugar in a large bowl.
- Pour the hot milk over the yolks while whisking, then return to very low heat to thicken slightly (do not boil).
- Heat the sherry separately, then pour it into the warm cream: the mixture will begin to curdle delicately.
- Let rest for a few minutes so the texture sets into two layers: thick cream on top, flavorful liquid below.
- Grate a little nutmeg on top and serve warm, with a spoon.
How it was made : The posset was a classic domestic remedy of the 17th–18th centuries, halfway between drink and medicine. The wine (sack, sweet Canary wine or sherry) curdled the hot milk; it was served in special "posset pots" with a spout to drink the liquid beneath the curdled layer. It was believed to have restorative virtues against colds and fatigue.
The contemporary twist : Present it in a small clear glass to show the two layers, a grating of fresh nutmeg on top: a period 'dessert-cordial' that is sure to intrigue.
Sources : Mary Kettilby, A Collection of above Three Hundred Receipts (1714) · Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy (1747)
Anne of Great Britain · Charactorium
