Thomas Hobbes at the table

At a 17th-century gentleman's table, one does not serve a starter then a main then a dessert: one sets out several 'courses' (shared dishes) in two or three successive services. The first course mingles pottages (broths), boiled meats and pies; the second brings roasts, game and delicate meats; one closes with sweet 'banqueting stuffs' and hot spiced drinks (possets, caudles). On lean days prescribed by the Church, fish replaces meat.

The husk and the seed of the same fruit (the nutmeg tree) perfume almost everything in English baroque cooking: savoury pies, sweet possets, spiced fish. Along with verjuice (sour green grape juice), it is the aromatic signature of a cuisine that loves to marry meat, dried fruits and sweetness.