flipSack posset — curdled milk with Spanish wine, eggs and nutmeg
Sack posset — curdled milk with Spanish wine, eggs and nutmeg
Why this dish? Hobbes enjoyed wine in moderation, and 'sack' (fortified Spanish wine) was the noble drink of England in his time. Warm posset, drunk after supper, was both a festive treat and a restorative against cold English nights.
A creamy, warm beverage: creamy milk curdled with sweetened spiced Spanish wine, bound with egg yolks. Between drinkable custard and grog, a classic of the English sweet 'banquet'.
When night falls cold on the moor and philosophical dispute has heated the mind, nothing like a good posset to bring the body back to harmony. One heats the sack with sugar and nutmeg, then pours in the boiling milk from on high, and behold the wonder: the whole turns into soft curds under a light froth. I drank a small cup, never more, for I have always held drunkenness to be the dissolution of judgment. But one cup, sir — one cup is a pleasure that reason permits.
- •Sack (fortified Spanish wine, like sherry) — a glass (acidic and alcoholic agent)
- •Whole milk and cream — a bowl (base)
- •Egg yolks — two or three (binder)
- •Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- •Nutmeg and mace — grated (spices)
Sack posset — curdled milk with Spanish wine, eggs and nutmeg
A creamy, warm beverage: creamy milk curdled with sweetened spiced Spanish wine, bound with egg yolks. Between drinkable custard and grog, a classic of the English sweet 'banquet'.
Why this dish? Hobbes enjoyed wine in moderation, and 'sack' (fortified Spanish wine) was the noble drink of England in his time. Warm posset, drunk after supper, was both a festive treat and a restorative against cold English nights.
When night falls cold on the moor and philosophical dispute has heated the mind, nothing like a good posset to bring the body back to harmony. One heats the sack with sugar and nutmeg, then pours in the boiling milk from on high, and behold the wonder: the whole turns into soft curds under a light froth. I drank a small cup, never more, for I have always held drunkenness to be the dissolution of judgment. But one cup, sir — one cup is a pleasure that reason permits.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sack (fortified Spanish wine, like sherry) — a glass (acidic and alcoholic agent)
- Whole milk and cream — a bowl (base)
- Egg yolks — two or three (binder)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- Nutmeg and mace — grated (spices)
Ingredients
- Dry or medium sherry (or Madeira) — 120 ml (acidic/alcoholic agent)
- Whole milk — 300 ml (base)
- Heavy cream — 100 ml (creaminess)
- Egg yolks — 3 (binder)
- Sugar — 40 g (sweetness)
- Freshly grated nutmeg — 1 pinch (spice)
Method
- Gently heat the sherry with half the sugar and a pinch of nutmeg, without boiling, in a wide-rimmed cup.
- Whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar, stir in a little cold cream.
- Bring the milk and cream almost to a boil, remove from heat, whisk in the yolks.
- Pour this hot mixture from a good height over the warm wine: the casein curdles on contact with the acid and the posset sets.
- Let rest 5 min: a froth forms on top, creamy curds below. Grate nutmeg on top and serve warm, to eat with a spoon or drink.
How it was made : Posset was drunk from special 'posset pots' with a spout: one sipped the liquid through the spout and ate the curds on top with a spoon. It was at once a festive treat, a fortifier and an evening remedy against chills.
The contemporary twist : Dessert version: poured into pretty glasses and set in the fridge, it is the direct ancestor of the British posset served in restaurants today.
Sources : Hannah Woolley, The Queen-like Closet (1670) · Kenelm Digby, The Closet Opened (1669)
Thomas Hobbes · Charactorium
