Seventeenth Century Feast

24 November 1987. This is part of the Food Frome film project. Recipes have been collected, producers interviewed and filmed, and the cooking, serving and eating of the feast itself have now been filmed.

The film aims to replicate the kind of food the Duke of Monmouth may have received in Frome in 1685, just a few days before his defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor, the last battle to take place on English soil.

We hope that the film will be shown at the 2008 Frome Festival.

Just to whet your appetites, here is the menu. Details of recipes to follow.

ON ARRIVAL
Sparkling cider
Olives
Jumbolds

AT THE TABLE
1
Pease potage – made with peas grown and dried in Frome gardens
For meat eaters – ham

2
Herb sausages – Frome-made
Pickled herring
Roast partridge with quince and prunes spiced compote
Grand Salad

3
Stewed venison stewed in red wine
Sweet potatoes cooked in butter, vinegar and rose water
Mushrooms stewed in wine

Diet bread with sage and fennel

4
All sorts of tarts: damson, wild yellow plum, pineapple and raspberry
Quince cream
Cabbage cream

5
Local cheeses

6
Tea, macaroons and Nunns biskets

Cider was served through the early courses, and then French wines, to reflect the fact that by 1685 there was a large trade in French wines, much of it coming through Bristol