Adding that final touch: Regency garnishes

If you decide to have a go at yesterday’s meat masterpiece, calf’s head hash, you may want a touch of greenery to really set the dish off. Or how about a garnish of crispy fried breadcrumbs to add that extra crunch?

These three garnish recipes were transcribed by our Unknown Ladies from Dr William Kitchiner’s Cook’s Oracle:

Regency recipes for a selection of garnishes: fried parsley, crisp parsley and fried breadcrumbs

Fried Parsley

Let it be nicely picked & washed, then put into a cloth and swung back & forwards till perfectly dry. Then put it into a pan of hot fat, fry it quick and have a slice ready to take it out the moment it is crisp. Put it on a sieve, before the fire, to drain.

Crisp Parsley

Pick  & wash young parsley. Shake it in a dry cloth to drain the water from it. Spread it on a sheet of clean paper in a Dutch oven before the fire and turn it frequently till quite crisp.

Fried Bread Crumbs

Rub stale bread through a cullander or in a cloth till quite fine. Put them into a stew pan with a couple of ounces of butter. Place it over a moderate fire and stir them about with a wooden spoon till they are the colour of a guinea. Spread them on a sieve and let them stand ten minutes to drain, turning frequently.