Hey Michael is this a pancake or a pudding? Yes it's got a lot of cream a lot of eggs
in it and some supporting cast to kind of hold it together but it's a fried pudding.
Welcome to 18th century cooking I'm your host Jon Townsend. We have a special guest
in the cabin today the first time we've had somebody some guest in the cabin to cook
Michael Dragoo, welcome Michael Thank you sir very much.
And what is this recipe?
It's from um the what we call the Martha Washington cookbook
um it's her first husband Daniel presented her with a family book of receipts
right when they got married and this
is one of those receipts and it's um it's called "to make a fried pudding take eight eggs leave
out four of the whites a good porringer of cream grated bread and sifted through a colander put it
in sugar cinnamon and nutmeg" oh yeah
"when it is well seasoned beat all well together it must not be so thick as for a pudding nor so
thin as for pancakes you must put in a good many currants a handful of wheat flour put this into a
frying pan and keep it continually stirred over a quick fire fry it in good butter and turn it
with a pie plate like a tansy and fry the other side then serve it up with sugar strewn upon it"
It's a fun recipe and it seems like they're a little confused at times aren't you it's like
it's a pudding it's not a pudding make it thick enough for a pudding no no don't not too thick.
Not too think, that's right Right and then they even give us
directions about how to flip it over when you know you don't tell people how to flip things over.
It's almost like an omelette with some fruit in it it really is it's I wasn't expecting
to like it I really enjoy it, I've made it several times. And as a pudding it reminds me of a a modern
recipe that we have in our family which is a German pancake which is actually baked and
so that you don't have to flip it over it's like you know it's like a super thick pancake is what
it is so this must be kind of similar to that. Yeah, eggs and whole whipping cream and then
just enough bread crumbs and a little bit of flour to bind it up it's pretty sloppy until
the very end.
This episode is brought to you by "Colonial Comfort Foods" this is Michael Dragoo's brand new cookbook it'll be available September 16th on our website you can find a link
down in the description section. Michael can you tell us a little bit about this cookbook?
Sure these are recipes that bring your family history to life I use my own examples
from France to England to the colonies I've got over 75 recipes in there from those different
places those different stops along the way and the book is meant as an encouragement for you
to find your own examples from wherever you're from and get your family together and celebrate
your family history in a manner that is much more in depth than little boxes on a piece of paper.
It's full of great recipes. Thank you
I can't believe I'm saying this but this thing could actually use some more nutmeg.
I think we have got
this mixed, this is much thinner than today's box pancake mixes would be and we're working at a
lot more than we would that pancake mix. This is more along the lines of a batter that you'd
use for dipping a chicken or something in than a pancake batter but that's what we're going for.
Okey doke, I think these babies are done. These are more of the consistency of a crepe
than a pancake you're used to they're thin very flavorful with the fruit in them the
recipe asks that we sprinkle sugar over the top I want to try and we're going to
do two of them like that but I want to try something different and this is a recipe for
my new cookbook also it's a simple recipe it's hard-boiled eggs that you've coarsely
chopped in melted butter with salt and pepper and we're used to eating pancakes with eggs I
thought well let's try this so it may work and it may not but we're gonna find out.
Here we go there which one are you doing first? I'm gonna try this sweet version
All right me too to see just what we've got here with your
now the recipe called for currants but you didn't use currants in this right?
No I couldn't find currents so I used cranberries and dried blueberries.
I like it Now personally I think I would call it a pancake
um now I think it's great the idea of using the cranberries in here perfect substitute
North American substitute for currants that you wouldn't be able to get as easily and
cranberries are one of those things that are you know we've got a great quantity
of they had a little bit of tartness yep compared to currents and boy they're good.
Yep, I think I would put I'm so used to putting syrup on pancakes I would add a
little syrup just to get a little more moist it's kind of dry to me but it tastes great.
You could use a pudding sauce you know we could put the the butter and the
wine and sugar together make a amazing pudding sauce um I think she calls it a pudding because
or the author because it's got the fruit in it if it didn't have the fruit in it I think
they would just call it pancakes. Super good, okay so okay that's good. Now we have the savory version
here. This is going to be salty peppery eggy. Salty pepper eggy so almost breakfast casserole.
That's what I'm hoping for going in hmm I like better.
You like this better? I like the salt and pepper better.
I do too I think the salt is amazingly good in this and the pepper.
She didn't call for salt in the batter all right if I were doing it again and I would
useing the sugar I might add a little salt I think so but also my fruit was dried and I don't know
if fresh fruit she doesn't say she just says adds currants and currants are little guys.
Well they could be two different kinds but um I think it's a that's a good call and
um normally okay let's just say that the eggs don't look beautiful on this. This is
not presentation wow that's the most beautiful thing in the world but like they're good they're
good in here this even though it isn't gorgeous it does give you this amazing breakfast savory
thing going on which we would not expect who puts salt and pepper on their pancakes?
Well I might from now on this is good maybe this is really good I'm amazed.
You just keep talking because I'm digging in here. Really, really good.
Wonderful recipes, these come from Michael's new cookbook Colonial Comfort foods make sure to check out the link down in the
description section again thank you Michael for coming in thanks for bringing in these wonderful
recipes and thank you for coming along as we savor the flavors and the aromas of the 18th century.