Chef Paul Coachman has revisited ancient recipes from the 18th century, putting his hands on a true treasure in the history of gastronomy, writer Victoria Garin says in an article in the French lepoint magazine.
"Actress Lucinda Ganderton contacted me on Instagram, chatted, and given her passion for old kitchen utensils, she left a lot of things aside for me," Coachman said. There is an old leather book with a damaged and illegible cover. Lucinda paid about $ 55 to buy it at Oxfam's flea market, and she gave it to me. "
British chef Paul Coachman pleased with the treasure gift from Lucinda Ganderton (French Press)
Cooking in the manner of the 18th century
And British Paul Coachman is not a chef like other chefs.
He is fond of the history of cooking in the manner of the 18th century, and he has mastered this profession since he was in the kitchen of the Regency Townhouse in Brighton, which dates back to 1820, where the visitor can travel back in time by enjoying a dish that enables him to taste old desserts and pastries in the old way.
Hours between cookbooks
To prepare his "historic dinner" and ancient cooking lessons he offers from a distance, Coachman spends hours in specialty libraries looking for books on gastronomy and ancient cooking methods.
The manuscript has 150 pages filled with handwritten recipes from foodies or chefs (Getty Images)
Treasure Yellow Leaves
For this reason, for him, Lucinda Ganderton's gift is a true treasure.
The book features 150 pages of yellow papers filled with handwritten recipes by many foodies or chefs.
Obviously, these recipes are not signed, but every now and then, written dates appear in one corner, most of which refer to the 18th century.
The date "1831" written in an almost illegible script on the inside cover of the back of the book indicates that it was prepared in the 19th century. "Despite the few indications that I have been able to analyze, this book is still a mystery, but what matters to me is to be able to Reproduce these dishes. "
The manuscript was written by many hands and appears to belong to a prominent family that organized receptions regularly (Getty-expressionist)
Who is the owner of the manuscript?
How can you explain that it was written by many hands?
And for whom were these dishes?
"Given the spices used and the quantities of flour and eggs required for certain recipes, it seems clear to me that they belong to a prominent family that regularly organizes receptions," Coachman says.
Some pages, such as the recipe for "Mother Eve's Pudding", were written in verses, to facilitate oral transmission to cooks who could not read.
In addition to classic recipes for soups or pastries, the manuscript provides advice for salting and cutting meat, or marinating salmon, as was customary in the 18th century. This book not only talks about cooking, but also indicates the medicinal uses of some herbs and others by boiling, or even Treatments for plague, stomach pain, and dental pain.