Look, we all love a good ragout, but this is taking it way, way too far.

Recipe: A Salpicon

As the authors of 1737’s The Whole Duty of a Woman put it, “A Salpicon is a Sort of Ragoo.” Bless them and their phonetic spelling of ragout, but look at this pantry emptier of a recipe:

“A Salpicon is a Sort of Ragoo, so called, and is used in great Dishes of roast Meat, in the first Course, such as Chines of Beef or Mutton, Barons of Beef, and Quarters of Mutton or Veal, &c. It is made as follows:

Get some Cucumbers, cut them in Dice, and lay them in a Dish to marinate in Vinegar, Pepper and Salt, and an Onion or two, cut in Slices; cut some of the Lean of a Ham of Bacon in Dice; take some Mushroom and Truffles, the Breasts of Pullets, fat Livers and Veal Sweetbreads. Squeeze the Cucumbers, toss them up in a Sauce-pan over a Stove with a little melted Bacon; moisten them with Gravy, and let them simmer in it over a gentle Fire; then take the Fat clean off: Set over a Stove another Sauce-pan with a little melted Bacon, into which put the Ham you had cut in Dice, a few Cives and a little Parsley. Mince the Mushrooms, Truffles, and Sweetbreads, and toss them up all the Ingredients together, and then moisten them with some Gravy, season them with Pepper, Salt, and a Bunch of Herbs; and when they have simmered a while in it, take off all the Fat; when they are almost enough, put to them the fat Livers, and the Breasts of your Pullets cut in Dice; then bind your Sapicon with some Cullis of Veal and Ham, and some Essence of Ham. When the Cucumbers are ready, bind them likewise with the same Cullis, and put the whole into the same Sauce-pan, that is to say, put the Ragoo of Cucumbers into the Salpicon.

Make a Hole in your Piece of roast Meat, in the Part you think most convenient; for Example, if it be a Quarter of Veal or Mutton, make it in the Leg; and having taken out the Flesh, that may serve for some other Use, put the Salpicon in the Room of it.

A Salpicon may be served in a Dish by itself.”

— The Whole Duty of a Woman… 1737 (p. 294-295)

When do I get to stir the vat of meat, Mom?

Step 1

Let’s mull this over for a moment before we begin.

I guess it could be served in a dish by itself. Good grief! This recipe is, as my Gran used to say, a doozy.

Basically, this is a cucumber chicken sauce for red meat. I think. I’m honestly not sure what it would be like.

Step 2

“A Salpicon is a Sort of Ragoo, so called, and is used in great Dishes of roast Meat, in the first Course, such as Chines of Beef or Mutton, Barons of Beef, and Quarters of Mutton or Veal, &c. It is made as follows:”

You can apparently use Salpicon on any of this.

Translation:

Salpicon is a sauce for red meat, basically.

Step 3

“Get some Cucumbers, cut them in Dice, and lay them in a Dish to marinate in Vinegar, Pepper and Salt, and an Onion or two, cut in Slices;”

Put those cucumbers in dice now.

Translation:

Okay, so this sounds like a quick pickle to me. Diced cucumbers, onions, salt and pepper, vinegar–that’s a quick pickle, kids.

Step 4

“take some Mushroom and Truffles,”

You know, just any old truffles you have laying around.

Translation:

I will admit I love mushrooms (and truffles, if you can get them) with red meat. But again, mushrooms, cucumbers, and red meat? You’re gonna have to convince me this isn’t a mistake.

Step 5

“the Breasts of Pullets, fat Livers and Veal Sweetbreads.”

Chicken breasts belong in your beef sauce apparently.

Translation:

This is getting out of control. Now we add chicken, livers of whatever animal you have available apparently, and veal sweetbreads. Please recall, this is a sauce for red meat.

Step 6

“Squeeze the Cucumbers, toss them up in a Sauce-pan over a Stove with a little melted Bacon;”

I never thought I would say this, but I’m not sure everything is better with bacon.

Translation:

Now bacon? Bacon and cucumbers. (I deeply respect the concept of melted bacon, though. Deeply.)

Step 7

“Mince the Mushrooms, Truffles, and Sweetbreads, and toss them up all the Ingredients together, and then moisten them with some Gravy, season them with Pepper, Salt, and a Bunch of Herbs; and when they have simmered a while in it, take off all the Fat; when they are almost enough, put to them the fat Livers, and the Breasts of your Pullets cut in Dice; then bind your Salpicon with some Cullis of Veal and Ham, and some Essence of Ham. When the Cucumbers are ready, bind them likewise with the same Cullis, and put the whole into the same Sauce-pan, that is to say, put the Ragoo of Cucumbers into the Salpicon.”

There’s so much stuff in this pan that this must be the size you need.

Translation:

Now we’re simmering it all in sauce (I assume gravy is pan drippings) on the stove and adding HAM to the mix along with chives and parsley. I love that they spell chives as “Cives.” I see the word “Cullis” and think coulis, but I’m not entirely sure what we’re talking about here. Judging by the term “Essence of Ham” in the same context, I’m going to go assume that they mean a demi-glace, or reduced stock. So, demi-glace of ham and demi-glace of veal. You know, stuff every cook has on hand (I hope you can hear me rolling my eyes).

Step 8

“Make a Hole in your Piece of roast Meat, in the Part you think most convenient; for Example, if it be a Quarter of Veal or Mutton, make it in the Leg; and having taken out the Flesh, that may serve for some other Use, put the Salpicon in the Room of it.”

Just, like, make a hole in it.

Translation:

Basically, you’re carving out a bowl in the middle of your roasted red meat. And into that hole, you’re pouring your cucumber, mushroom, chicken, ham ragout. Enjoy?