Serving 19th c. Style – Dinner Parties | If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Serving 19th c. Style – Dinner Parties

Tidbits for Dinner Parties…

Mrs. L. — Will you give me some idea of the best method of setting out and arranging a dinner table, for a party of sixteen, or twenty.

Mrs. B. — Fashion, the great arbiter of every thing connected with social life, varies the nature of the courses, and the quantity of viands which must be placed at one time upon the table; so that the dinner which might be considered as elegant at one time would have an air of vulgarity at another; particular directions, therefore, on this part of your inquiry, can scarcely be given, though by describing a dinner of three courses, for the present time, some idea may be given, which may be modified to any future change of fashion.

Thus, in the middle of the table is generally an epergne, filled with either real or artificial flowers, or it may contain a salad ornamented. A dish offish is placed at each end of the table, one boiled and the other either fried or stewed : the requisite sauces being placed between these dishes and the epergne. Two tureens of soup, one white and the other brown, may be placed on a line with the fish, or on each side of the epergne. This is the usual plan of the first course. The second may consist of roasted and stewed meat, at the top and bottom of the table: —the choice of these must depend upon what happens to be in season. On each side of the epergne, where the soup was placed in the first course, may now be boiled chickens and a tongue, or a small ham, varnished and decorated. Between the top dishes and the epergne two small made dishes, or tureens with sauce, may fill up that space. The four corners must have covered dishes, which may contain either curry, patties, palates, riseaux, fricassee of mutton-chops, stewed rump-steaks, stewed mushrooms, stewed cucumbers, or any similar viands. Other vegetables are on a side-table, to be handed round by the servants. On removing this course, the epergne may be taken away; and, at some fashionable parties, a small table-cloth or napkin, which covers part of the table only, is also withdrawn. A third course generally consists either of two dishes of game, or of some kind of poultry, at each end of the table ; or there may be but one dish of game at the bottom of the table and at the top a large dish of asparagus, sea-kale, or peas; in the centre may be a trifle, or some kind of fancy confectionary. The intermediate spaces, in the length of the table, may be occupied with a dish of prawns, at one end, neatly set up, and at the other by lobster-salad or a prepared crab. On one side of the centre dish may be a light pudding, on the other a tart or macaroni. At the corners, jellies, blancmange, tartlets, creams, or any other fancy confectionary.

The wines are placed upon the table at first, in six decanters, one of each being placed at each corner of the table, and one on each side of the epergne, whilst two bottles of some light French or Rhenish wine, undecanted and corked, and placed in silver or plated vases, fill up a space between the epergne and each end of the table. Small decanters of water, covered with an inverted tumbler, should be placed by every second guest, but malt liquors, cider, soda-water, ginger-beer, or similar beverages, are handed by the attendants when called for. In the interval of each course, champaign, hock, burgundy, or barsac, are handed round to each guest.. Cheese, with a fresh salad, follows the third course, and a glass of port wine is generally offered by the servants to each of the gentlemen.

When, according to the continental fashion, the cloth is allowed to remain on the table; or, according to the more general custom of this country, before it is removed, a silver, or a china or glass dish, containing rose-water, is passed round the table, into which each guest dips the corner of his table- napkin, for the purpose of refreshing his mouth and fingers, prior to the appearance of the dessert.

The dessert necessarily varies with the season: when that will admit of ripe fruits, the most important, such as grapes, pine-apples, peaches, or apricots, must of course occupy the ends of the table; while the inferior fruits, such as strawberries and raspberries, with preserves and dried fruits, fill the corners and sides of the table. A Savoy cake, on an elevated dish, is very proper for the centre; wafers, and any other cakes, may fill up any spaces in the length of the table. In the summer a China pail of ice is generally placed at each end of the table, and served out on glass plates before the wine is circulated. Sometimes Noyeau, Curacoa, Dantzic, Constantia, or some other liquor, is handed to the guests in small glasses, immediately after the ice has been served; the pails and glass plates are removed before the servants leave the room.

The decanted wines placed on the table during dinner are white wines; either madeira, sherry, or bu9ellus; those circulated after dinner are port, madeira, and claret. Claret is generally contained in a decanter with a handle, and of a peculiar form. Directions to the cook should always be closed with strict injunctions to be punctual to time, and to send everything, which is intended to be eaten hot, to table in proper season. Carelessness in these two particulars should not oe passed over without reprimand ; and if the fault be repeated, it might be as well to part with a servant, who has either undertaken a place without possessing for it sufficient qualifications, or who is indifferent to the comfort of her master and mistress, to whom it is a most disagreeable circumstance to be anticipating for a length of time the announcement of dinner, and when announced, to find every thing either chilled or overdone.

The butler, or footman, should be furnished with a plan of the dinner, drawn out in an intelligible manner, so that he may know how to arrange the dishes on the table: for as much of the elegance of effect, which is always desirable on a dinner-table, is produced by this arrangement, it ought not to be trusted to the taste or judgment of a servant. The diagrams I now show you are specimens of the usual manner in which this is done: (SEE PAGE 60 -62 FOR TABLE LAYOUTS)

The butler and footman should have every thing in the neatest order, at the side-board and on the table; with a sufficient quantity of glasses, knives, forks, spoons, &c. in the room. They should be quiet and rapid in their movements; observant in supplying changes of plates, and in attending to the demands of each guest. The courses should be quickly removed, but without bustle.

It is always proper, if no housekeeper or butler be kept, that the mistress of her family should give very minute directions to the footman, to prepare the plate the day before a dinner-party is to be given. Wax lights should be in readiness, and the lamps, particularly those not in common use, should be cleaned, and trimmed.

The table, which is to be used, must be so proportioned to the size of the party, as neither to inconvenience the guests, by over-crowding them, nor yet to admit of too much space, which has always an uncomfortable appearance. The glasses of every description should look clean and bright; and the water in the decanters should be clear, and without sediment. The wines, when not in charge of a butler, should be given out in good time, to be properly decanted and cooled.

I am afraid you will think that these directions are more minute than is requisite ; but I know that many a young housekeeper has been amazed at the bustle and confusion apparent amongst her servants at the hour of dinner, and has been mortified at the difficulty of procuring what was required, without being aware, that, had she previously enforced regulations like these, she would have brought them into such habits of order and method, as would have enabled them to discharge their duties easily and quietly. When once good habits are formed in our servants, they will seldom require such minute attention; for perceiving the advantages they themselves derive from them, they will generally continue the practice of them. Such servants will, of their own accord, clean and put away into their proper places, all the various articles which belong to their different departments. Confusion and breakage will be thus avoided, and the ordinary business of the following day not much interrupted. (Domestic Duties by William Parkes)

COMPANY SUPPERS.

The ingenuity of the genteel economist is as often taxed to contrive supper things as in arranging dinners, which admit of less temporizing. Economy, good taste, and neatness, can however do much, even with slender means, where the chief organ to be propitiated is the eye ; for the lateness of modern dinner-hours has now, almost universally, changed suppers from a solid meal into a light showy refreshment.

It is said that ladies are the best critics in suppers, while gentlemen are better qualified to decide on the more substantial business of the dinner-table. Ladies are unquestionably more conversant with the things on which the elegance of a supper depends, — namely, the beautiful shapes and arrangement of china, glass, linen, fruits, foliage, flowers, colours, lights, ornamental confectionary, and all the other natural and artificial embellishments of the table. Articles, so beautiful in themselves, cannot fail, if tastefully disposed, to gratify the eye, however slender the repast with which they are intermixed.

When a formal substantial supper is set out, the principal dishes are understood to be roasted game or poultry, cold meats sliced, ham, tongue, collared and potted things, grated beef, Bologna sausage, Dutch herring, kipper, highly- seasoned pies of game, &c. &c. with occasionally soup — an addition to modern suppers which, after the heat and fatigue of a ball-room, or large party, is found peculiarly grateful and restorative. Minced white meats, lobsters, oysters, collared eels, and crawfish dressed in various forms ; sago, rice, the more delicate vegetables, poached eggs, scalloped potatoes, are all suitable articles of the solid kind. To these are added, ices, cakes, tarts, possets, creams, jellies in glasses or shapes, custards, preserved or dried fruits, pancakes, fritters, puffs, tartlets, grated cheese, butter in little shapes, sandwiches ; and the catalogue of the more stimulating dishes, as anchovy toasts, grilled bones, Welsh, English, and Scotch rabbits, roasted onions, salmagundi, smoked sausages sliced, many of the things the French nani£ hors d’oeuvres, and those other preparations which are best adapted to what among ancient bon-viwmts was called the rere-supper, or ” supper next morning.”

A supper table should neither be too much crowded nor too much scattered and broken with minute dishes. Any larder moderately stored will furnish a few substantial articles for supper on an emergency; and a few sweet things readily prepared, or purchased, with patties, shellfish, and fruits, will do the rest, if the effect of contrasted colours, flavours, and forms, be understood ; and that light and graceful disposition of trifles which is the chief art in setting off such entertainments. Where small apartments, and crowded parties introduce the custom of standing suppers, the same cold dishes are suitable, served on high tables, and eaten on one’s knee, or standing.

French wines have become an article of ambitious display at fashionable suppers, even in families of the middle rank. Where they can be afforded in excellence ‘ and variety, nothing can be more appropriate to a light, showy, exhilarating repast (The Cook and Housewife’s Manual By Christian Isobel Johnstone)