Mushroom Catsup II is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton's recipe of 1845, for a classic Victorian store sauce of a mushroom juice made by combining mushrooms and salt in a cool oven night to produce a mushroom juice base base that's thickened by boiling and flavoured with black pepper and allspice, ginger and mace. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Mushroom Catsup.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Eliza Acton's 1845 volume Modern Cookery, the first classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
MUSHROOM CATSUP.
(Another Receipt.)
Break a peck of large mushrooms into a deep earthen pan ; strew three quarters of a pound of salt amongst them, and set them into a very cool oven for one night, with a fold of cloth or paper over them. The following day strain off the liquor, measure, and boil it for fifteen minutes; then, for each quart, add an ounce of black pepper, a quarter of an ounce of allspice, half an ounce of ginger, and two large blades of mace, and let it boil fast for twenty minutes longer. When thoroughly cold, put it into bottles, cork them well, and dip the necks into melted bottle-cement, or seal them so as to secure the catsup from the air.
Mushrooms, 1 peck ; salt, 3/4 lb. Liquor to boil, 15 minutes. To each quart, 1/2 oz. black pepper; 3 oz. allspice; 1/2 oz. ginger; 2 blades mace: 20 minutes.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
9l large mature mushroom caps
340g sea salt
For each 1l of Mushroom Liquor:
30g freshly-ground black pepper
7.5g ground allspice
15g ground ginger
2 large blades of mace
Method:
Break the mushroom caps into a large earthenware dish (a casserole is ideal). Strew the salt between each layer of mushrooms as you add them. Cover with a lid then place into an oven pre-heated to 45°C and heat gently over night.
The following day, turn the mushrooms into a fine-meshed sieve and allow the liquid to drain from them into a bowl (do not press down on the mushrooms). When drained, measure the liquid. Pour into a pan, bring to a boil and continue boiling for 15 minutes.
For every litre of mushroom juice add 30g black pepper, 7.5g allspice, 15g ground ginger and 2 large blades of mace. Continue boiling briskly for 20 minutes further then take off the heat and set aside to cool.
Pour the liquid into a lipped jug then pour into sterilized bottles. Stopper these securely then process in a boiling water bath for 40 minutes before setting aside and storing.
