A Fin-de-Siécle Supper party…

The tradition was to have an abundance of food at your gathering: evening soirée, dance, ball, whatever.  There were a number of different acceptable formats for providing food to one’s guests: a sit-down dinner at a set time, a sit-down dinner that ranges over a number of hours, whenever guest felt like partaking; a buffet that we set up and replenished throughout the evening.  In general, dinner was an earlier repast, and supper began at midnight, extending until about 4 am, when the party would begin to dissipate into the streets of London…

For our gathering, I would like to provide a buffet supper.  This will include a number of types of foods, usually presented in a format that can be consumed without sitting.  The following are descriptions of the social event, as well as a proper late-Victorian menu, followed by a list of the sorts of foods that are 1) necessary or 2) appropriate.  It would please me greatly if you could choose one item from the lists and sign up to bring it to our repast…  I will add my name next to that which I will be providing.

(You can google phrases to find these passages online.)

“Caviare, truffles, snipe, partridge, oysters, quail, ptarmigan (white grouse), pressed beef, ham, tongue, chicken, galantines, lobster, melons, peaches, nectarines and specially imported jams and biscuits could always be acquired in the hope of pleasing [Edward, the King]. His desires set the tone of extravagance associated with the era.  … Conspicuous consumption by the rich was seen as normal and even desirable. That consumption varied from extensive menus, to newly decorated interiors, costly travel abroad, and sartorial art at its most complex.”

“As nothing would be passed around the Victorian ballroom, a refreshment room was absolutely necessary. Provided in the refreshment room was tea and coffee, ices, biscuits, cakes, cracker-bonbons, cold tongues, and sandwiches.  If a regular supper was served it would be laid in a separate room. To order it in from a confectioner or caterer was the simplest plan, but it often proved somewhat expensive. If provided at home, it was done on a liberal, but not vulgarly profuse, scale. Substantial fare, such as fowls, ham, tongue, etc., was absolutely necessary. Jellies, blanc-mange, trifle, tipsy cake, etc., would be added at discretion. Nothing upon the table would require carving; the fowls would be cut up beforehand, and held together by ribbons. Whatever could be iced would be served in that way.”

“A ball supper was considered the most elaborate repast in the Victorian dining repertoire. … even a cold supper required that a hot soup, preferably Mock Turtle, be served with it. Others, such as in Correct Social Usage, felt that even for a buffet one to four different hot delicacies such as meat croquettes, terrapin and birds, lobster, and a preparation of chicken should be served.

[Menu #1:]

1. Bouillon or green turtle (clear) in cups.
2. Lobster a la Newburg (or terrapin or oyster pate or another hot dish of shell-fish or fowl).
3. A second choice hot dish of some sort, squab, chicken and peas (if supper is served at a special hour) or croquettes and peas if continuous.
4. Salad, which includes every variety known, with or without an aspic.
5. Individual ices, fancy cakes.
6. Black coffee in little cups.

“substantial fare, such as fowls, ham, tongue, turkey, etc. are absolutely necessary.” In other words, don’t skimp on the food. Jellies, blanc-mange, trifle and tipsy-cake were considered welcome additions.  …. The supper was then served in courses with bouillon, terrapin, game, salad and delicacies in pastry shells, a jellied meat, warm rolls, many kinds of sandwiches, a dessert of fruit with cream, ices, cakes, and bonbons.  … Besides the articles enumerated above, Ices, Wafers, Biscuits, Tea, Coffee, Wines and Liqueurs will be required. Punch a la Romaine may also be added to the list of beverages.”

[Menu #2]

1. Puree of Partridge a la Creme. Mock Turtle.
2. Chaufroix of Sole in Aspic.
3. Partridge and Tongue. Lobster in Aspic.
4. Chaufroix of Chicken a la Portugaise.
5. Ballotines of Partridge. Grouse.
6. Game Pie, Ham. Bavarois of Rice a 1′Abricot
7. Peches. Jellies. Cakes, Biscuits.
8. Ices: Apricot Cream and Peach Water. Oysters.”

[Menu #3]

1. Fruit and flowers according to the season;
2. One dish of collared veal;
3. One dish of spiced beef;
4. One boiled capon;
5. One ham;
6. Four roast chickens;
7. Two tongues;
8. Two mock Strasberg pies;
9. Two mock pates de fois gras;
10. 10. Two mayonnaises of salmon or prawns;
11. 11. Two mayonnaises of lobster
12. 12. Two tipsy cakes;
13. 13. Four jellies;
14. 14. Four fruit Charolettes iced;
15. 15. Six creams;
16. 16. Two dishes of jam sandwiches;
17. 17. Two dishes of Italian sandwiches;
18. 18. Two dishes of cheesecakes;
19. 19. Two dishes of Italian sweetmeats;
20. 20. Twelve bottles of champagne;
21. 21. Six bottles of iced punch;
22. 22. Six bottles of sherry;
23. 23. Two bottles of port, &c.

Our menu:

So I was thinking, then, for our menu to include the following:

1. 4 meat appetizers (see above)
2. 4 “mayonnaise” or bruchetta-like dishes (see above)
3. 2 plates of little cucumber sandwiches or similar
4. 1 plate of antipasto (Italian style)
5. 1 plate of foie gras or terrine, with crackers
6. 1 blanc mange or other jellied dish—Karyn
7. Syllabub ( a wine dessert)—Karyn
8. Non-alcoholic punch—Karyn
9. Mini cheesecakes or other petit fours
10. 10. Steampunk cake (only because I hear it is happening…)
11. 11. Coffees and chocolates à la fin—Karyn
12. 12. Other suggestions founded upon your own research.

Note:  Please bring your own drinks in addition to those listed; some will be provide, but unlike the fin de siécle, this is not that posh an event!

Note 2: If anyone is going to splurge with crab or lobster, please make me aware of the ingredients.  Also, are there any other allergies we need to be aware of?  Please let me know.