For the Fancy at Heart
Whether you enjoy indulging in extravagant desserts or simply making themed feasts, there are plenty of delightful delicacies from the Victorian era to inspire your next lunch or dinner. With that in mind, here are 20 dishes that will stun at your next party.
1. Crumpets
Crumpets are best known for their versatility, as the basis is a thick and spongy baked dessert that can be topped off with anything from jam to cream to curd. Typically served sweet, it’s a fancier alternative to most breads.
2. Yorkshire Pudding
Despite having pudding in its name, Yorkshire Pudding is actually a savory dish made with batter, meats, and gravy. It’s also pretty beautiful to look at, making it quite a showstopper at any table.
3. Shepherd’s Pie
Unlike chicken pot pie, Shepherd’s pie takes advantage of lean mutton, which can even be substituted with ground beef. Either way, you want to make a potato-topped pie and fill it with thick gravy and meats for an exceptionally decadent dish.
4. Treacle Tart
A Treacle tart is a gorgeous little pastry that’s made with an extremely sweet filling. You need the usual ingredients like butter, eggs, and cream, and you can enjoy a dessert that has been around since 1883.
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5. Mincemeat
You’ve probably offhandedly heard about mincemeat, but did you know it’s a dish in itself? Typically, this mixture would be made around Christmas to use as filling for hand pies. It’s essentially a mixture of unwanted meats and dried fruits.
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6. Full English Breakfast
If you’re thinking about hosting a brunch, why not go all-in with a full English offering? Essentially, you’ll need fried eggs, bacon, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, sausages, and probably some form of toast or scones.
7. Roast Goose With Stuffing
Prince Albert and Queen Victoria led the tradition for serving roast goose and stuffing on Christmas. Not only was this a very elaborate centerpiece, but their use of herb-based stuffing and a long slow-roast made it quite unique.
8. Tea Sandwiches
Of course, there’s no issue with keeping things light, especially if you’re thinking of doing a tea and biscuits kind of aesthetic. There are so many different tea sandwiches to choose from. You could do the classic cucumbers or spice it up with some chicken salad or smoked salmon.
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9. Raized Pie
Straight from Queen Victoria’s own court, raized pie was one of her very favorite dishes. It was essentially a turkey stuffed with a chicken stuffed with a pheasant. Perhaps it’s a long-lost ancestor of the turducken.
10. Raspberry Summer Pudding
The Victorians had no shortage of puddings and excuses to make them. Summer pudding in particular had to be left overnight to ensure over-ripe berry juice would soak into bread and soften it. Then all that was left to do was decorate it.
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11. Brown Windsor Soup
Another hearty and decadent dish, probably best served on those colder winter months, is none other than Queen Victoria’s brown Windsor soup. Made with heft amounts of stock, beef, and lamb, this bowl is like a warm hug.
12. Pigeon Pie
Likely reserved for special occasions, pigeon pie did in fact involve using pigeon meat, which was abundant enough at the time. Aside from that, the pie had a thick crust and would be carefully decorated to serve as the centerpiece at any table.
13. Bread and Butter Pudding
When in doubt, make another pudding. This one was more tailored to the peasant class as it was easy to make with few ingredients. The idea was to take stale bread that was no longer needed and use beef marrow before enriching it with the usual sugars and spices.
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14. Macaroni Cheese
Of course, not all foods have to be especially luxurious or difficult. In fact, the Victorians also enjoyed macaroni cheese, although they also used plenty of butter and breadcrumbs and baked it in rectangular trays before serving up slices.
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15. Vanilla Blancmange
While the blancmange is actually French in origin, the Victorians were eager to give it their own twist. They elevated the pastry by adding their own decorative molds and garnishing it with edible flowers.
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16. Rabbit Pudding
Another pudding to consider, and one that may be trickier to create, is rabbit pudding. Hearty and warm meats are carefully laden inside a pastry to protect the texture. If you do have access to rabbit and want to try something new, this might be the way to go.
17. Traditional Victoria Sponge
If you want to give your dinner guests a little history lesson with their meal, consider making a traditional Victoria sponge. All you need to do is bake it in a deep rectangular pan, slice it up into squares, and serve with strawberry jam – preferably with some tea in a garden.
18. Saffron Buns
If you’d rather just make a side dish, consider saffron buns, which were all the rage due to their lightly spiced texture and golden appearance. You only need a bit of baking expertise, but these buns mostly shape themselves.
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19. Syrup Sponge Pudding
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without at least one more mention of pudding. This was another economical option, as all it required was using golden syrup and some sponge cake to create a soft and luxurious treat.
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20. Battenberg Cake
This cake gets its name after Prince Louis of Battenberg. The cake was made as a treat for Queen Victoria’s granddaughter when she married the prince, and it’s best known for its checkered pattern and marzipan wrapping.
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