Another Walnut Catsup

Another Walnut Catsup is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton's recipe of 1845, for a classic Victorian store sauce made from a blend of pounded greens walnuts, shallots, garlic salt and vinegar that are macerated together before being strained and where the liquid is boiled with anchovies and spices before being poured off and bottled. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Another Walnut Catsup.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

160 minutes

Total Time:

180 minutes

Additional Time:

(+steeping)

Makes:

6 bottles

Rating:

Tags : Sauce Recipes Vegetarian Recipes Spice Recipes Vegetable Recipes British Recipes

This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Eliza Acton's 1845 volume Modern Cookery, the first classic Victorian cookbook.

Original Recipe

ANOTHER GOOD RECEIPT FOR WALNUT CATSUP.

Beat a hundred green walnuts in a large marble mortar until they are thoroughly bruised and broken, and then put them into a stone jar, with half a pound of eschalots, cut in slices, one head of garlic, half a pound of salt, and two quarts of vinegar ; let them stand for ten days, and stir them night and morning. Strain off the liquor, and boil it for half an hour with the addition of two ounces of anchovies, two of whole pepper, half an ounce of cloves, and two drachms of mace; skim it well, strain it off, and when it is quite cold pour it gently from the sediment (which may be reserved for flavouring common sauces) into small dry bottles, secure it from air by sound corking, and store it in a dry place.

Walnuts, 100; eschalots, 1/2 lb.; garlic, 1 head, salt, 1/2 lb.; vinegar 2 quarts : 10 days. Anchovies, 2 oz.; black pepper, 2 oz ; mace, 1/4 oz.: cloves, 1/2 oz. : 1/2 hour.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

100 green walnuts
225g shallots, peeled and sliced
1 head of garlic, cloves separated and bruised
225g sea salt
2l vinegar
60g anchovies, chopped
60g whole black peppercorns
15g cloves
1/16 tsp ground mace

Method:

Pound the walnuts in a mortar then place in a non reactive bowl or casserole and mix in the shallots, salt and vinegar. Set aside to steep for ten days, stirring them each morning and evening during this time.

When the ten days are up, strain off the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve (do not press down on the solids). When all the liquid has drained off, pour the liquid into a pan and add the anchovies, black pepper, cloves and mace. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 2 hours.

Skim the surface then take off the heat and strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve lined with a double layer of muslin. Pour into a lipped jug and set aside to cool.

Pour into washed and sterilized bottles. Stopper these securely then process in a boiling water bath for 40 minutes before storing.

Find more Eliza Acton Recipes Here and more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here.