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Mr Arnott's Currie

Mr Arnott's Currie is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton's recipe of 1845, for a classic Victorian curry of chicken, vegetables and sour apples cooked in a stock paste flavoured with curry powder. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Mr Arnott's Currie.

prep time

15 minutes

cook time

30 minutes

Total Time:

45 minutes

Serves:

6–8

Rating:

Tags : CurrySpice RecipesChicken RecipesFowl RecipesVegetable RecipesBritish Recipes

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

Original Recipe

MR. ARNOTT'S CURRIE.

     Take the heart of a cabbage, and nothing but the heart, that is to say, pull away all the outside leaves until it is about the size of an egg; chop it fine, add to it a couple of apples sliced thin, the juice of one lemon, half a tspful of black pepper, with one large tbspful of my currie-powder, and mix the whole well together. Now take six onions that have been chopped fine and fried brown, a garlic head, the size of a nutmeg, also minced fine, two ounces of fresh butter, two tbspsful of flour, and one pint of strong mutton or beef gravy; and when these articles are boiling, add the former ingredients, and let the whole be well stewed up together: if not hot enough, add cayenne pepper. Next put in a fowl that has been roasted and nicely cut up; or a rabbit; or some lean chops of pork or mutton; or a lobster, or the remains of yesterday's calf head; or anything else you may fancy ; and you will have an excellent currie, fit for kings to partake of.

     "Well! now for the rice! It should be nut into water which should be frequently changed, and should remain in for half an hour at least; this both clears and soaks it. Have your saucepan full of water (the larger the better), and when it boils rapidly, throw the rice into it : it will be done in fifteen minutes. Strain it into a dish, wipe the saucepan dry, return the drained rice into it, and put it over a gentle fire for a few minutes, with a cloth over it: every grain will be separate. When served, do not cover the dish."

     Obs.—We have already given testimony to the excellence of Mr Arnott's currie-powder, but we think the currie itself will be found somewhat too acid for English taste in general, and the proportion of onion and garlic by one half too much for any but well seasoned Anglo-Indian palates. After having tried his method of boiling the rice, we still give the preference to that of Chapter I., page 36.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1 cabbage heart, finely shredded
2 cooking apples, cored and thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 tbsp (heaped) Arnott's curry powder
4 onions, finely chopped and fried in butter until golden brown
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
50g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
600ml strong beef or mutton stock or gravy
2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 roasted chicken, jointed
300g rice soaked in several changes of water

Method:

Melt the butter in a large pan then scatter over the flour and mix to form a smooth roux. Whisk in the stock until smooth then add the garlic and onion. Bring this mixture to a boil then add the cabbage, apples, lemon juice, black pepper, curry powder, cayenne pepper and chicken pieces.

Cook for about 35 minutes, or until the meat is heated through and the sauce is thick.

In the meantime, bring a pan of water to a boil, drain the soaked rice and add to the pan. Bring back to a boil and cook for between 20 and 30 minutes (depending on the type). Drain the rice, put back in the pan then cover with a tea towel and place over a low heat for a few minutes to dry.

Fluff the rice with a fork, turn into a serving dish and serve accompanied with the curry.

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