This is my 3rd suggestion for a groom's cake inspired from Jane Austen's Emma. It's a dessert for Robert Martin, a minor character who gets the reader's sympathy when the imprudent Miss Woodhouse tampers with his affairs.
The most neglected groom
The other men who find wives in Emma have the advantage of substantial fortunes or -at least- respectable positions. The tenant of Abbey Mill is certainly not poor but it's not difficult for Emma to persuade her friend of Robert's being inferior to a vicar. Much to our disappointment, not even M. Knighley -who is obviously a better judge of men- is able to cancel Emma's plans. The irony is that Harriet is already in love with Robert, unwittingly confirming the gentleman's opinion. (The extract from Chapter 8: "'Nonsense, arrant nonsense, as ever was talked!' cried M. Knightley. 'Robert Martin's manners have sense, sincerity, and good-humour to recommend them; and his mind has more true gentility than Harriet Smith could understand.") However simple-minded, Miss Smith is touched by Robert Martin's kindness and flattered by his offer, which comes so unexpectedly. After all, her own status is precarious: despite having placed her in M. Goddard's school where she was able to get an education, her father remains hidden.
The most neglected groom
The other men who find wives in Emma have the advantage of substantial fortunes or -at least- respectable positions. The tenant of Abbey Mill is certainly not poor but it's not difficult for Emma to persuade her friend of Robert's being inferior to a vicar. Much to our disappointment, not even M. Knighley -who is obviously a better judge of men- is able to cancel Emma's plans. The irony is that Harriet is already in love with Robert, unwittingly confirming the gentleman's opinion. (The extract from Chapter 8: "'Nonsense, arrant nonsense, as ever was talked!' cried M. Knightley. 'Robert Martin's manners have sense, sincerity, and good-humour to recommend them; and his mind has more true gentility than Harriet Smith could understand.") However simple-minded, Miss Smith is touched by Robert Martin's kindness and flattered by his offer, which comes so unexpectedly. After all, her own status is precarious: despite having placed her in M. Goddard's school where she was able to get an education, her father remains hidden.
A rustic wedding-cake
Even when Harriet accepts Robert's proposal, nothing is said about their wedding. Of course, it wasn't necessary. Yet this as well as other things convince me that Robert Martin has been the most neglected groom. So what about his party? Considering his means, it's likely that his guests were offered something plain as well as bride cake. Perhaps this was my chance to look into bride's pie but I'm afraid salted recipes are not the subject of this blog. However, rice pudding could actually have been served at Robert & Harriet's wedding. Of all the puddings featured in cookbooks old enough to make them important, this sort of pudding is the best -given the old custom of tossing rice (or other grains) at weddings. Looking up sources from the Early Modern period, I was delighted to find that Gervase Markham (whose Banbury cake I adapted for M. Knightley's feast) includes a recipe, which is perhaps the earliest version of rice pudding. However, The Accomplisht Cook is also packed with recipes for the traditional dessert.
The Accomplisht Cook
Although not employed by a King like several other cooks who published medieval, Rennaissance & Early Modern recipes, Robert May had been trained in France for 5 years and worked for several noble families after returning home. The Accomplisht Cook was published in 1660 and quickly became a success. It was arranged in 24 parts with an emphasis on meat & fish recipes as well Christmas food. Puddings were also treated in detail. Several recipes were dated from the Middle Ages but there were also dishes inspired from the extravagant cuisine the author had learnt in Paris. The rice pudding that I chose for Robert and Harriet's party was also rather exotic because it was enriched with spice and fruits imported from the Orient.
The pudding I adapted is featured in a section of The Accomplisht Cook which is about meat. Several versions made with rice are given in this part, along with cinnamon, almond & classic salted puddings. (A whole chapter devoted to sweet puddings was added further below.) Here is the original text: "_Other
rice puddings._Steep your rice in milk over night, and next morning
drain it, and boil it with cream, season it with sugar being cold, and
eggs, beef-suet, salt, nutmegs, cloves, mace, currans, dates, &c." One thing I like about this version in particular is that it's filled with stuff that's also used for bride cakes. This makes the pudding good enough for special occasions. However, I wasn't very keen to add suet or lard, no matter how important in English cuisine before the 19th century. Thankfully, The Accomplisht Cook features several rice puddings using butter so I was able to make a combination.
GROOM'S CAKE FOR ROBERT MARTIN
Of course, this is a pudding but I'm sure that if you bake it in a deeper pan and then unmold it carefully, it might appear like a cake. Since no detailed hints are given by Robert May, I calculated the ingredients according to experience.
I n g r e d i e n t s
500ml milk
500ml cream
500ml cream
200g pudding rice
1/2tsp nutmeg, grated
a pinch of salt
8 eggs, separated
100g sugar
200g butter, melted
150g raisins
150g raisins
150g citron, diced
M e t h o d
1. Place the milk in a bowl with the cream, and let the rice steep overnight. 2. The next day, simmer the rice with the milk, cream, nutmeg, and salt until the liquid is absorbed. 3. Beat the egg whites stiff. 4. Beat the yolks with the sugar until very light. Add the butter, saving a tablespoon to grease your baking dish. Carefully stir in the meringue. 5. Add the raisins & citron. Finally, incorporate the cooked rice and pour into a medium-sized baking dish. 6. Bake at 150C for an hour or so, covering with aluminum foil halfway through baking. Serve warm or cold.
V a r i a t i o n
Replace 1/3 of the fruit with dates. Also, you can bake the pudding in individual ramekins, reducing baking time.
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