To make a good Spanish Olio

PERIOD: England, 17th century | SOURCE: The Accomplish'd Lady's Delight In Preserving, Physick, Beautifying, and Cookery, 1675 | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: A stew of beef, lamb, veal, & poultry with vegetables & herbs

To make a good Spanish Olio.

Take a Rump of Beef, or some of a Brisket or Buttock, cut it to pieces; a Loyn of Mutton with the Fat taken off, and a fleshy piece of a Leg of Veal, or a Knuckle, a piece of inter-larded Bacon, three or four Onions, or some Garlick, and if you will, a Capon or two, or else three great Tame-Pigeons. First, put into the water the Beef and Bacon, after a while the Mutton, Veal, and Onions, but not the Capon or Pigeons, only so long till they are boyled enough; if you have Garavanza's, put them in at the first, after they have been soaked with Ashes all night in heat, wash them well in warm water; or if you have Cabbage, Roots, Leeks, or whole Onions, put them in time enough to be sufficiently boyled. You may at first put in some Crusts of Bread, or Venison Pye-Crust; it must boyl in all five or six hours gently, like stewing; after it is well boyled, a quarter, or half an hour before you intend to take it, take out a porringer full of Broath, and put to it some Pepper, and five or six Cloves, and a Nutmeg, and some Saffron, and mingle them well in it, then put that into the Pot, and let it boyl, or stew wuth the rest a while, put in a bundle of sweet Herbs, salt must be put in when it is scumm'd.