The Imperial and Royal Cook: Consisting of the Most Sumptuous Made Dishes, Ragouts, Fricassees, Soups, Gravies, &C. Foreign and English : Including the Latest Improvements in Fashionable Life

The Imperial And Royal Cook: Consisting Of The Most Sumptuous Made Dishes, Ragouts, Fricassees, Soups, Gravies, &C. Foreign And English : Including The Latest Improvements In Fashionable Life" by Frederic Nutt is a comprehensive early-19th-century cookbook for affluent households and grand entertainments. The volume argues for elevating domestic cookery beyond hackneyed receipts, emphasizing high-dining dishes, foreign and English, and refinements in fashionable life. It opens with an Advertisement explaining its purpose and departure from common kitchen manuals, and then surveys recipes organized into sections such as soups, beef, mutton, lamb, veal, pork, fowl, fish, and desserts, pastries, and vegetables. The text provides meticulous methods for stocks, sauces, ragouts, and larding, and introduces specialised preparations—turtle, timbales, and aspics—illustrating the era’s elaborate techniques. It also covers confectionery, pies, and garnishes. The work reflects early British uptake of French culinary practice, balancing expense with splendor, and aims to furnish both domestic meals and magnificent entertainments.