Scotch woodcock

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Scotch woodcock
Scotch woodcock brit-wiki.jpg
Scotch woodcock garnished with anchovy fillets and parsley.
Type savoury, snack
Place of origin United Kingdom
Created byUnknown
Main ingredients Eggs, toast, anchovy paste

Scotch woodcock is a British savoury dish consisting of creamy, lightly-scrambled eggs served on toast that has been spread with anchovy paste or Gentleman's Relish, and sometimes topped with chopped herbs and black pepper. [1] [2]

Scotch woodcock was served in the refreshment rooms of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as late as 1949. [3] It was also served historically at the colleges of the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford [4] and it continues to be served at the Oxford and Cambridge Club as an alternative to sweet desserts or cheeseboard.

It was a well-known dish in the Victorian era, and is mentioned in Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management . [5]

The name is modelled on Welsh rabbit. [6] Similar to Welsh rabbit which contains no rabbit meat, the dish has no woodcock, a type of bird, in its ingredients at all. [7]

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References

  1. Boxer, A. (2012). Arabella Boxer's Book of English Food: A Rediscovery of British Food From Before the War. Penguin Books Limited. p. pt301. ISBN   978-0-241-96167-4.
  2. Herbst, R.; Herbst, S.T. (2015). The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion, 2nd edition. Barron's Educational Series. pp. pt872–873. ISBN   978-1-4380-7621-8.
  3. Wilcox, J.H. (1949). "The kitchen and refreshment rooms of the house of commons". Journal of Parliamentary Affairs. III (2): 316–320. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.pa.a052613.
  4. Aylmer, Ursula; Carolyn McCrum (2005). Oxford Food: An Anthology. Ashmolean Museum. p. 26. ISBN   1-85444-058-6.
  5. Beeton, Isabella (2000). Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-283345-6.
  6. John Ayto, An A-Z of Food and Drink, Oxford University Press, 2002, ISBN   9780192803511 s.v. 'Scotch woodcock'
  7. "French fries aren't French and other deceptively named foods".