The Essential Role of Sewit in 18th Century Cooking

The speaker, a culinary historian and cooking expert, delves into the significance of sewit, an unrendered form of tallow, in 18th-century English and American cuisines. With extensive knowledge in historical culinary practices, the speaker highlights sewit’s versatility, noting its various applications in both savory and sweet dishes, which is evident from its frequent mention across numerous recipes of that era. The speaker emphasizes the necessity of sewit for authentic 18th-century cooking, discussing its unique properties and how it compares to modern cooking fats. Through practical demonstrations and historical references, the speaker showcases the inherent value of incorporating sewit into both traditional and contemporary culinary practices.

Key Points:

Historical Importance of Sewit
Sewit is recognized as a crucial ingredient in 18th-century cookbooks, appearing in dozens of recipes. The speaker cites the “Complete Housewife” from 1734, which contains approximately 26 recipes mentioning sewit. This signifies its widespread use and importance in creating a variety of dishes, particularly in achieving moisture and richness in boiled puddings.

Unique Properties of Sewit
The speaker describes sewit as a special kind of organ fat, specifically from around the kidneys of cows, with an average yield of 15 to 20 pounds per animal. Sewit has a high smoke point, making it ideal for frying and cooking at high temperatures, a feature that modern alternatives often lack. This characteristic makes it a preferred choice in traditional recipes that require deep frying or high-heat cooking.

Comparison with Tallow
Tallow is the rendered version of sewit and is noted for its shelf stability and longer shelf life. The speaker highlights that while sewit is less common in contemporary cooking discussions, its rendering into tallow has gained popularity in modern culinary applications, especially in restaurants that aim for high-quality fried foods such as French fries.

Culinary Applications in Recipes
Sewit is commonly used in various 18th-century dishes, including boiled puddings, sausages, and as a cooking fat for meats that lack natural fat. The speaker elaborates on its role in enhancing the flavor and texture of dishes, such as mince pies and sausages, where sewit contributes significant moisture and richness.

Practical Demonstration of Sewit Pudding
In a hands-on demonstration, the speaker prepares a traditional sewit pudding using a recipe from Charlotte Mason’s cookbook. The ingredients include a pound of shredded sewit, a quart of milk, and various spices. The pudding is boiled for two hours, and the speaker compares the texture and flavor of the sewit pudding with a butter version, emphasizing the superior moisture and richness provided by sewit.

Sensory Experience of Cooking with Sewit
The speaker notes the distinct textural differences between the sewit pudding and the butter pudding, highlighting that the sewit pudding maintains a softer, more moist consistency. The taste is described as having a subtle meat flavor, which differs from the creamy texture of butter. This comparison underscores the culinary benefits of using sewit in traditional recipes.

Recommendations for Modern Cooking
The speaker advocates for the use of fresh, unrendered sewit in contemporary cooking, especially for recreating authentic 18th-century dishes. The recommendation is supported by the observed improvements in texture and flavor when sewit is used instead of butter, suggesting that modern cooks can achieve richer and more authentic results by utilizing this traditional ingredient.