Gentleman's Relish
Gentleman's Relish is a type of anchovy paste. It is also known as Patum Peperium.
It was created in 1828 by an Englishman called John Osborn.[1] It has a strong, very salty and slightly fishy taste, and contains anchovies (minimum 60%), butter, herbs and spices. Today, the secret recipe is withheld from all but one employee at Elsenham Quality Foods in Elsenham, England, the licensed manufacturer.[1]
Gentleman's Relish is traditionally eaten thinly spread on slices of buttered white-bread toast, either on its own, or with cucumber, or "mustard and cress" sprouts. It can also be added to minced meat for a different-tasting cottage pie or to the mixture for fish cakes, potato cakes, and croquettes. Alternatively it can be melted into scrambled eggs or be used as a topping for jacket potatoes.
In popular culture
- It has been depicted as an upper or middle class taste, for example Gentleman's Relish is mentioned in Nancy Mitford's book, The Pursuit of Love as a favorite food of Uncle Matthew.
- In Angela Thirkell's "Summer Half" the Gentleman's Relish sandwiches made by Kate, specifically for adults attending the river picnic, are instead wholly consumed by three adolescents, one of whom makes up a rude rhyme to "Patum Peperium."
- In Ian Fleming's book, For Your Eyes Only, it mentions that at the time of the visitors, Mr and Mrs Havelock were having Patum Peperium sandwiches.
- In Kim Cooper's novel, The Kept Girl, the author Raymond Chandler makes up with his wife Cissy over a gift of toast spread with Gentleman's Relish.
- In the BBC's Monarch of the Glen there is mention of "Kilwillie Gentleman's Relish" as a product line for supporting the namesake's estate.
- The PBS Masterpiece Classic period series, Mr. Selfridge, mentions Gentleman's Relish in Episode 3, when Lady May asks a waiter for a "flavorful, personal" enhancement to a bland chicken dish.
- Peep Show Series 3, Episode 5 has the following exchange:
Mark: Had a hard day Jeremy? Watching kids TV and eating kids cereal? Jez: Why, what should I be eating, Gentleman's relish with olive?
- It has been used as the name of a group of young men who hung around together at university, with homosexual overtones, in Robertson Davies' book, The Rebel Angels.
See also
References
- ^ a b Trust, National (2007-06-17). Gentleman's Relish: And Other English Culinary Oddities (A Gourmet's Guide). Warrington: National Trust Books (Anova Books). pp. 12–13. ISBN 1-905400-55-1. Retrieved August 2012.
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External links
- The height of good paste The Telegraph, 28 December 2000.
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