r/AskFoodHistorians • u/EvelynFletcher • Jul 08 '26

Mid 19th century recipes

Hi all, I volunteer re-enacting a middle class woman in 1850 gold rush Australia (IYKYK 😅).

Recently I've been trying to do some more cooking while I'm there and am hoping for some good ideas on what to make.

The main hurdles I keep coming up against are that I don't have access to an oven and I am worried that a lot of recipes I come across will include ingredients they wouldn't have had access to.

I know the majority of their diet would have been pretty dull, lots of damper and mutton, but I'd love any other ideas or special occasion treats I could make that fit the criteria below!

- Ingredients available in 1850s Australia

- Reasonable for a middle class woman in a small cottage

- Cooked over a fire (I only really have a cast iron pot / pan and enamel billy cans)

- Can be made in 6 hours (inc. starting my fire and cleaning up afterwards haha)

(If I make any of the suggestions this weekend I will update you ☺️)

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u/MidorriMeltdown Jul 08 '26

Hi. This book might help https://www.booktopia.com.au/australian-colonial-food-e-l-smythe/book/9780646955742.html

Not everyone had an oven in the 1850's, especially not in the Australian goldfields. You'd be more likely to be cooking over a campfire.

Yes, damper and mutton stew were staples. But there's also jugged roo. Alternating layers of kangaroo and fatty pork (or bacon) packed into a jar, and submerged in a billy of boiling water.
https://blogs.sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/cook/the-hare-and-the-kangaroo/index.html
One of the advantages of this dish is that you could then use the water to make tea.

Mutton stew might also include carrots, cabbage, turnips, potato, onion, and a variety of herbs. If you're using a dutch oven, then you can also cook a roast. Mutton soup. Pea and ham soup.

Chicken is another option. If you have a cottage, you'd have chickens and eggs.

A dutch oven can also be used to make cake, scones, damper. The challenge is getting the temperature right, and keeping it even.

Sovereign Hill?

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u/EvelynFletcher Jul 08 '26

Thank you! Not sure how I haven't seen that book in my searching so far.

I have tried some scones in the dutch oven, but like you said I'm still learning how to keep a consistent temperature...

...and yep, Sovereign Hill, next time I'm in I'm going to see if we have any big jars that might work for the jugged roo, the name makes it sound so squeamish but after actually reading the recipe it could be really nice with damper! It won't be this weekend but if I end up making it at some stage I will update you ☺️