The aristocracy were fond of roast swan at this time of year. The bird was skinned, cooked, and re-inserted in its skin to be served as a table centre piece.
A six-month old cygnet was preferred, being more tender than an adult bird.
I'm just wondering where the National Trust sourced this swan.....
Oh my gosh, I first thought was how did they get the swan to sit still! Very interesting. When we visited the palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn in July there was a setting with the swan on the table too. So part of the royal way of dining in those times.
How interesting Hazel, I know that the rich eat swan but didn't know it was presented at the table this way, it would put me off for a start but then it was a different type of life then:)
So is this a sample display or a real meal based on Tudor times made for guests? It's FASCINATING thaatvit would be reinserted on the skin, and I wonder how they achieved that without creating a bacterial nightmare! This was very interesting Hazel!
Yes this is just a display but a bit of googling reveals that this treatment was used for peacocks as well as swans. Not hygienic as you say and of everything we saw of these Christmas traditions, this one fascinated me - horribly!
I have cooked many birds but not a Swan, they also used to put a bird in a bird several times taking out the bones so they could get more birds in the biggest bird...
I think at Porterhouse College Cambridge, the swan was stuffed with a goose, that was stuffed with a peacock, that was stuffed with a chicken, that was stuffed with a duck etc. etc, right down to a skylark. Unfortuantely the size of our oven prevents us from trying this ourselves.
That's interesting - in foreign parts too! I think this was a swan that had had the attentions of a taxidermist!
Yes this is just a display but a bit of googling reveals that this treatment was used for peacocks as well as swans. Not hygienic as you say and of everything we saw of these Christmas traditions, this one fascinated me - horribly!
Me neither! (I didn't realise this would upset everyone so much....)
We had a joint which was a bird or two within a bird (but not put back in the outer skin!) one Christmas but we didn't like it very much.
Oh wow, never tried skylark - or peacock!