London

As Head Chef of the Reform Club in the 1830s, Alexis Soyer turned its restaurant into one of the capital’s top tourist attractions, visited by people from all over Europe.

As well as being the first chef to market his own branded sauces and range of cook books, he also found time to invent the cafetiere and his very own army cooking stove.

Top chef Gary Rhodes went back in time to discover the recipes created by this remarkable and highly influential man.

Inside Out asked Gary to recreate the dishes which you can try at home in your own kitchen.

Lamb Cutlets Reform

Serves four people.

Prime cuts - Lamb cutlets.

8 x Lamb cutlets French-trimmed
75g x Ham
50g x Ox tongue (cooked)
50g x Cooked Beetroot
25g x Gherkins
2 x Eggs
50g x Breadcrumbs

For the Sauce:
150ml x Lamb stock
1 x tea spoon tomato puree
35ml x Tarragon vinegar (white wine vinegar is fine)
50ml x Red wine
2 xTable spoon of red currant jelly
2 x Peppercorns
1 x Shallot
2 x cloves garlic
Tea spoon of butter
35g x Butter

1. Separate egg whites and yolk. Place egg whites in cling film and steam over boiling water till firm. Once ready remove from heat and chill.

2. Finely chop 25g of ham and mix with the breadcrumbs.

3. Cut the remainder of ham, beetroot, ox tongue, gherkins and egg white into baton-shaped strips.

4. Season lamb cutlets with salt and pepper, brush with egg yolk then press on the breadcrumbs.

5. Place in a frying pan with butter and gently cook for approximately two minutes each side until golden.

Lamb Cutlets Reform - delicious!

For the Sauce:

1. Finely chop the shallots and garlic.

2. Melt butter in a pan over moderate heat, add the shallots and garlic then stir for approx one minute.

3. Add the tomato puree and stir for one minute.

4. Add the vinegar, red wine and peppercorns and reduce by a 1/3.

5. Add stock and red currant jelly and reduce by a 1/2.

6. Once ready, add the batons of ham, beetroot, ox tongue, gherkins and egg white and place in a bowl with the lamb cutlets placed on top.

Recipe from Terence Howard, Head Chef.

Venison Pie

Put some thin slices of venison at the bottom of the dish, season with pepper, salt, and a little chopped eschalot.

Soyer at work in the 1830s.

Then add a  layer of fat, proceeding alternately till the dish is full, building it up to form a dome and give the pie a good appearance.

Put in a piece of glaze the size of a walnut, a few spoonfuls of gravy, and four of brown sauce, cover with puff-paste, make a hole in the top, egg over, and bake in a hot oven.

When done, pour about six spoonfuls of demi-glace into it with a funnel, shake it about a little and serve very hot.

From The Gastronomic Regenerator, 1846.

Plum pudding

Pick and stone one pound of the best Malaga raisons.

Put in a basin with one pound of currants, a pound and a half of good beef suet (chopped, but not too fine), three quarters of a pound of white or brown sugar, two ounces of candied lemon and orange-peel, two ounces of candied citron, six ounces of flour, and a quarter of a pound of bread-crumbs, with a little grated nutmeg.

Dining in 1830s style with Gary Rhodes.

Mix the whole well together, with eight whole eggs and a little milk.

Have ready a pudding-mould, butter the interior, pour the above mixture into it, cover a sheet of paper over, tie the mould in a cloth.

Put the pudding into a large stew pan containing boiling water, and let it boil quite fast for four hours and a half.

When done, take out of the cloth, turn from the mould upon your dish [and] sprinkle a little powdered sugar over.

From The Modern Housewife, 1849.

Thanks to the Reform Club, London for granting permission to reproduce these recipes.