Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

Aug 15, 2018 By Joe Carei for The 5 min read

Our celebration of food of the National Road continues during this, the 200th anniversary.

We have traveled NemacolinÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵ trail that morphed into BraddockÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵ Road and led to the migration of people to the west. With the migration came the taverns and the fare they served and eventually the construction of the official road to the west: The National Road.

The introduction of the taverns of the late 18th Century was like e-commerce today. Everyone with a house wanted to open one. With the increase of traffic through BraddockÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵ road and the land that Washington traversed, there was money to be made. Thomas Brown had the first official license for a tavern in Redstone Old Fort (Brownsville) in 1776 and the ball started rolling. Twenty years later, in September of 1796 alone, there were 48 applications for taverns in the County.

By the time the official planning of the national road in 1806, there must have been over a hundred taverns in Fayette County. When the road was built, there was approximately one tavern per mile along the road. There were two types of taverns; stagecoach taverns and wagon stand taverns. Both offered the same thing; food, lodging and drink.

The stagecoach tavern was more affluent and had better food and accommodations. While the wagon stand was less polished and rustic. But, one had better served food and drink that was not sub-par. Although there was no yelp, there still was letters that were sent home back east and eventually people knew what taverns to avoid.

The food was varied from tavern to tavern; it depended on the focus of the tavern owner. Some focused on having a great reputation for food, while others felt that other amenities were more important. The tavern owners were also influenced by the tastes of the traveler, who were coming through, and they were very diverse. It was said that you could walk into a tavern and hear 15 different languages or dialects. In France, Jean Careme was changing the culinary landscape and high cuisine was coming across the pond. The first American cookbook was printed; The American cookery by Amelia Simmons in the late 1700s and was making its rounds. So the in tune tavern owner could really put together a great meal.

And it wouldn’t be a tavern without drinks. The average traveler drank over 5 gallons of spirits per year in 1810. That number didn’t include beer or wine, as that was just liquor. The tavern owner was always working on a concoction to serve to the travelers. They were not only serving shots, wine and beers, but shrubs, slings and flips (all mixed drinks)

These taverns served the travelers, on the National Road, for years after the road officially opened. But, the railroad in the middle of the century made the National Road less of a necessity and the end many a successful tavern. Here are some recipes from the tavern era of the young National Road.

Tavern Turkey

Small turkey cut into 8 pieces.

2 medium onions coarsely chopped

2 carrots cut

2 stalks celery cut

1 pound new or red potatoes

2 teaspoon salt

2 bay leaves

Herbs of choice

8 peppercorns

Put turkey in large pot and cover with water about 2 inches higher than turkey. Add rest of ingredients except potatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Let simmer about 30 minutes then add potatoes. After about an hour pull turkey and vegetables and set aside on serving dish, keep warm. Reduce remaining stock by ½ and ladle on to turkey. Serve with crusty bread.

Blackberry Flip

¼ cup blackberries

1 tablespoon cream

1 tablespoon simple syrup

1½ oz whiskey

1 small pasteurized egg

Ice

In mixing glass, muddle (smash into bottom of glass) blackberries. Top with crushed ice. Add rest of ingredients. Shake vigorously and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with blackberry.

Corn Pancakes

1 cup cornmeal

1 egg

1¼ cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon bacon fat or lard

Mix all ingredients except bacon fat.

Coat hot skillet with fat, do not use too much. Use a tablespoon to drop batter into pan from a height of 6 inches to get the right diameter of the pancake. Cook both sides and serve.

Minced meat pie

1 pound beef cubed

3 cups apples peeled and chopped

1 cup raisin or currant or mix of both

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup suet or butter

Zest and juice of a lemon

½ cup brandy

Pie pastry

Cook beef in a cup of water and keep adding water until tender. Chop beef into minced pieces(or use cooked ground beef). In bowl add beef, dried fruit, spices and suet, mix thoroughly. Add apples and lemon and mix thoroughly. Add brandy and mix again. Press into 1 quart mason jars to remove air and cover. Let sit in fridge for up to 2 weeks. When ready line pie pan with pie dough. Fill with mincemeat and top with pie dough. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes until crust is golden.

Succotash

4 ears corn

3 cups lima beans

1 cup green onions chopped

2 sweet peppers diced

½ cup suet or butter

Salt and pepper

Remove corn from cobs and place in saucepan. Add limas, suet and water and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add onions and peppers, simmer for 10 minutes uncovered. Salt and pepper to taste. Bear grease, not suet or butter, was the original fat for authentic succotash.