Introduction

As a lover of early and mid-20th century British detective fiction, in particular Agatha Christie, I have often tried to imagine the food and drink referred to in my bedtime reading which normally comprises Agatha's novels. Even when I am feeling lazy or tired, I listen to her audio books.

The recipes here are my interpretations of meals, snacks and drinks that I have encountered during my reading and I am attempting to reproduce these as I imagine they were made during the decade in which the relevant novel was set. Although the majority of the posts are recipes, I will also include descriptions of those ingredients which are not in common use.

Each recipe is written for conventional cooking methods using traditional ingredients. It is also accompanied by a 21st century 'equivalent', including adaptions using more modern equipment such as the Thermomix or techniques such as sous vide. I just love my gadgets! Also I feel that food should have 'attitude' in that it must make you want to eat it again. It has to be full of flavour, which in one sense may seem to contradict the general consensus towards Brtish food at least, during the period in question. This is the challenge I have set myself - to give you traditional
recipes upon which you can build, and at the same time add a suggested modern equivalent which you might like to try anyway.



Tuesday 8 December 2015

FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS

DE - Vierundzwanzig Schwarzdrosseln
ES - La Tarta de Zarzamoras
FR - Le Mort Avait les Dents Blanches
GR - Τέσσερα και είκοσι κοτσύφια
HU - A Szedertorta
IT - La Torta di More (Legame di Sangue)
PL - Dwadzieścia Cztery kosy
PT - O Caso das Amoras Pretas
RU - Двадцать четыре чёрных дрозда
TR - Yirmi Dört Karakuş

PUBLICATION AND AUDIO-VISUAL HISTORY

Magazines (as ‘Poirot and the Regular Customer’):
The Mystery Magazine, 1926 - USA
Strand Magazine, 1941– UK

Short story collections:
Three Blind Mice and Other Stories, 1950 – USA
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and a Selection of Entrées, 1960 – UK

Television:
Agatha Christie's Poirot (Season 1, Episode 4), 1989 – UK

STRAND MAGAZINE MARCH 1941

REFERENCES TO FOOD IN THE STORY

1) 'Four and Twenty Blackbirds' possibly contains more references to food than any other of Christie’s stories and it is instrumental in Poirot’s discovery of the solution to the mystery. It begins in a Chelsea restaurant called the Gallant Endeavour which was popular with artists.  Poirot is dining with a friend who has, unlike Poirot, a liking for plain English food "Give me an honest fillet of sole and no messy sauce over it." and appears to be a regular customer.  The waitress, who knows his personal likes, makes a suggestion from the menu, "... turkey stuffed with chestnuts ... ever such a nice Stilton we've got!  Will you have soup first or fish?"  Poirot is happy for his friend to choose for him.

2) When the waitress brings the turkey, the friend refers to another regular customer who is also sat in the restaurant.  The waitress remarks that whilst he normally eats there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he had visited on Monday of the previous week.  She also states that not only did he come on a different day, he also placed a different order to normal – "He could never bear suet pudding or blackberries and I've never known him take thick soup, but on that Monday night he ordered thick tomato soup, beefsteak and kidney pudding and blackberry tart!", all items that he disliked and had never previously requested.

3) Three weeks later, Poirot bumps into his friend by chance and is told that the regular customer had died, which arouses his interest.  After further enquiries Poirot discovers that the man, on the evening of his death, had dined at the Gallant Endeavour "... it was mulligatawny soup ... and beefsteak pudding ... and blackberry and apple pie and cheese. "  Whilst questioning the waitress, Poirot "ate his filleted sole".  Finally at the end of the story, Poirot is himself back in the restaurant with his friend where they apparently order blackberry and apple tart, which is sent back "Take it away ... Bring me a small helping of sago pudding."


TEXT OF 'FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS'
FROM THE 1ST EDITION OF
 'THE ADVENTURE OF THE CHRISTMAS PUDDING' (1960)


REFERENCES TO FOOD IN THE TELEVISION EPISODE

1) The fish is specifically referred to as Fillet of Sole

2) It is Blackberry Crumble rather than Blackberry Tart

3) Rabbit Liège style is a meal that Poirot cooks for Hastings in his flat and he tells us that it is his mother’s recipe

LINKS TO THE RECIPES

Thick Tomato Soup - traditional and Thermomix
Mulligatawny Soup
Dinner Rolls (not mentioned, but assumed to be served with the soup)

Fillet of Sole

Roast turkey with Chestnut Stuffing
Steak and Kidney Pudding
Rabbit Liège Style

Blackberry crumble
Blackberry tart
Blackberry and apple pie
Custard (not mentioned, but assumed to be served with the blackberry dishes)
Sago pudding

Stilton 
Water Biscuits (not mentioned, but assumed to be served with the cheese)