Just thought I'd share - re: wow-wow sauce

[RathDarkblade]

As we all know, when Ridcully eats, he loves nothing better than wow-wow sauce on his food. Up until now, I thought this was just a throw-away joke and a funny name - but it turns out that apparently, wow-wow sauce is real.

The short article also says that there's a recipe in the book "Enquire Within Upon Everything" (88th edition, 1894). I am not sure, but I think I may have a copy of that book! I'll be glad to share the recipe, if anyone's curious.

Anyway, I just thought someone here may be interested. It's always fun to learn something new.

 

[RathDarkblade]

And here's the recipe! As it turns out, my edition is even slightly earlier. At any rate, the recipe follows.... I am not quoting it verbatim, since the book doesn't have instruction numbers. I simply added them for convenience.

"1. Chop parsley leaves fine;
2. Take two or three pickled cucumbers, or walnuts, and divide into small squares, and set them by in readiness;
3. Put into a saucepan a piece of butter as big as an egg;
4. When it is melted, stir into it a tablespoonful of fine flour, and half a pint of the broth of the beef;
5. add a tablespoonful of vinegar, one of mushroom ketchup, or port wine, or both, and a tablespoonful of made mustard;
6. simmer together till it is as thick as you wish, put in the parsley and pickles to get warm, and pour it over the beef, or send it up in a sauce-tureen.

This is excellent for stewed or boiled beef."
(from Enquire Within Upon Everything. 84th edition, London, Paternoster Square, 1891).

The book itself is a Victorian guide about how to do anything - a guide to etiquette, setting flowers, holding a dinner party, curing a headache, making a will, burying a relative, etc. It's a fascinating look into the late Victorian era.

Enjoy the recipe! Obviously there will a bit of experimentation involved as regards quantities etc. and what the author meant by "take three pickled cucumbers, or walnuts..." Which one - pickles or walnuts? Or maybe both? :twisted:

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

I've always thought of wow wow sauce as a hotter version of the Japanese wasabi sauce and the real stuff is hot, not what is passed as wasabi outside of Japan.

 

[The Mad Collector]

Pretty well the same recipe is in Nanny Oggs Cookbook

butter, a lump about the size of an egg
1 tablespoon of plain flour
300ml of beef stock
1 teaspoon English mustard
1 dessertspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon port
1 tablespoon mushroom concentrate
salt and black pepper
1 heaped tablespoon freeze-dried parsley
4 pickled walnuts - chopped

 

[RathDarkblade]

Why in the name of sanity would anyone want to pickle a walnut? I'm confused.

 

[Mixa]

Wow guys, you certainly never stop surprising me! Well, if you ever try to cook the recipe let us know!

Mx

 

[Tonyblack]

It's absolutely pants. There's nothing in it with any heat apart from mustard. It needs some super hot chillies.

 

[janet]

Why in the name of sanity would anyone want to pickle a walnut? I'm confused.

We Brits pickle ANYTHING!