Traditional Snacks
and Savouries
Angels and Devils on Horseback
When you think of traditional English recipes, then roast dinners, sticky toffee pudding, or perhaps a traditional afternoon tea might come to mind. But don’t overlook our charming snacks and savouries - old-fashioned treats that make a tasty starter, a great end to a meal, or even perfect pub fare.
Among these intriguing bites, Angels on Horseback and Devils on Horseback hold a special place, both on our plates and in the history of English food. So, let’s saddle up and explore these delicious morsels!
Angels and Devils on Horseback © Monkey Business Images | canva.com
In the grand country houses and gentlemen’s clubs of Victorian and Edwardian England, a savoury was the final course of a formal meal. Served after the dessert and piquantly flavoured, it was meant to cleanse the palate before the port. Later, snacks and savouries moved to the beginning of the meal as hostesses searched for ways to offer arriving guests a delicious welcome. And later still, snacks and savouries turned into a staple of English hospitality as we called them canapes and turned them into buffet party food for guests to help themselves.
The secrets to successful savouries are portion size and piquancy. Savouries are small bites, little more than a couple of mouthfuls, equally suitable to rounding off a meal as to whetting the appetite ahead of dinner. Often, they are small rounds of toast, turned into hot, salty, spicy little morsels made from meat, fish, or vegetables seasoned with salt, chilly, cheese, curry powder or Worcestershire sauce.
Along with devilled kidneys, Scotch woodcock, Welsh rarebit, potted shrimps, sardines on toast, or baked pears and stilton, angels and devils on horseback haven’t lost their appeal despite the passage of the years. Neither have condiments like Gentleman’s Relish, devilled sauce, or anchovy paste.
Angels on Horseback: A Heavenly Delight
This duo of briny oysters and crisp, salty bacon beloved of the Victorians is very obviously a product of an era when oysters weren’t the pricey luxury they are today. Which makes Angels on Horseback even more of a treat. You won’t encounter them on many party buffets, but there’s no reason you can’t make them for yourself or share them with your favourite person as part of a romantic dinner.
Making them couldn’t be easier.
If you have a supply of fresh oysters, simply wrap each one in one or two strips of your favourite bacon and grill until the bacon is crisp and the oyster just cooked. Your kitchen will smell truly heavenly, but don’t let the inviting aroma distract you from watching your savoury treats like a hawk. You want to grill your bacon into salty, crispy bliss, but no further.
Then serve with an aperitif or an extra glass of wine and enjoy.
Devils on Horseback © bhofack2 | Getty Images canva.comDevils on
Horseback: A Tempting Counterpart
While angels on horseback are seen as elegant and sophisticated, devils on horseback bring a playful twist to the table. And since they don’t rely on luxury ingredients, devils on horseback are more likely to appear as part of a canape selection or party buffet.
They’re equally quick and easy to prepare and are kin to the angels in that they’re also making use of crispy, salty bacon. Though instead of briny molluscs, the rashers wrap dried prunes, dates, or apricots.
The contrast between the sweet, sticky fruit and the salty, smoky bacon is utterly irresistible and perfect for a tray of snacks and savouries.
Bowl of Devils on Horseback © Shuvra Mahmud | Getty Images canva.comSnacks and Savouries: A Theme with
Variations
While the traditional recipes are beloved, their very simplicity invites experimentation. If oysters are not to your taste, then why not use scallops in your variation of angels on horseback?
Devils on horseback are equally enjoyable to play with. How about stuffing your dates with blue cheese or topping each apricot with a walnut before wrapping them? Even if it’s near impossible to get bored with these flavoursome treats, each addition adds a tiny twist to a favourite snack.
Many of our favourite snacks and savouries may have a long history, but that doesn’t mean we can’t adapt them to suit our modern palate. In fact, I’d venture to suggest that this adaptability is what has stopped the recipes from vanishing into the dust of history. We owe it to the cooks who invented them, modified them, and kept them alive to keep that chain going. We owe it to future generation not to lose such tasty treats.
Wouldn’t you agree?
So, the next time you host a gathering or simply wish to treat yourself to something a little unusual, why not prepare a platter of these heavenly and devilish bites? After all, food is not just about sustenance; it’s about taste and flavour and the stories and memories we share.
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