The Sweet lamb pie from Eliza Smith’s The Compleat Housewife from 1727 is a good example of the old style of flavouring food using sweet, sour and savoury in harmony. The flavours come through in layers. The pie isn’t sweet but the spices used – nutmeg, mace and cloves – were once considered sweet spices and used as sweeteners. In addition to these spices, dried fruits and candied peel are added to give extra warmth. The original reci
