The extraordinary life of hotelier Hannah Maclurcan

Frimsel soup was a popular Jewish dish in the 19th century. It was a broth made of cheap vegetables and frimsels, “a kind of egg noodle, similar to vermicelli or egg-noodle,” explains Jacqui Newling, author of Eat Your History: Stories and Recipes from Australian Kitchens and “resident gastronomer” at Sydney Living Museums.

We’re discussing some of the Jewish recipes that Hannah Maclurcan, ground-breaking self-taught cook, company director, entrepreneur, socialite and owner of Sydney’s late-lamented Wentworth Hotel, produced for what many consider the first authentic, best-selling, Australian cookbook, which was published in 1898. A copy of the book was delivered to the ailing Queen Victoria.

Newling doesn’t have a first edition of Mrs Maclurcan’s Cookery Book: A Collection of Practical Recipes Suitable for Australia.  But she has a 1905 reprint with almost a dozen of Maclurcan’s recipes identified as Jewish, including frimsels, kleis and matzo. Many involve dumplings or noodles to fill empty stomachs on a small budget.

Newling's favourites include “Brown Stewed Fish” with dark treacle, Guinness-style porter, lemon juice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. There is a cheaper variation, made with gingerbread, treacle and vinegar for those without the necessary spices or wanting a non-alcoholic version.

The combination of Jewish and Australian recipes is innovative, ranging from an Asian-influenced soup recipe for beche-de-mer (sea cucumbers), which she came across while managing hotels in Far North Queensland, to classic fried fish ("Jewish people seldom use breadcrumbs and always the best olive oil").

The review in London’s Jewish Chronicle, on December 21, 1900, was mainly complimentary, though it contained warnings about obscure Australian fruits and Maclurcan's lack of adherence to kashrut. “The book is a thoroughly practical compendium of good cooking (but) being intended for general up-to-date use, great care and discrimination must be exercised in its use in Jewish households.”