Antedating "pigs in blankets" -was "Angels on Horseback"

[Michael McKernan]

Joel S. Berson wrote:

>OED2:
>
>s.v. angel:  7. angels on horseback (see quot. 1900).
>    1888 Mrs. Beeton Bk. Househ. Managem. =A72078=20
>Angels on Horseback. (Fr. =97 Anges =E0=20
>Cheval).  1900 =91Sarah Grand=92 Babs (1901) xv=20
>Angels on Horseback, now=97those delicious little=20
>morsels of oysters rolled in bacon, and served on crisp toast.
>
>And s.v; pig (n.1):
>   1902 Daily Chron. 11 Oct. 8/4 =91Pigs in=20
>Blankets=92 the Americans call oysters wrapped in=20
>bacon. We...term them =91Angels on=20
>Horseback=92.  1973 Observer (Colour Suppl.) 16=20
>Sept. 83/2 The famous savoury angels on=20
>horseback. (The Americans call it pigs in blankets.)
>
>I think these British quotations giving to "pigs=20
>in a basket" the meaning =93oysters wrapped in=20
>bacon=94 may never have been correct--"pigs" is hot=20
>dogs over here.  Viz. OED2, s.v. "pig":
>    1926 Maines & Grant Wise-Crack Dict. 12/2 Pig=20
>in a blanket, sausage in a roll.  1941 J. Smiley=20
>Hash House Lingo 43 Pig in a blanket, frankfurter sandwich.

Thanks Joel (and also Chris, for the OED news, which I hope my antiquated
browser can negotiate!)

I'd be tempted to agree with Joel, except there are good exx of oyster'pigs
in blankets'  or more precisely, 'little pigs in blankets', and one (later)
USA 'Angels on Horseback', all from FEEDING AMERICA.

>Miss Parloa's New Cookbook: A Guide to Marketing and Cooking. New York:
>C.T. Dillingham, 1882, c. 1880.
http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/books/book_36.cfm
[url for title page]
p.120  Little Pigs in Blankets
Season large oysters with salt and pepper.  Cut fat English bacon in very
thin slices, wrap an oyster in each slice, and fasten with a little wooden
skewer (toothpicks are the best things).  Heat a frying-pan and put in the
"little Pigs."  Cook just long enough to crisp the bacon--about two
minutes.  Place on slices of toast that have been cut into small pieces,
and serve immediately.  Do not remove the skewers.  This is a nice relish
for lunch of tea ; and, garnished with parsley, is a pretty one.  The pan
must be very hot before the "pigs" are put in, and then great care must be
taken that they do not burn.

Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book: What To Do and What Not To Do in Cooking.
By Mary Johnson Bailey Lincoln
Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1884.
http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/display.cfm?TitleNo=13&PageNum=198
p.178 Pigs in Blankets, or Hu^itres au Lit.--Season large oysters with alt
and pepper.  Cut very thin slices of fat bacon; wrap each oyster in a slice
of bacon, and fasten with a wooden skewer.  Put in a hot omelet pan, and
cook uust long enough to crisp the bacon.  Serve on small pieces ofdelicate
toast.

Favorite Dishes. A Columbian Autograph Souvenir Cookery Book. Over Three
Hundred Autograph Recipes, and Twenty-three Portraits, Contributed By The
Board Of Lady Managers Of The World's Columbian Exposition. Illustrated By
May Root-Kern, Mellie Ingels Julian, Louis Braunhold, George Wharton
Edwards. Comp.
By Carrie V. Shuman...
Chicago [R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Printers] 1893.
http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/display.cfm?TitleNo=30&PageNum=66
pp.50-1  "Little Pigs in Blankets."  [recipe from "Mrs. Isabella Laning
Candee, of Illinois, Alternate Lady Manager"; oysters and bacon as above]
"Two cloves can be inserted at one end ot the roll to simlulate ears."


THE EARLIEST USA 'ANGELS ON HORSEBACK' I have so far is c1902.
>Keen, Adelaide  WITH A SAUCEPAN OVER-THE SEA
>Boston:  Little, Brown and Company, 1910
>[Copyright 1902 by Little Brown and Company]
>http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/books/saucepanoverthesea/sauc.html
>ANGELS ON HORSEBACK.
>(English supper dish.)
Cut 2 ounces of bacon into very thin slices, wrap each around a fat oyster,
put three on a skewer, using all required, and fry in butter, serve that
way on toast, with slices of lemon.

Michael McKernan

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