A savoury is the final course of a traditional British formal meal, following the sweet
pudding or
dessert course. The savoury is designed to "clear the
palate
The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.
A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separ ...
" before the
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...
is served. It generally consists of salty and plain elements.
Typical savouries are:
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Scotch woodcock
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Welsh rarebit
Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit ( or ) is a dish consisting of a hot cheese-based sauce served over slices of toasted bread. The original 18th-century name of the dish was the jocular "Welsh rabbit", which was later reinterpreted as "rarebit", ...
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Sardines
"Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the Ital ...
on
toast
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Angels on horseback
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Devils on horseback
Savouries are often served on toast, fried bread or some kind of biscuit or cracker. In Eliza Action's 1845 book ''Modern Cookery for Private Families'', there is just one recipe for savouries which appears to be a proto-
croque monsieur
A ''croque monsieur'' () is a hot sandwich made with ham and cheese. The name comes from the French words ''croque'' ("crunch") and ''monsieur'' ("mister").
History
The dish originated in French cafés and bars as a quick snack. In the earl ...
, with a small footnote. In the twentieth century, however, entire books on the subject appeared, such as ''Good Savouries'' by Ambrose Heath (1934).
British snack foods
Courses (food)
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