Hodge-Podge (soup)

Hodge-podgeorhotch potch(variously capitalised and hyphenated) is a soup or stew, usually based on diced mutton or other meat, with green and root vegetables. It is familiar in different versions in Britain and North America and is particularly associated with Scotland.
The Oxford English Dictionarydefinition is: "A dish made of a mixture of various kinds of meat, vegetables, etc., stewed together" and "esp in Scottish = Hotchpotch – A dish containing a mixture of many ingredients; spec. a thick soup of barley, peas, and other vegetables, and sometimes meat".The word derives from the Anglo-Norman and Middle Frenchhochepot, "a dish containing a mixture of many ingredients, especially a kind of stew made with minced beef or goose and various vegetables".
The dish was familiar in medieval times. InThe Forme of Cury(c.1390) a recipe is given for a hotch-potch of goose:
InThe English Huswife(1623)a recipe is described thusly:
A 16th-century reference occurs inArthur Golding's version ofMetamorphoses: "Out she brought hir a Hotchpotch made of steeped Barlie browne And Flaxe and Coriander seede and other simples more".A Dutch variant, "hutspot", known in the Netherlands since the 16th century, contains potato and cheese as well as the onions and carrots familiar elsewhere.In the 17th centuryJohn Drydenrefers in an essay to "Memphian hotch-potch, Leeks, and Garlike strong".
InThe Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy(1780),Hannah Glassespecifies a mixture of diced beef, veal and mutton; the vegetables are turnip, celery, carrot and lettuce, and, when in season, peas. She adds some spices not used by some others: cloves and mace.In her 1788 bookThe Lady's Complete Guide; Or Cookery in All its Branches, Mary Cole does not call for mixed meats, but gives recipes for hodge podges based on either beef, mutton, veal, hare or turtle, with onions and a variety of other vegetables such as a turnips, carrots, leeks and celery.In the 19th centuryMrs Beetonsimilarly gave recipes for hodge podges of a single meat – either beef or mutton.
A 19th century American recipe for hotch potch specifies lean mutton boiled with carrots and turnips, seasoned with salt and pepper. Puréed peas, celery and onion slices are added and the dish is gently simmered before serving.In her 1826 bookThe Cook and Housewife's Manual,Margaret Dodsclasses hotch-potch as a "Scotch National Dish", and gives recipes for summer and winter versions of the stew.The former is made with lamb and young vegetables including peas; the latter with beef or mutton and root vegetables.
A recipe from the 1924 volume ofAmerican Cookerycalls for "at least four different kinds" of meat, such as lamb, beef, smoked ham, chicken or other combination, simmered with lettuce, chives, celery and butter.Succotashis added to the pot just before the soup finishes cooking. The soup is garnished with fresh parsley and paprika.In 1925 Henry Smith'sThe Master Book of Soupsnoted that hotch potch retained a particular association with Scottish cooking. His version, a soup rather than a stew, is based on lamb stock with peas, beans, turnips, carrots, spring onions, cauliflower and lettuce.AYorkshireversion, more a stew than a soup, calls for mutton or lamb cooked in water, added to a braised mixture of onions, carrots, turnips and celery and simmered before serving.
Paul Newmanspecifies chicken in his 1985Newman's Own Cookbook. His recipe differs from others in including potatoes and green peppers.In theCanadian Maritime provinces, hodge podge is a soup based on cream or butter with fresh vegetables.  Although it can also be flavoured with meat stock or bacon,in its simplest form it is essentially a vegetarian chowder.