A Feast at Wuthering Heights
BY Alison Wiebe
A Feast at Wuthering Heights brings together a collection of literary recipes inspired by Emily Brontë’s windswept moors. Featuring a mix of rustic and refined dishes that reflect the characters, landscape, and their tumultuous stories.
For more gothic literary recipes, explore our Frankenstein recipe series, and for a fantasy feast inspired by the legends of Camelot try our Medieval feast of Arthurian legend.
A Gothic Romantic Feast
Across the boundless moors, beneath shifting skies, stands Wuthering Heights, the unwelcoming and treacherous setting of our gothic literary feast. While Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff and their tormented heirs have long since passed, their spirits remain bound to this weathered and wild setting. Emily Brontë’s timeless and only novel is a complex tale that begins with foreboding scratches at the window by a restless ghost, weaves through the troubled and violent relationships of the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights, reaches a frenzied peak with Cathy and Heathcliff’s final moment of passion, and painfully illustrates the lasting effects of Heathcliff’s own abuse and the resulting campaign of vengeance he carries out on everyone around him.
Each recipe leads us through this gripping story, reflecting the rugged environment, the social status of its inhabitants and pivotal moments that drive the plot. We invite you to devour these recipes either one at a time, at a wintery or Valentine’s (Galentine’s) Day dinner party, or at your next book club!
Beef and Ale Stew with Suet Dumplings
A hearty bowl of beef and ale stew with suet dumplings is the perfect meal for a chilly winter evening on the Yorkshire moors.
Yorkshire Oatcakes with Honey
Simple Yorkshire oatcakes with honey evoke the humble, sustaining fare of the Earnshaw household, where rustic grains and quiet sweetness offer comfort against the harsh landscape.
Raspberry Almond Cake
This raspberry almond cake captures the soft elegance of Thrushcross Grange, balancing delicate sweetness with a refined, tender cake.
Split Pea Soup
A rich split pea soup with pork hock represents the practical yet luxurious meals at Thrushcross Grange during a period when Cathy Earnshaw’s health is failng.
Raspberry Rose Cocktail
This raspberry rose cocktail offers a more delicate, romantic note, inspired by the intense passion and tragic outcome of Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship.
Cider Braised Chicken with Bacon and Leeks
This Cider braised chicken with rustic potatoes in a Yorkshire pudding is inspired by the wild and austere environment of Wuthering Heights during Heathcliff’s reign following the loss of Cathy.
Brown Butter Rolls
Soft brown butter rolls represent the warmth and domestic contentment of young Catherine and Hareton who have taken over Wuthering Heights, seeking to overcome the traumatic past of Heathcliff and Cathy.
