Ina Garten Is Bringing Back This 17th-Century “It” Dining Room Accessory

She may be working on a brand-new cookbook, but Ina Garten is getting food styling inspiration from a bygone era. The Barefoot Contessa showed off a finished smoked salmon dip in a recent Instagram post, and although the dip itself looked divine, the dish it was served in looked just as delicious. And it’s a piece that was once a status symbol only the wealthiest could afford — think of it like the Birkin bag of 17th century dining tables.

“Testing recipes for the next cookbook!” Garten captioned the post. “Do breakfast panna cotta and smoked salmon dip sound good to you?” Yes they absolutely do!

Garten served up her smoked salmon dip in a glimmering silver tureen, which isn’t something you often see used today. But at one point in history, it was the “it” piece to have if you had any sway in society.

Silver soup tureens originated in France in the 17th century and became an instant status symbol — the larger, more ornate and hallmarked your tureen, the more high class you were. In fact, some tables even featured more than one tureen, like one set for a dinner hosted by President George Washington, which featured three soup tureens, though these were likely ceramic rather than silver. 

They remained a popular item to use during formal dinners throughout the 18th and 19th centuries but have since fallen out of fashion. Until now, that is.

Garten, who is a fan of silver servingware as you can see behind her in a few of her Instagram posts, makes a case for bringing back the centuries-old trend. It makes for a more special presentation compared with basic white ceramic or glass bowls.

You can find antique silver tureens on secondhand sites for under $100, but you may also have luck sourcing vintage and antique sterling silver pieces from the thrift store. Just give them a good shine using silver polish, and you’re ready to serve. If you want to purchase a newer one, Williams-Sonoma is selling a gorgeous one for $54.95.

You may have to wait a bit for Garten’s smoke salmon dip recipe to be published in her upcoming book, but you can start serving in silver right now (Ina Garten voice: How gorgeous is that?).