Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 7 Hare or goose powdryde in Wortys

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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7.  Hare or goose powdryde in Wortys
Take goode brothe of beef and of othyre goode flesh & mary bonys do hit in a potte sett hit ovyre the fnyre chop ane hare in pecys and do there to and yf thu wille weshe hyme yne the same brothe that thu wille boylle hyme yne thene draw the brothe thorow a straynere withe all the brode thene take caulys & the white of lekys and othyre herbes and ottemele and hew heme smalle to gedyre and yf hit be ane olde here lete hyme boyle welle or thu caste yne the wortys yf he be a yonge hare cast hyme and thy wortys to gadyr also take a goose of a day and a nyghte powdrynge chop here & put here in the wortys yne the same maner.

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Finally we have a recipe that isn't centered around cabbage or beans, though it does call for both cabbage and oatmeal.  This recipe parallels number 148 in A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak hayre or goose poudred in wort put good brothe of flesshe in a pot and maribones and set it on the fyere and chope the haire in peces, and put ther to and draw the brothe throughe a streyn with the blod then tak coles the whit of leekes other erbes and otemele and shred them smale to gedur and it be an old hayre let hir boile welle or ye put in your wortis and it be a younge hayre put in the hare and the wort to gedure and els tak a goos of a nyght and a day murdring and chope hir in the wort in the sam manner and serue it.   [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

There is a similar recipe in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books.

Hare in Wortes. Take Colys, and stripe hem faire fro the stalkes. Take Betus and Borage, auens [correction; sic = MS. anens.] , Violette, Malvis, parsle, betayn, pacience, the white of the lekes, and the croppe of the netle; parboile, presse out the water, hew hem small, And do there-to mele. Take goode broth of ffressh beef, or other goode flessh and mary bones; do it in a potte, set on the fire; choppe the hare in peces, And, if thou wil, wassh hir in the same broth, and then drawe it thorgh A streynour with the blode, And then put all on the fire. And if she be an olde hare, lete hire boile well, or thou cast in thi wortes; if she be yonge, cast in all togidre at ones; And lete hem boyle til thei be ynogh, and ceson hem with salt. And serue hem forth. The same wise thou may make wortes of A Gose of a ni3t, (Note: night) powdryng of beef, or eny other fressh flessh. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

The word "powdered" here means salted (i.e. covered in powdered salt), and apparently only applies to the goose.  Interesting that the version in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books specifies that the goose is only to be salted for one night, and that the Wagstaff recipe doesn't mention salting the goose at all.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 6 Cabogys

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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6.  Cabogys
Take white cabogys kutt heme fro the stalkes in grete pesys weche hem clene perboyle heme wesche presse out the watyre and hew heme but a lytyll and in flesche tyme do fayre brothe of bethe or of caponys or of othre good flesche in a potte whene hit boyllethe do ther to thi cabochis and mary bonys al to brokyne boile hit up do there to safroun and salt whene hit ys boyllyde y now alay hit up with gratyde bredde and boulle yt a lytyll and serve hit forth.

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As expected, this little recipe parallels number 147 in A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak cabages wortis tak whit cabage and fined them smale and mak them up, also tak whit cabages and cut them from the stalks and wesche them and parboile them and presse out the water and hew them smale in flesshe tym put fat brothe of beef in a pot of capon brothe or the brothe of other good flesche and when it is boiled put in thy cabages and maribones all to brokene and boile them up do ther to saffron or salt and alay it upe with grond bred and luk it be chargant of canebyns and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

There are a couple of interesting differences.  The first part from Noble ("To mak cabages wortis tak whit cabage and fined them smale and mak them up"), seems redundant and doesn't appear in the Wagstaff version.  Perhaps it was a copyist error.  Noble also has the added instruction at the end to make sure the recipe is either as thick as canebeans, or is thick with canebeans.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 5 Butturde Wortys

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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5. Butturde Wortys
Take al maner of good herbes that thu mayste gete peke heme wesche heme hewe heme boyle hem in fayre watyre put buttyr ther to claryfyyde a grete dell whene they be boylyde y now salte heme lete none otemele come there yne dyse brede too smale gobettys and do yne dyschys and powre there wortys there upone and serve hem forth.

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No surprise, this recipe parallels number 146 in A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak buttered wortes tak good erbes and pik them and wesche them and shred them and boile them in watur put ther to clarified buttur a good quantite and when they be boiled salt them and let none otemele cum ther in then cutt whit bred thyn in dysshes and pour on the wort.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

As I mentioned in the post about the first recipe, I love how this one just chimes in with "let none otemele come there yne" even though there is no previous mention of oatmeal in the recipe.  This suggests that oatmeal was typically added to cooked greens.


This recipe shows up in other sources as well.

To make buttyrd Wortys. Take all maner of gode herbys that ye may gette pyke them washe them and hacke them and boyle them vp in fayre water and put ther to butture clarefied A grete quantite And when they be boylde enowgh salt them but let non Ote mele come ther yn And dyse brede in small gobbetts & do hit in dyshys and powre the wortes A pon and serue hit furth.  [MS Pepys 1047 (England, ca. 1500)]

Buttered Wortes. Take al maner of good herbes that thou may gete, and do bi ham as is forsaid; putte hem on the fire with faire water; put there-to clarefied buttur a grete quantite. Whan thei ben boyled ynogh, salt hem; late none otemele come there-in. Dise brede small in disshes, and powre on the wortes, and serue hem forth.  [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

Kristen Wright has a good modern interpretation of this recipe on her website.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 4 Canabens With Bacone

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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4.  Canabens With Bacone
Do suete brothe yne a potte wesche the canabens clene and do there to and boyle yt up put no lykure there to loke thay be salte & serve heme take ribbys of bacone boylyde do a way the skyne and ley heme one a dysche and serve heme forthere as ue serve vensone yne brothe.

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Keeping with the pattern so far, this little recipe parallels number 145 in A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak canebyns with bacon tak and put swete brothe in a pot then wesche canebyns clene and put to none other licour but boile them up and let them be salt and serue them then tak ribbes of bacon boled and do away the skyn and lay them in another disshe and serue them as ye do furmente and venysen. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

The only significant difference is that in the version from Noble, the recipe refers to frumenty, but Wagstaff only mentions venison in broth.


While not directly related, there's a similar recipe in Forme of Cury.

For To Make Gronden Benes. I. Take benes and dry hem in a nost or in an Ovene and hulle hem wele and wyndewe out þe hulk and wayshe hem clene an do hem toseeþ in gode broth an ete hem with Bacon. [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]

All told, I've found six different recipes in medieval cookbooks for beans with bacon.  It was obviously a popular combination that is still common in the modern day.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 3 Canabens

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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3.  Canabens
Take kanbens wesch hem and yf thu wilte stoppe heme a lytyll & make heme vp with mylke of almondys put there to sugure and salt out of lentyne make heme vp with cowe mylke and put there to  sygure and salte and buttyrre claryfyde.

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This short little recipe is clearly a parallel of one from A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak another canebyns take canebines and wesshe them and step them a litille and mak them up with mylk of almondes put ther to sugur and salt, and out of lent mak it up with mylk and clarified hony then salt it and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

The use of honey in A Noble Boke off Cookry instead of sugar is interesting given that sugar's place in English cooking was pretty well established by the fifteenth century.  Wagstaff also adds some butter.  Still, the recipes are essentially the same, making the first three recipes match 142 to 144 in Noble.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 2 For to make canabenes

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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2.  For to make canabenes
Take white benes ley hem in watyre rennynge too days and change the watyre take hem & ley heme dry thene dry heme harder vppone a stone or apone a este than shylle theme atte a tjylle and do a way the evehys and close the benys iij or iiij at the most and thene make hem clene and so may thou kepe heme as longe as thou wylte.

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This recipe shows some of the problems with transcribing a handwritten manuscript.  There are words here that are unclear, and it could be a problem with spelling, with my reading or with the scribe who wrote it in the first place.

Using a parallel recipe from A Noble Boke off Cookry makes it a bit clearer.

To mak canebyns tak whit benes and lay them to stepe in rynynge water ij dais and ij nights and change the water eury day then tak them up and let them are and put them in an ovene to hardyne and shelle them at the mylne and put away the hulles and clef the benes in ij or iij or iiij at the most and fry them and ye may kep them as longe as ye will.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

The word "tjylle" is most likely meant to be "mill", and "evehys" to be "hulls", but no matter how I look at the script I can't get the letters to resolve that way.

Interesting that the first two recipes in this book look to be the same as recipes 142 and 143 in A Noble Boke off Cookry, but of course the cookbooks of the time often copied from others.  We'll have to see how long the trend continues.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 1 (untitled)

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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1. (untitled recipe)
Take caules and stryp hem fro the stalkes and betes borage an ane vyolet malues percely betayne prymrose paciens the wyghthe lekes croppes of netels perboyle hem & ley hem one a borde presse out the watyre hewe hem small and do ther to otemele take the brothe of the congure turbut othire good fysche as of salmone do hit in a pott withe the foresayde herbes whene the broth ys at the boylynge caste in the wortys & the gerbes boyle hem vp loke they be salte and yf thou lacke brothe boyle elys take hem vp stripp of the fysche from the bonys grynde hit tempre hit with the selfe brothe do al to gadyre in a pott vn to the wortys be forsayde & boyle hem vp also then mayste yf thou wil setje mustulis sett hem over the fyre and do to hem as moche watyre as thay may flete yne boyle hem tyll they opyne then poure onto the brothe thorow a streynour pyke the mustulys grynde hem tenpere hem vp withe the silfe brothe and draw hem thoroughe a streynour taje tge sane nabber if gerves as thu dedist by fore and the brothe of the mustulys sette ouer the fyre boyle hem vp when the herbes be boulede y noughte caste in the mustulys drowe yne salte and yf thou wylte thou mayste draw pesyne thorow a streynere ande make vp the wortys with fayre watyre put there yne clere oylle lete them be frydde in by fore the boylynge & lay vp withe the forsayde pesone and lete none ottemele come ther yne also thou mayste yf thow will perboyle the white of lekeys and presse out the watyre hew theme smalle take canbenys and fayre watyr & sett hem on the fyre & when they boyle doyne the white of lekys loke none ottemele come there yne salt theme & serve theme forthe & cet.

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The first recipe in the manuscript isn't listed in the table of contents, probably because of its lack of title.  While there are many cabbage (cole) recipes in the medieval corpus, there are two that seem to be related to this one.

The first is a recipe for "Worts" that is a very close match:

To mak wortes tak coles and stripe them from the stalks then tak betees avens borage violettes mallowes parsly betayne prymrose pacyens the whyt of lekes and cropes of nettilles and parboile them upon a bord and pres out the water and mynce them smalle put ther to otemelle and tak the brothe of turbot congur samon or other fisshe and put them in a pot with the for said erbes and when the pot is at boillinge call in the erbes and the wort and boile them up and salt them and ye tak brothe tak eles and boile them and tak them upe and strip the fisshe from the bones and grind it up with the sam brothe and put them all to the wort and sethe them up. Also ye may sethe muskelles with as mych water as they may swym in and boile them tille they be opyne then streyne the brothe and tak some erbes as ye did befor and put it to the muskall brothe and set them on the fyere and boile them and when they be boiled put to the erbes and the brothe and put to the drawen muskalls and salt them, and ye may tak pessen drawe through a streyn and mak them up with the wort and faire water and put ther to oile that hath bene skald and in the boiling alay it up with pessene ye shall put none otemele ther in, also parboile the whit of lekes and pres out the water and chop them smalle and canebyns with faire water and set it to the fyere to boile it and put yt to the whit of leekes but do none otemele ther in and salt it and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Near the end they both include (twice!) one of my favorite bits in medieval recipes - an instruction not to add any oatmeal.  Odd, considering the recipe clearly calls for oatmeal early on.  Oats must have been a common addition to cooked cabbage, as I've found this instruction in other similar recipes that otherwise didn't mention them.

This recipe also seems to be connected to this one for "Joutes" in that the list of ingredients at the start is similar.

For Ioutes. Take most of cole, borage, persyl, Of plumtre leves, þou take þer tyl, Redde nettel crop and malues grene, Rede brere croppes, and avans goode, A lytel nept violet by þo rode, And lest of prymrol levus þou take, Sethe hom in water for goddes sake. Þenne take hom up, presse oute þou shalle Þe water, and hakke þese erbs alle And grynd hom in a morter schene With grotene. and sethe hom thyk by dene In fresshe brothe, as I þe kenne. Take sklyset, enbawdet þenne Besyde on platere þou shalt hit lay To be cut and eten with ioutes in fay.  [Liber cure cocorum, (England, 1430)]

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - Intro

I recently posted the last month of instructions from La Maison Rustique on "The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year."  That means I should probably find something else to do that's useful.

One of the projects I've been working on for some time is a transcription of the recipes from the Wagstaff miscellany (Beinecke MS 163).  This is the manuscript presented in An Ordinance of Pottage by Constance Hieatt.  That book is currently out of print, but there is a used copy available at Amazon.com (for a whopping $1,550.05).  I figure it's about time there's a freely-available transcription online (with searchable index, etc.).

My current plan is to post two recipes per week, with additional commentary and notes as appropriate.

To start things off though, here's the introduction to the recipe section of the manuscript, along with the table of contents.

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Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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Here bygynnyth the chapters of diuers makyng and dytynge of potages and flesch sodyn & rostyde and of sleying and dyghtyng of wylde fowle and of makyng of dyuers sotyltys, wortys, in lentyntyme other in fleschtyme.

Canebens
Canebens with bacon
Buttyrd wortys
Caboches
Hare other gose powdryde in wortys
Jowtys in flesch tyme
Lentyn foyles
Blaunche porre
Pome porre
Gyngaudre
Elys in sorey
Pykys other elys in ballocbrothe
Frumente in lentyn wyth porpoys
Pylets in farcene
To make iussall
To make loche lardes of iij colours
To make iumbelys of a dere
Greuell enforsede
Gawdon of Salmone
Cokkes of byllynge
Leche pernen
Feletys in galentyne
Humbelys of purpoys or of other fysch
Numbelys if vensone
Purpays in galentyne
Purpays or vensone in brothe
Hare in cyve
Hare in papulde
Hare in talbut
Conynge in grave
Conyngys in syve
Conyngys in clere brothe
Oisters in grave
Oisters in cyve
Chekens in gretney
Creteyney
Capons in conseps

Chekens in caudell
Sowpes
Chawdon of veell
Chawdon of pyggys fete
Dowce desyre
Breuet of Lombardy
Bruet of Almyne
Bruet of Spayne
Bruet roos
Chykenes in bruett
Stewe Lombarde
Stewyde colops
Brewett Tuskyne
Brewet Sarcenes
Bruet of kydes
Blanche bruety
Sauce sarceney
Eell in butryade
Pynonade
Kyde stuede
Stuede pertyrygge
A losede beef
Pyke in sauce
Turbut rostyde in sauce
Salmone rostyde in sauce
Brawne in confyte
Blaunchede branie
Leche lumbarde
Tayle
Blaunchede sorre
Blaw maungere
Chykeney
Blanke desyre
Sage
Sipres
Florey
Crem boylede
Lyede milke
Mortruys of flesche
Mortrus of fysche

Blaunche mortruys of fysche
Blaunche mortruys of flesche
Payne fondew
Caudell
Caudell ffery
Charlett
Perys in confite
Pesys in composte
Perys in syryppe
Brawne ryall braune sypres brawn bruse
Brawn ryall
Betreyn in lentyne
Betreyn in fleyschtyme
Storgon for sopers
Cold lech viaunde
Leche lumbarde
Cold bruet of rabets
Diuers desyre
Viauntes ryall
Maumene ryall
Gely of fysch dayes
Cristell gely
Gely of fleysche
Crem of almondys
Hages of almayne
Quistes
Joutes
Rastons
Samarcays
Longe fretours
Payne purdyeue
Peletes of porke in dores
Hattes
In lentyne
Sauce madam
Sauce camelene for quaylys
And other manner of fowlys & for fysche
Caudone of swane or of wylde gose
Wellyde pepyre for rostyde well
Fresche lamprey batone
Farteys of fleysche
Fartlettees
Bakyne purpas
Pyes of flesche caponys and fesauntes
Crustade lambarde

Chauet of beef
Bakyn chikenes
Chauet rial
Chauet of fysche dayes
Porialet
Prennerall
To make posset
Pyes of pares
Brinecy
Losynges opyne
Harbelade opyne
Lesche fryde
Bakyne mete one fysche days
A bakyne mete opyne
A colde bakyne mete
Caudell of almonds
For to sle aner of foules
And reste hem & syne for othure
Crane rostyde
Pertryche rostyde
Quayle rostyde
Heyrone rostyde
Bytore rostyde
Egrott rostyde
Curlew rostyde
Brew rostyde
Conyng rostyde
Rabetes rostyde
Sarcell rostyde
Plouere rostyde
Snyte rostyde
Wodkoc rostyde
Kyd rostyde
Well rostyde
Vensone rostyde
The seydys of a dere
Of his grece
Chikenes farsyde
Chikenes endoryde
Fylets of porke Endoryde
Capons of his grece rostyde
Capons stewede
Pecydaw
Gose or capons farsyde
Pyggys y farsyde

Pestys of motyne in sause
Dyghtynge of al manner of fysche trowghte boylede
Crab lopstere
Breme in sauce
Breme in brothe
Tenche in brothe
Sole in brothe
Sturgeone
Haddoc in gryue
Sowpes chaunlayne
Codlyng lyng haddoc other hake
Base mylet other brem
Congure turbut halibut poilede
Gurnarde othere roche boylede
Plays soles flounders boylede
Welkes boyled
Perche boyled
Fresch makerell boylede
Schrympes boylede
Sowpys endore
Hote mylke of almondes
Colde mylke of almondes

La Maison Rustique - December

From: L'agriculture et maison rustique, Charles Estienne (Rouen, 1658).

The works that the laborer should do for each month of the year.

(Chapter 10)

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December

In December visit oftentimes fields, in order to drain the water that will be gathered by the large rains.

Make water courses as close to the old ones as possible, and smoke them if necessary.

Make a supply of hay for smoking the fields.

Cover with hay the roots of trees and grasses that you want to keep until spring.

Top off and remove the branches of the willows, poplars, and other trees, so they can easily branch out and grow when winter is passed.

Cut wood, both for framing and for heating.

Draw up the nets to catch birds, and make the warrens for the hares, for when the fields are icy, or snow-covered, or flooded with rain. So that there can be no need.

Also make while it is raining, a thousand small wooden tools, such as those dishes, trenchers, spindles, tubs, bowls, and other things specific to husbandry.

Similarly, the harrows, rakes and hafts for the tools, repair the poles, yokes, plows and all instruments necessary for the stables of beasts of labor, so that they are in order to be worked.

Also make a supply of hoes, spades, picks, shovels, axes, hatchets, saws and other such tools for the husbandry of the fields.