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 © 2013 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com
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65. Brawne in confyte
Sethe fresche brawne tille hit be y nowghe thane paryt grynde hit in a morter temper hit up withe almonde milke draw hit thorow a streyner into a pott do ther to sygire & poudyr y nowe of clovys let hit boyle take floure of canelle and poudyr of clowys a gode quantite do ther to boyle hit do ther to poudyr of gynger take hit oute of the pott & do hit in a lynnyne clothe & presse hit ther yne thane leche hit fayre but nott to thynne thene take ribbys of a bore al bare & shote heme endelonge thorow the leches & serve forthe a leche or ij yne a dysche.
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This recipe is a close match to recipe 176 from A Noble Boke off Cookry, with the odd exception that instead of "brawn" (meat) the Noble version calls for "bream" (a type of fish).
To dight breme in comfet tak and sethe a freche breme tille he be enoughe then grind it in a mortair and temper it with almond mylk and drawe it throwe a stren in to a pott put ther to suger pouder of pepper canelle clowes and guingere and boile it then tak it out of the pot and put it into alynclothe and pres out the thyn then tak the ribbes of a bore and couch them along through the leske and serue one or ij in a disshe. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]
There are two versions of this recipe in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books that also call for brawn, which leads me to think that the fish version is in error.
Brawn in comfyte. Take Freyssch Brawn and sethe yt y-now, and pare it and grynde it in a mortere, and temper it with Almand mylke, and draw it thorw a straynoure in-to a potte, and caste ther-to Sugre y-now, and powder of Clowys, and let boyle; then take floure of Canelle, and pouder of Gyngere; and then take it out of the potte, an putte it in a lynen clothe and presse it, but lat it boyle so longe in the potte tylle it be alle thikke; than take it vppe and presse it on a clothe, and then leche it fayre with a knyff, but not to thinne; and than 3if thou wolt, thou my3ht take the Rybbys of the bore al bare, and chete hem enlongys thorw the lechys, an so serue forth a leche or to in euery dysshe. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]
Brawne in confite. Take fressh brawne, and seth it ynowe; pare hit, and grinde hit in a morter, and temper it with almond mylke, and draw it thorgh a Streynour into a potte, and cast thereto Sugour ynowe, and pouder of Clowes, and lete boyle; and take ffloure of Canell, or powder, a goode quantite, and caste there-to. And lete boyle, and caste there-to powder of ginger; And then take it vp oute of the potte, And put in a lynnen clothe and presse it; lete hem boile so long in the potte that it be thik, And then take hit vppe, and presse it in the clothe; And then leche hit faire, but not to thyn; And then take the ribbes of the boor, and al bare, and set hem enlonge the leches, And serue it forthe .ij. or iij. leches in a dissh. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]
