Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 133 Losyngys opyn

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 © 2014 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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133. Losyngys opyn
Make a past with paryd floure knedyn with watyr sigure safron & salt make hem in foyles then cut thy losyngs of the breed of thy hond or less frye hem in good oyle & serve hem forth foure or fyve yn a dysche.

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This recipe is a match for recipe 73 from A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak lossenges fried in lent make a paiste of pured flour knodden with faire water sugur saffron and salt then mak a thyn foile in lossengis the bred of your hond or lese and fry them in oile and serue them iij or iiij in a dysshe.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

The difference in titles is a bit unusual. The lack of dairy and eggs clearly marks this as a Lenten recipe, so the title of the Noble version isn't exceptional. However there is noting in the recipe that suggests "open" rather than "closed."

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 132 Brinddy

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 © 2014 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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132. Brinddy
Put wyne in to a pott & claryfydd hony saundres poudyr of pepyr canell clovis macys pynes datys mynsyd & reysons of corauns & cast ther to a lytyll venyggour set hit on the fyre lete hit boyle seth fygys in wyn grynd hem & draw hem thorow a streynour & cast ther to & let hem boyle to gedyr then take floure saferon sigure & salt make ther of kakes let hem be thyn ynowghe then cut hem lyke lysyngys & fry hem in oyle then put hem in to the syrip & loke the syrip be rennyng & serve hit forth.

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This recipe is a match for recipe 71 from A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak Breney, put wyne in a pot and clarified hony saunders canelle peper clowes maces pynes dates mynced raissins of corans put ther to vinegar and sett it on the fyer. and let it boile then sethe fegges in wyne grind them and draw them through a strener and cast ther to and let them boile to gedur then tak flour saffron sugur and faire water and mak ther of faire cakes and let them be thyne then cut them bigge lassengis wise and fry them in oile a stonding sewe for sopers and strawe ther on annes in comfets and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

There are also two versions of this recipe in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books.

Prenade. Take wyn, and put hit in a potte, and clarefied honey, sawndres, pouder of peper, Canel, Clowes, Maces, Saffron, pynes, myced dates, and reysons, And cast thereto a litul vinegre, and sette hit ouer the fire, and lete hit boyle; and seth figges in wyn and grynde hem, and draw hem thorgh a streynour, and cast thereto, and let boile al togidre. And then take floure, saffron, sugur, and faire water, and make faire kakes, and late hem be thyn ynogh; And then kutte hem like losinges; And then caste hem in faire oyle, and fry hem a litul while; And then take hem vp oute of the pan, and caste hem to the wessell with the sirippe, altogidre, in a dissh; And therefore thi sirripe most be rennyng ynow, and no3t to stiff; and so serue it forth fore a good potage, in faire disshes all hote.  [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

Bryndons. Take Wyn, and putte in a potte, an clarifiyd hony, an Saunderys, pepir, Safroun, Clowes, Maces, and Quybibys, and mynced Datys, Pynys and Roysonys of Corauns, and a lytil Vynegre, and sethe it on the fyre; an sethe fygys in Wyne, and grynde hem, and draw hem thorw a straynoure, and caste ther-to, an lete hem boyle alle to-gederys; than take fayre flowre, Safroun, Sugre, and Fayre Water, ande make ther-of cakys, and let hem be thinne Inow; than kytte hem y lyke lechyngys, (Note: long thin strips) an caste hem in fayre Oyle, and fry hem a lytil whyle; thanne take hem owt of the panne, an caste in-to a vesselle with the Syrippe, and so serue hem forth, the bryndonys an the Sirippe, in a dysshe; and let the Sirippe be rennyng, and not to styf.  [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

The name of the Noble version, Breny, may be a crude reference to the recipe's appearance. The word "bren" in Middle French could be translated as "excrement."

The Bard's Tale

If you're at all interested in fiction, I've just set up a Kickstarter project for a new anthology - The Bard's Tale.  It's a collection of short stories and recipes by a great group of authors, edited by yours truly.

Not all the recipes in it are medieval, which is only fitting because not all of the stories are set in a traditional medieval fantasy setting.  Still, it should be a fun book for readers who like to cook.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 131 Pyes of Pares

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 © 2014 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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131. Pyes of Pares
Smyte fayre buttes of porke & of vele to gedyr & put hit in a pot with fresch broth & a quantite of wyne boyle all to gedyr tyl hit be ynow then put hit in a clene vessell put ther to raw yolkes of eyron poudyr of gynger sigure & salt mynsyd & reysons of corauns & make a fayre thin past & cofyns & do ther yn thy stuf & let hit bake y nowe & then serve hit forth.

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This recipe is a match for recipe 72 from A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak pyes of pairis tak and smyt fair buttes of pork and buttes of vele and put it to gedure in a pot with freshe brothe and put ther to a quantite of wyne and boile it tille it be enoughe then put it in to a treene vesselle and put ther to raw yolks of eggs pouder of guinger sugur salt and mynced dates and raissins of corans and mak a good thyn paiste and mak coffyns and put it ther in and bak it welle and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

As with the recipe for Possote, there is an interesting word substitution.  The word "clene" (clean) in the Wagstaff version is given as "treene" (tree-en, i.e. wooden) in Noble.

There is also a version of this recipe in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books.

Pies of Parys. Take and smyte faire buttes of porke and buttes of vele togidre, and put hit in a faire potte, And putte thereto faire broth, And a quantite of Wyne, And lete all boile togidre til hit be ynogh; And then take hit fro the fire, and lete kele a litel, and cast ther-to raw yolkes of eyren, and pouudre of gyngeuere, sugre and salt, and mynced dates, reysyns of corence: make then coffyns of feyre past, and do it ther-ynne, and keuere it and lete bake y-nogh.  [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 130 To Make a Possote

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 © 2014 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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130. To Make a Possote
Do cow mylke in a pott ovir the fyre when hit ys at boylyng putt in wyne or ale & no salt take hit from the fyre hele hit as sone as the crud ys gaderyd take uppe crud with a saucer or with a ladyell serve hit forth & strew on poudyr of gynger yf thu wilte thu may take the same crud & ley hit on a bord & presse out the whey & draw hit twyys or iij thorow a streynour with swete wyne put to poudyr of gynger & segure & medyll hit well to gedyr & serve hit forth as for a stondyng potage for soperys.

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This recipe is a match for recipe 70 from A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak a posthot, put cow mylk in a pan and set it on the fyer and when it is at boiling do ther in other wyne or ale and no salt then tak it from the fyer and kele it and assone as the curddes gaddure take up the curddes with a saucer or a ladille and serue it and straw ther on pouder of ginger and ye may tak the sam curdde and lay it on the clothe and presse out the wyne and drawe it through a strener with swet wyne put ther to pouder of guinger and sugur and mele it to gedure and serue it as a stonding sewe for sopers and straw ther on anise in comfettes.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

One of the minor but interesting differences is that the Wagstaff version has "presse out the whey" where the Noble version has "presse out the wyne".

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 129 Prmeroll at pasche

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 © 2014 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

-=-=-

129. Prineroll at pasche
Take blanch almondys & the floures of primeroll grynd hem temper hem up with swete wyne & with a perty of swete broth draw hit unto a thike mylke do hit in a pott sygure & salt & a lytyll safron that hit have the same colour as the primroll hath boyle hit & but hit be stondyng a ley hit with floure of ryse & serve forthe as stondyng potage & strew on primroll abovyn thu may yf thu wilt daperte hit in the disches dryssyng with rape ryall or with some othir stondyng sewe in.

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This recipe is a match for recipe 69 from A Noble Boke off Cookry.

To mak prymerolle in pasthe tak blanched almondes and flour of prymerose grind it and temper it with swet wyne and good brothe drawinge into the thik mylk put it into a pot with sugur salt and saffron that it haue colour lik prymerolle and boile it that it be stondinge and alay it with flour of rise and serue it as a standinge potage and strawe ther on flour of prymerolle aboue and ye may diaper it with rape rialle in dressinge of some other sewe.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

There is also a recipe for primrose in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books that is clearly related.

Cviij - Prymerose. Take other half-pound of Flowre of Rys, .iij. pound of Almaundys, half an vnce of hony and Safroune, and take the flowres of the Prymerose, and grynd hem, and temper hem vppe with Mylke of the Almaundys, and do pouder Gyngere ther-on: boyle it, and plante thin skluce with Rosys, and serue forth.  [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

The description of the dish as "stonding" indicates an extremely thick dish, like very thick oatmeal. The instruction at the end of the Wagstaff and Noble versions to diaper (decorate all over) with a second recipe appears unique to these two cookbooks.  Note that this second dish, Rape Royal, is likely a sweet, thick sauce of raisins and figs.


The name of the recipes suggests a dish to me made around Easter (Pasch), which makes sense given the lack of eggs and the use of flower petals.