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."