Medieval Cookery: October 2015

Friday, October 30, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 42 Browet Seche

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book (Harley MS 1735)

This manuscript is dated before 1485.

The 68 recipes in John Crophill's Commonplace Book are on pages 16v through 28v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the British 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 © 2015 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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[42.] Browet Seche
Tak capouns or conyes & hew hem on gobets & waysch hem & do hem in a pot tak persoly & sauge & onyons & hew hem alle to gidre do it in a pot & red wyne & switch broth half of the ton & half of the tother & do it in the pot so that the fleysch be twey fynger brede above the pot & do ther to hol saffron & bylle it wel that non brethz go outh & set on the fyer & do ther to wyth gres & good poudere of galyngale clowes & qwybibes & let it sethen anow than do ther in sugre & dresse it.

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There are recipes with similar names in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books and MS Royal 12.C.xii. Neither of them is very close to the Crophill recipe, but they each have some common aspects.

Bruette saake. Take Capoun, skalde hem, draw hem, smyte hem to gobettys, Waysshe hem, do hem in a potte; thenne caste owt the potte, waysshe hem a-ȝen on the potte, and caste ther-to half wyne half Brothe; take Percely, Isope, Waysshe hem, and hew hem smal, and putte on the potte ther the Fleysshe is; caste ther-to Clowys, quybibes, Maces, Datys y-tallyd, hol Safroune; do it ouer the fyre; take Canelle, Gyngere, tempere thin powajes with wyne; caste in-to the potte Salt ther-to, hele it, and whan it is y-now, serue it forth. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

Browet sek. Sweet broth, grape verjuice, ground parsley put therein, cloves, mace, cubebs; in times of chicks after Easter; and it will have the taste of good spices, saffron cooked therein with parsley in the broth; color, yellow. [MS Royal 12.C.xii (England/France, 1340)]

Interestingly, there is a recipe in Liber with a different name that is similar to the one from Royal, but it is hard to tell if it is intended to be the same recipe.

Chekyns in browet. Take chekyns, scalde hom fayre and clene. Take persole, sauge, oþer herbȝ, grene Grapus, and stope þy chekyns with wynne. Take goode brothe, sethe hom þerinne, So þat þay sone boyled may be. Coloure þe brothe with safrone fre, And cast þeron powder dowce, For to be served in goode mennys howse. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 41 Browet of Sarasynes

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[41.] Browet of Sarasynes
Tak crustes of qwyt bred & blood & do it in a morter & grynd it & tempre it with swet broth & draw it thorow a cloth & do it in a pot & do ther in red wyn set it on the fyer & lye it & boylle it tak perterkes & wodekokes & other smale brydes & rost hem & qwirter hem & do hem in a pot & do ther to god poudre of clowes & qwybybes & sugre & sethz it do ther in wyth grece & tast it & [f.24v] dresse it.

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There are a variety of surviving recipes for "Brewet of Saracens," but none in Liber or Noble, and none of others are quite like the Crophill version.

FOR TO MAK A BRUET OF SARCYNESSE. Tak the lyre of the fresch Buf and bet it al in pecis and bred and fry yt in fresch gres tak it up and and drye it and do yt in a vessel wyth wyn and sugur and powdre of clowys boyle yt togedere tyl the flesch have drong the liycoure and take the almande mylk and quibibz macis and clowys and boyle hem togedere tak the flesch and do thereto and messe it forth. [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]

Bruette Sareson. Take Almaundys and draw a gode mylke and flowre of Rys, and Porke and Brawen of Capoun y-sode, or Hennys smale y-grounde, and boyle it y-fere, and do in-to the mylke; and than take pouder Gyngere, Sugre, and caste a-boue, an serue forth. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

Bruet sarcenes. Take venyson boyle hit trye hit do hit yn a pott take almond mylke drawyn up with the same brothe cast ther yn onyons & a ley hit up withe floure of rye & caste yn cloves aftyr the boylyng take hit don sensyn hit up with poudyr wyn & sygure & coloure hit with alekenet. [Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (England, 1460)]

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 40 Mawmene

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[40.] Mawmene
Tak a pond of sugre & a qwart of water & an half & do it in a pot with sugre & tak amydoun & lye it ther with & tak a tendre chese & grynd it in a morter & tempre it up with almounde melk & do it in a pot & set it on the fyer & styre it wele & tak fleysch of chykenys & hew & grynd it & tempre it up with almaunde melk wel thykke & qwan thi pot is wel boylled tak it of the fyer & lye it up with fleysch & do ther to god poudre of ginger or of canel & wyth grece & dresse it & plant it.

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Mawmany recipes are not uncommon, and there are versions in both Liber and Noble that are somewhat similar. It is worth noting that the Crophill recipe is unique in leaving out the wine.

For to make momene. Take whyte wyne, I telle þe, And sugur þerto ryȝt grete plenté. Take, bray þo brawne of aȝt capon. To a pot of oyle of on galon, And of hony a qwharte þou take. Do hit þer to as ever þou wake, Take powder þo mountenaunce of a pownde, And galingale ginger and canel rownde, And cast þer to, and styre hit. þenne Alle in on pot sethe hit, I kenne. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak mamony, tak whit wyne and sugur then bray the braun of viii capons with a gal on of oile and a quart of hony put ther to poudur of pepper galingalle guingere and canelle and stirre it welle and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

On a side note, the only mawmany recipe I found to specify the amount of sugar to be use is the following one from Forme of Cury, though the rest of the recipe is very unlike the Crophill verison.

Mawmenee. XX. Take a pottel of wyne greke. and ii. pounde of sugur take and clarifye the sugur with a qantite of wyne an drawe it thurgh a straynour in to a pot of erthe take flour of Canell. and medle with sum of the wyne an cast to gydre. take pynes with Dates and frye hem a litell in grece oþer in oyle and cast hem to gydre. take clowes an flour of canel hool and cast þerto. take powdour gyngur. canel. clower, colour it with saundres a lytel yf hit be nede cast salt þerto. and lat it seeþ; warly with a slowe fyre and not to thyk, take brawn of Capouns yteysed. oþer of Fesauntes teysed small and cast þerto. [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 39 Tarts of Flesch

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[39.] Tarts of Flesch
Tak fleysch of capouns or of hennys & pork & fyggys & reysings & eyren hard soden wel gronden alle to gidre brod & raw eyren do to saffron & pouder of ginger & canel and galingale & sugre & do ther to clowes & maces hole than make thin cofyn & do a cours of fleysch of perterkys or of ploverys or other volatyl al hewy & nother cours of the grounde mete & menge it togider. [f.24r]

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There are recipes in Liber and Noble that appear to be related to this recipe, but then there are many variations of meat pies in medieval cookbooks, so the common aspects could be a coincidence.

Tartlotes. Take porke sothun, and grynde hit wele With safroune, and medel hit ylkadel With egges and raysyns of corouns. þo Take powder and salt, and do þerto. Make a fole of doghe, and close þis fast, This flesshe þat hewene was open þo last Kover hit with lyddes, and pynche hit fayre, Korven in þe myddes two loyseyns a payr, Set hit with fryed almondes sere, And coloure þe past with safroune dere, And bake hit forthe, as I þe kenne, And set in sale before gode menne. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak tartes of fleshe tak pork and pik out the bones and grind it smale then boile figges in the freche brothe of flesche of wyne or of ale hewe it and grind it with egge then paire tender ches and grind ther with and let the most part stand by flesche then tak pynes and raissins and fry them a litille in grece and put it to the other with hole clowes maces poudur of pepper and cannele a goodele of guinger saffron sugur or hony clarified then salt it and toile them welle to gedur while the grece is hot, and mak gret coffynes with lowe liddes and ye may strawe ther to clowes maces and mynced dates whedur ye wille mold them with the stuf or strawe them aboue, and lay on the liddes wild werks and endor them with mylk of almondes and saffron and endore them as ye bak them and serue them furthe. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Tartes of Flesch. Take porke sodyn pyke hit clene from thy bonys grynd hit small boyle fyggys in the broth of the flesch or yn wyn or in ale hew hit & grynd hit with eyron pare tendyr chese grynd hit to gedyr that the most perte stond by the flesch & the lest by the chese take pynes & reysons fry hem in a quantite of fresch grece & do hit in that othir with hole clowys macys & poudyr of pepyr & canell a grete dele & poudyr of gynger & sygure claryfyd or hony claryfyd safron & salt toyl hit well togedyr tyl thy grece be hote then make brode cofnys with the brerdys as thyn as thu may make hem thu nay chese of clovys or mynsyd datys whethir thu wilte medyl hem with the stuff or els strew hem above & ley on the ledys close hem & thu may put ther yn lyghte worke & make endoryng with mylke of almondys & safron & endore hem or thu bake hem. [Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (England, 1460)]

Interestingly, it's a recipe from Forme of Cury that comes closest to the Crophill version.

TARTES OF FLESH. XX.VIII. VIII. Take Pork ysode and grynde it smale. tarde harde eyrenn isode & ygrounde and do þerto with Chese ygronde. take gode powdour and hool spices, sugur, safroun, and salt & do þerto. make a coffyn as to feel sayde & do þis þerinne, & plaunt it with smale briddes istyned & counyng. & hewe hem to smale gobettes & bake it as tofore. & serue it forth. [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]

Monday, October 26, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 38 Farsure of Wych

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[38.] Farsure of Wych
Tak fys[che] [al as?] beste and yelkys of eyren soden & saffron gynd eyren raw & bred poudre & sugre as be farse.

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I could not find any matches for this recipe in the other surviving cookbooks. From its brevity and confused wording, I expect that it is an incomplete and/or inaccurate copy from another source. I am also fairly sure that the word "wych" in the title is a copyist error for "fysch".

Friday, October 23, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 37 Cewe de Kounsye

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[37.] Cewe de Kounsye
Tak beef & hew it samal scher it & do it to the feyr & grynd garlec & do ther to & of the best spices & grynd bred & ly et in the maner of noumbles do to salt & qwan it is wellyd do it from the fyer.

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I could not find any other versions of this odd little recipe. The closest match is the following recipe from Noble, but there are significant differences (e.g. vinegar in the Noble recipe) that make me uncertain if they're truly related.

To mak sauce aliper for rostid bef tak broun bred and stepe it in venygar and toiste it and streyne it and stampe garlik and put ther to pouder of pepper and salt and boile it a litill and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry, (England, 1468)]

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 36 Prymerose

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[36.] Prymerose
Loke that thou have god broth & cler almondys grounen tempre it with the broth & drawe it thorow a cloth tak floures of primrose & do ther to & tak braun of hennys & hewe & grynd it & do ther to & let it wellen & do ther to flour of rys tyl it be chargeaunt & do ther to flowres of primerose & [f.23v] ginger & sugre and salt & qwan is sal ben dressed ley on floures of primerose the maner of spices.

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While there is no recipe for primrose in Liber, there one in Noble. There is also a version of the recipe in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books.

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)]

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)]

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 35 Rosee

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[35.] Rosee
Tak fleysch of hennys & pork & seth it & mak good broth & cler tak levis of rosys wel lesyn & clene wasch hem & grynd hem & tempre hem with the broth & do it to the fyer tak flour of rys or of wastelbred mak it chargeaunt tak so then of the hole rosys and do ther to & let it wellen tak aperty of saundrys and saffron to the colour do to salt do it fro the fyer & qwan it sal ben dressed strew in the disch of the levis of the rose as it were in the manere of pouder.

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Roses were often used in medieval cooking, and there corresponding recipes called "rosee" in both Liber and Noble.

Rose. Take flour of ryse, as whyte as sylke, And hit welle, with almond mylke. Boyle hit tyl hit be chargyd, þenne Take braune of capone or elle of henne. Loke þou grynd hit wondur smalle, And sithen þou charge hit with alle. Coloure with alkenet, sawnder, or ellys with blode, Fors hit with clowes or macys gode. Seson hit with sugur grete plenté, Þis is a rose, as kokes telle me. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak rose, tak flour of ryse and temper it with almond mylk and mak it chaungynge then tak the braun of capon or of henne sodyn and grind it and charge it ther with and colour it with sanders and blod and fors it with clowes and maces and sesson it with sugur and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 34 Cyvee

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[34.] Cyvee
Tak capouns & perboylle hem in good broth do hem in than to rosten grynd bred [f.23r] tak spices & mak liour mynce onyons smale & welle hem with qwyth gres do to yelkes of raw eyren seson it al to gidre do to salt.

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While civey recipes - meat with onions in gravy - are fairly common, they usually call for coney or hare. The closest recipes from Liber and Noble are good examples.

Conyngus in cyne. Smyte þe conyngus in pese smalle. And sethe hom in brothe gode þou shalle. Mynsyn onyons in grece þou sethe, And in good brothe, þat is so smethe Walle togeder. and drauȝe alioure Of blode and brede sumdele sowre, Sesonut with venegur and good brothe eke, Kast salt þerto and powder fulle meke. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak conys in cevy smyt conys in small peces and sethe them in good brothe put ther to mynced onyons and grece and draw a liour of broun bred and blod and sesson it with venygar and cast on pouder and salt and serve it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

It could be that the Crophill version's use of capon is a copyist error. Then again, the original author may simply have preferred capon over coney.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 33 Counses

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[33.] Counses
Tak capouns & dysch hem to the fyer & qwan thei ben soden tak bred & grynd it ther with & tempre it than do in spices and saffron sethe eyren hard & tak the qwyte & mynce it & do it in let it wellen take the yelkys of eyren & seson it ther with do to gres & salt & qwan it sal ben served do the yelkys of the eyren in the disch.

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This recipe is a clear match with the recipes for "capons in councys" found in other sources, including Liber and Noble.

Capons in Covisye. Take capons and sethe hom wele, And hew hom smalle ilkadele. Take peper and brede, and grynde hit smalle, And temper hit up with capon alle. Take why3te of eyren harde soþun þo, And hake hom smalle and do þerto, And boyle þe capon and coloure hit þenne With safrone, and do as I kenne. Þo 3olkes of eggus, I telle þe, Alle hole þou put in disshe so fre. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak capons in couns tak a capon and sethe it and hew it then grind pepper and bred and temper it with the capon then tak the whit of egg herd sodene and hew them small and boile the capons and colour it with saffron and lay yolks of eggs in the disshe hole and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Capouns In Councys. XXII. Take Capons and rost hem right hoot þat þey be not half y nouhz and hewe hem to gobettes and cast hem in a pot, do þerto clene broth, seeþ hem þat þey be tendre. take brede and þe self broth and drawe it up yferer, take strong Powdour and Safroun and Salt and cast þer to. take ayrenn and seeþ hem harde. take out the zolkes and hewe the whyte þerinne, take the Pot fro þe fyre and cast the whyte þerinne. messe the disshes þerwith and lay the zolkes hool and flour it with clowes. [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]

There is also a recipe in Wagstaff that is clearly related to the above.

Capons yne conceps. Take capons halfe rostyde do hem yn a pott put ther to swete broth & a perty of rede wyne stew hit up to gedyr that hit be ynowghe trye the brothe yf thu wylte thu may do ther to a lytyll lyoure of payndemayn take eyron sodyn harde hew the white do ther to sigure safron & salt set hit on the fyre when hit boyles a lay hit up withe yolkes of eyron loke hit be rennyng sesyn hit up withe poudyr of gynger & vergeys a rese the thyys & the whyngez & the brestz of the capons loke that they honge by ley hem yn disches plante hem withe hard yolkes of eyron and poudyr & the sewe a bovyn. [Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (England, 1460)]

Friday, October 16, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 32 Garbage

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[32.] Garbage
Tak fleysch & wasch it & do it to the fyer take percely & brek yt with thin honds & do in spices and saffron & wyn let it boyle wel non other lite but salt.

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The Crophill recipe for "garbage" is unusual in that all of the other recipes by that name specify that the main ingredient is offal from poultry.

To mak a garbage tak the heed the garbage the leuer the gessern the wings and the feet and wesche them and clene them and put them in a pot and cast ther to brothe of beef poudere of pepper clowes maces parsly saige mynced then step bred in the sam brothe and cast it to pouder of guingere venygar saffron and salt and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Garbage. Take fayre garbagys of chykonys, as the hed, the fete, the lyuerys, an the gysowrys; washe hem clene, an caste hem in a fayre potte, an caste ther-to freysshe brothe of Beef or ellys of moton, an let it boyle; an a-lye it wyth brede, an ley on Pepir an Safroun, Maces, Clowys, an a lytil verious an salt, an serue forth in the maner as a Sewe. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

Garbage. Take faire Garbage, chikenes hedes, ffete, lyvers, And gysers, and wassh hem clene; caste hem into a faire potte, And caste fressh broth of Beef, powder of Peper, Canell, Clowes, Maces, Parcely and Sauge myced small; then take brede, stepe hit in the same brothe, Drawe hit thorgh a streynour, cast thereto, And lete boyle ynowe; caste there-to pouder ginger, vergeous, salt, And a litull Safferon, And serve hit forthe. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

It could be that the flesh called for in the Crophill version is intended to be offal, but given how little it has in common with the other recipes, it is just as likely that the recipe is mistitled.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 31 A Gelle

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[31.] A Gelle
Tak gledes & bronnys & grete elys wel wasche & brothe & do to the fyer to sethen & qwan it is soden tak the broth & do it to the fyer & do to [f.22v] clowes gelofres gingour galingale broken but nouth over muchel & saffron & qwan it is wel soden drawe it thorow a cloth in to a vessel of tre & do the fysch in the broth & cover it let it stonde & kelen the space of anyth for it sal ben served cold & do the fysch in the same maner.

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Recipes for jelly (gelatin) are very common, but also vary widely. The version from Noble is notably different from the Crophill recipe.

To mak a gilly of fleshe take conys and fley them and skald pegions chop them and fley of the skyne skald chekins and chope kiddes and put all to gedur and boile it in red wyne then tak it upe and lay it in a clene clothe dry the peces of the kid pigions and conys and couche them in dishe and chope chekkins and put ther to then set the chekkins in a cold place where it may stand stille then set the brothe to the fyere agayne and luk it be well strened that no fat abid ther on then tak skalded caluys feet and lay them in the same brothe till they be tender and luk the brothe be clene scomed sessen it up with salt and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 30 A Stywe

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[30.] A Stywe
Tak afayr pot & do in gres and fleysch hylle it wel & do in good poudre of ginger & of galingale & do in vyn & do it from the fyer & cure if fro cold & do the to salt.

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This simple recipe does not seem to have any close matches in other sources. It is similar to the "Stewed Lombard" recipe from Noble, except that it lacks both onions and almonds. Similarly, it has a lot in common with galantine recipes such as the one from Liber, but does not include the bread crusts that is the first ingredient in all of those recipes.

To mak stewed lombard tak pork and rost it and chop it into a pot with wyne sugur and hole clowes onyons guingere saffron and sanders then fry almondes and temper them up with wyne pouder gyngyure canelle and galingale and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Galentyne. Take crust of brede and grynde hit smalle, Take powder of galingale and temper with alle Powder of gyngere and salt also. Temper hit with venegur er þou more do, Draw3e hit þurughe a streynour þenne, And messe hit forthe before gode menne. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 29 Rys Camelyne

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[29.] Rys Camelyn
Tak rys nought over mychel skerved do it to the fyer with almonde mylke let it well tyl it be chargeaunt & do ther to pouder of canel & aperty of saffron & sugre & salt.

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I could not find any other versions of this recipe. While there are a number of vaguely similar recipes in other sources, the similarities might only be due to the Crophill recipe consisting of very common ingredients.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 28 Burgeoun de Vyne

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[28.] Burgeoun de Vyne
Grynd almondys & tempre with broth & rys nouth over mychyl skerved & tak the furthe of the vine long schorn in the maner of braun of hennys welle hem do the rys & the mylk to gyder to the fyer & qwan it is chargeaunt do in thin furches in the maner of braun & do ther to sugre & salt.

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Aside from being somewhat cryptic, this recipe also appears to be unique. I could not find any comparable recipes in other sources.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 27 Viaunde de Burgeoun

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[27.] Viaunde de Burgeoun
Tak good broth & the of the vine & mince & grynd it & tempre it with broth & wyt mylk & win & drawe it thorow a cloth & tempre thi fleysch ther with tak sythen flour of rys & do ther to so that it be chargeaunt & do [f.22r] ther to canel & aperty greyn de pareys & sugour & qwyth salt the colour sal ben fade grene.

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This is another recipe that seems a bit cryptic. There is a recipe in Ancient Cookery with a similar title that seems to be related, but the text of the recipe is very different.

Viande Burton for xl mees. Take vlb. of dates, ii lb. of reyfynges of sypres, and fethe hom all in red wync ; and then bray hom with vernage, with a fewe chippes of light bred stepet in vernage, with clowes and canell; and when hit is brayed drawe up al togedur thik thurgh a streynour, and put hit in a clene pot, and boyle hit, and in the boylinge take iilb. of sugre, and travaile hit wel; and take the zolkes of eyren, and a quartron of gynger mynced, and caste the gynger in the fame pot, and travaile hit wel, and take the zolkes beforefayde, and bete hom wel togeder, and streyne hom thurgh a streynour; and in the scttynge downe of the pot, bete in the eyren, and bete in ther among di. a quartron of pouder of gynger, and put in a few faunders, and saffron, ande salt, and water of euerose; and if hit be for a lorde, put vii leches in a difshe, or v, and make a dragge of syne sugre, and triet pouder of ginger, and of anys in confit, and strawe hit theron ; and serve hit forthe. [Ancient Cookery (England, 1425)]

There is a recipe from Wagstaff that could be a version of Viand Burton, but again there are significant differences. All three of these could be related, or they could just be part of a larger category of recipes that have some similar aspects.

Viaund ryall. Grynd reysons draw with bastard clare osey or othir swete wyn the best thu may gete take datys cut grete reysons of coraunce clovis macys pynes & floure of canel yf thu have hit pure hit in a pot & som of the good wyn ther with when hit ys boyled y nowghe take the syrip of the resons & the creme of almonds & past ryall & pynad and gobet ryal & gynger in confite & claryfyd quynsys or chard wardys poudyr poudyr of canell do al thes to gedyr yn a pot set hit on the fyre stere hit wel when hit ys at the boylyng take hit of loke hit be doucet and that hit have y nowgh of poudres & somdell of salt deresse hit forth as a flate potage & yf thu serve hit forth colour hit with blossemys of safron have fisch braune sodyn tendyr & draw yn thorowgh a streynour & colour hit with safron that hit be as brythe as lambur when hit ys cold floresch the sewe ther with in dysches & serve hit forthe. [Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (England, 1460)]

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 26 Viaunde de Cipre

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[26.] Viaunde de Cipre
Grynd almondys & tempre it up with good broth tak braun of hennys & pork yef myst be hewe it and grynd it & seson it up with flour of rys yt it be chargeaunt colour it with saffron thanne do to sugre & ginger after it asket do ther to gres than do it fro the fyer to reste.

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Viand Cypress is one of the more common medieval recipes and there are versions in almost every surviving cookbook from that period. The versions from Liber and Noble, while not an exact match, are reasonalbly close to the Crophill verison.

Viande de Cipur. Take braunne of capons or hennes þou shalle. Parboyle and drye hit with alle. Hew hom smalle, bray in mortere, As smalle as bred, þat myed were. Take good almonde mylke anone And lye hit up with amydone Or with floure of ryse, þou may. Coloure hit with safron, I þe say. Boyle hit after yche adele, Charge hit with flesshe brayed wele. Seson hit with sugur and þen þy dysshe With almondes set þou schalle florysshe. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak viand de cipre, tak the braun of capon or of henne parboille it and dry it then hew it smalle in a mortair and putt ther to almond mylk and lay it up with amydon or with flour of rise coloure it with saffron and boille it and chargant it with the braed braun and sesson it with sugur and florishe it with almondes and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 25 Charlet Gentyl

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[25.] Charlet Gentyl
Tak pork & grynd it with cow melk breke eyren & draw hem & do ther to & saffron & grynd it [f.21v] al to gider seson it at the feyr & sythen let resten a qwyle tak than a clene cloth & do it ther inne & sye outh the iews tak sithen melk of almondys & ginger & galingale & mak a sew chargeant as grave & do ther to sugre & clowes & maces seson it wel do ther to qwyth salt tak sythen the charlet outh of the cloth & schere it with a knyf on schywer & do ther to the sew.

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While there are many reciped for charlete in other sources, none of them are a very close match for the Crophill version and none are "gentyl". The charlet recipes from Liber and Noble are good examples.

Charlet. Take swettest mylke, þat þou may have, Colour hit with safron, so God þe save. Take fresshe porke and sethe hit wele, And hew hit smalle every dele. Swyng eyryn, and do þer to. Set hit over þe fyre, þenne Boyle hit and sture lest hit brenne. Whenne hit welles up, þou schalt hit kele With a litel ale, so have þou cele. When hit is inoȝe, þou sett hit doune, And kepe hit lest hit be to broune. Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak charlet tak swet mylk and colour it with saffron then tak freche pork and boile it and hew yt smalle then swinge eggs and cast them into the mylk and boile them and stirr them lest they bren and bete it with a litill ale and set it doun and let it not be brown and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Interestingly, there is a non-charlet recipe from Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books with the word "gentyl" in the name which may be related.

Crustade gentyle. Take a Cofyn y-bake; than grynd Porke or Vele smal with harde ȝolkys of Eyroun; than lye it with Almaunde Milke, and make hem stondyng; take Marow of bonys, and ley on the cofynne, and fylle hem fulle with thin comade, and serue forth. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 24 Crane

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[24.] Crane
Loke thu have good broth & cler & good blaunched almondys grynd hem & tempre hem up with thin broth & drawe it hulle it wel & do it on the fyer charge it wel with amydon or with flour of rys do ther to qwyth ginger & aperty canel sugre qwybibes & clowes aperty gres & salt.

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In spite of the title of this recipe, it doesn't appear to have anything to do with cranes, nor does it even remotely resemble crane recipes from other sources. The title could be a copyist error for "cream" though, and there are other recipes for "cream of almond milk" that appear at least vaguely related.

Crem of almonde mylk. Take almonde mylke, and boyle hit, and when hit is boylet take hit from the fyre, and springe theron a lytel vynegur; then take and cast hit on a clothe, and cast theron sugur, and when hit is colde gedur hit together, and leche hit in dysshes, and serve hit forthe. [Ancient Cookery (England, 1425)]

Creme Of Almaundes. XX.IIII. V. Take Almaundes blaunched, grynde hem and drawe hem up thykke, set hem ouer the fyre & boile hem. set hem adoun and spryng hem wicii Vyneger, cast hem abrode uppon a cloth and cast uppon hem sugur. whan it is colde gadre it togydre and leshe it in dysshes. [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]

Another possibility is that the recipe is mistitled, as the recipe also appears similar to the following from Liber and Noble.

Caudel dalmone. Take almondes unblanchyd and hom þou bray. Drawe hom up with wyn, I dar wele say. Þer to do pouder of good gyngere And sugur, and boyle alle þese in fere, And coloure hit with safron and salt hit wele, And serve hit forthe Sir at þo mele. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak cawdelle dalmond tak unblanched almondes and bray them and draw them with wyne put ther to pouder of guinger and sugur and boile all to gedur and colore it with saffron and salt it and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Monday, October 5, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 23 Browet Mese

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[23.] Browet Mese
Tak canel & ginger saffron & persely & grynd it & tempre it with good broth tak eyren & brek hem & drawe hem thorow a cloth do awey the strene tak sithen thin thre thingys & draw also do to the feyr & qwan it wellith do ther to swich flesch as thu hast sodon & than thin eyren after & whych salt.

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This confusingly-worded recipe appears to be unique. The closest matches given below have similar elements, but it is not clear if they're meant to be the same recipes.

Browet salmenee. Vinegar, galingale, cinnamon, powder of cloves of gillyflowers in great abundance; soft eggs, and sugar in great abundance to cut the strength of the spice; thick with the spice of ginger; color, black or green. [MS Royal 12.C.xii (England/France, 1340)]

Vyaund de cyprys bastarde. Take gode wyne, and Sugre next Aftyrward, and caste to-gedere; thenne take whyte Gyngere, and Galyngale, and Canel fayre y-mynced; then take Iuse of Percile and Flowre of Rys, and Brawn of Capoun and of Chykonnys I-grounde, and caste ther-to; An coloure it wyth Safroun and Saunderys, an a-ly it with 3olkys of Eyroun, and make it chargeaunt; an whan thou dressest it yn, take Maces, Clowes, Quybibes, and straw a-boue, and serue forth. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

Friday, October 2, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 22 Pochee

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[22.] Pochee
Tak fyggs [f.21r] & reysynggs & grynd hem wel & seson it with good almonde mylk & do ther to agod porcion of canel & of ginger & if it charge nowth tak flour of rys & do ther to tyl it be wel stondynge than do to salt.

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There are a handful of recipes with titles related to "pochee", but all of them other than the Crophill version are centered around eggs (e.g. "poached").

Pochee. XX.IIII. X. Take Ayrenn and breke hem in scaldyng hoot water. and whan þei bene sode ynowh. take hem up and take zolkes of ayren and rawe mylke and swyng hem togydre, and do þerto powdour gyngur safroun and salt, set it ouere the fire, and lat it not boile, and take ayrenn isode & cast þe sew onoward. & serue it forth. [Forme of Cury(England, 1390)]

Eyron en poche. Take Eyroun, breke hem, an sethe hem in hot Water; than take hem Vppe as hole as thou may; than take flowre, an melle with Mylke, and caste ther-to Sugre or Hony, and a lytel pouder Gyngere, an boyle alle y-fere, and coloure with Safroun; an ley thin Eyroun in dysshys, and caste the Sewe a-boue, and caste on pouder y-now. Blawnche pouder ys best. [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)]

The recipes that appear to be more closely related to Crophill's pochee are the "figey" recipes in Liber and Nobel.

To mak a figge tak figges and boile them in wyne then bray them in a mortair put ther to bred and boile it with wyne cast ther to clowes maces guinger pynes and hole, raissins and florisshe it withe pongarnettes and serue it. [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

For stondand fygnade. Fyrst play þy water with hony and salt, Grynde blanchyd almondes I wot þou schalle. Þurghe a streynour þou shalt hom streyne, With þe same water þat is so clene. In sum of þe water stepe þou shalle Whyte brede crustes to alye hit with alle. Þenne take figgus and grynde hom wele, Put hom in pot so have þou cele. Þen take brede, with mylke hit streyne Of almondes þat be white and clene. Cast in þo fyggus þat ar igrynde With powder of peper þat is þo kynde, And powder of canel. in grete lordys house With sugur or hony þou may hit dowce. Þen take almondes cloven in twen, Þat fryid ar with oyle, and set with wyn Þy disshe, and florysshe hit þou my3t With powder of gynger þat is so bry3t, And serve hit forthe as I spake thenne And set hit in sale before gode menne. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

Two possible explanations come to mind for the Crophill version. The first is that the wrong title somehow got attached to the recipe. The second is that the recipe is for a meatless version of the more common pochee recipes.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 21 Rys Rayle

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[21.] Rys Rayle
Tak sugre & whyt salt and brotz & fyggys & fleysch of hennis & pork & grynd hem wel to gidre tak bred & par awey the our kurste & tak the togher kurst & grynd in stede of lyour & canel gynger & aperty of galyngale grynd it & seson it so it charge wel the colour sal ben of the selve.

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I could not find any other version of this recipe, though there are recipes in Liber and Noble titled "Mortrews" that are similar.

For blanchyd mortrews. Sethe hennes and porke, þat is fulle fresshe. Bray almondes unblanchyd and temper hom nesshe With clene brothe, and drawe hom þo. Alay þy flesshe smalle grounden to, And floure of ryce þou grynd also. Cast powder of gyngere and sugur þerinne, But loke þat hit be not to þyn, But stondand and saltid mesurlé And kepe þy dysshe mete for þo maystré. [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

Mortrews. XX.II. V. Take hennes and Pork and seeþ hem togyder. take the lyre of Hennes and of the Pork, and hewe it small and grinde it all to doust. take brede ygrated and do þerto, and temper it with the self broth and alye it with zolkes of ayrenn, and cast þeron powdour fort, boile it and do þerin powdour of gyngur sugur. safroun and salt. and loke þer it be stondyng, and flour it with powdour gynger. [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]

Given that the word "rice" shows up in the title of the recipe but doesn't appear in the recipe itself, this might be a case where the copyist unintentionally merged two different recipes.