Merryell Williams' Book of Recipes (Peniarth MS 513D) - [12] Pease Soop

Merryell Williams' Book of Recipes

Peniarth MS 513D

This is a volume of cooking and medicinal recipes which were collected by Merryell Williams of the Ystumcolwyn Estate, Montgomeryshire, towards the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century. The manuscript is in English. Within its covers we are given a glimpse of the types of meals created in the kitchens of mid Wales' nobility during this period.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the National Library of Wales website.

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

Copyright © 2022 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

[12] Pease Soop. Boyle white pease as before, rubb them through a sieve, put to them stronge broath made of a Leg of Mutton or Beeff. Set them on the fire with some lemon peell, whole pepper, sume Nutmeg, and an Onion Stuck with cloves, Some sweet herbs. Then let them boyle together. Then take & cut the Onion and herbs, then put in some baccon & balls fryed & toasted braed in squar bitts, some buttered spinage & sorrel & Endiff, cut it it and give it a warme together, then serve it up.

I think this recipe qualifies as I referred to a recipe for pea "soop" in an earlier post, but it doesn't at all match this one.

To make green Peas Soop. Take half a bushel of the youngest Peas, divide the great from the small; boil the smallest in two quarts of Water, and the biggest in one quart: when they are well boiled, bruise the biggest, and when the thin is drained from it, boil the thick in as much cold Water as will cover at; then rub away the Skins, and take a little Spinage, Mint, Sorrel, Lettuce and Parsley, and a good quantity of Marigolds; wash, shred and boil these in half a pound of Butter, and drain the small Peas; save the Water, and mingle all together, and a spoonful of Pepper whole; then melt a quarter of a pound of Butter, and shake a little Flour into it, and let it boil; put the Liquor to the Butter, and mingle all well together, and let them boil up: so serve it with dry’d Bread. [The Compleat Housewife (England, 1729)]

In spite of the name, I think this recipe counts as YAVCRFPP.

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