Showing posts with label 15. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 15. Show all posts

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Cxxij. A rede morreye




In the realm of medieval cookery, there's a curious coincidence found within the Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books: Harleian MS. 279 (circa 1430) and Harl. MS. 4016 (circa 1450), featuring extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, and Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin. It's the duplication of a recipe, each time bearing a different name but offering similar instructions on preparing the dish. Fortunately, I find myself in possession of mulberries, which seem to flourish abundantly in my locale, and are often treated as anuisances in my area.

Murrey, is similar to Rapeye, seems to denote a type of sauce, characterized by its red or reddish hue and its thick consistency. For instance, the recipe from the Forme of Curye, circa 1390, presents an early rendition of this recipe: 

MORREE [1]. XXXVIII.

Take Almandes blaunched, waisshe hem. grynde hem. and temper hem up with rede wyne, and alye hem with flour of Rys. do þerto Pynes yfryed. and colour it with saundres. do þerto powdour fort and powdour douce

and salt, messe it forth and flour it [2] with aneys confyt whyte.

[1] Morree. Ms. Ed. 37. murrey. Ibid. II. 26. morrey; probably from the mulberries used therein. [2] flour it. Flourish it.


Similarly, a recipe from MS Royal 12 (1340) offers diverse ingredients to accomplish the sauce:

32. Moree. rice flour or amidon, whichever can be found; that the color of sandalwood will be had, grind well in a mortar; and then it must be tempered in almond milk and well strained. And then put powdered cinnamon and of galingale. If it is a fish day, put in pears or chestnuts or salmon, or luce or perch; if a meat day, put in veal or goat, if you would have a good and royal meat.

The Online Etymological Dictionary gives the following information on the derivation of the word:

c. 1300, "tree of the genus Morus;" mid-14c. in reference to a berry from the tree; an alteration of morberie (13c.) from or cognate with Middle High German mul-beri (alteration by dissimilation of Old High German mur-beri, Modern German Maulbeere); both from Latin morum "mulberry, blackberry" + Old English berie, Old High German beri "berry." As mentioned earlier, I am lucky to have a mulberry tree growing in my yard. Each year I wait for the fruit to ripen so that I can make mulberry jam, or eat it on shortcakes either by itself or mixed with other berries.
Both of these recipes refer to a dish that is colored with mullberries. As has been discussed previously, color played a major roles in this time period. The color "red" held major significance; life force, love, lust and anger being only a few.  It also held religious significance, being the color of Christ's blood and the fires of Hell. I wonder what the significance held for this dish, if any?

Original Recipe

.Cxxij. A rede Morreye.—Take Molberys, and wrynge a gode hepe of hem þorw a cloþe; nym Vele, hew it & grynd it smal, & caste þer-to; nym gode Spycery an [supplied by ed.] Sugre, & caste þer- [leaf 22 bk.] to; take Wastilbrede & grate it, & ȝolkys of Eyroun, & lye it vppe þer-with, & caste gode pouder of Spycery þer-an a-bouen; & þan serue it forth.

Interpreted Recipe

122. A Red Morreye - Take mulberries, and wring a good heap of them through a cloth; take veal, cut it and grind it small, and cast thereto; take good spices and sugar, and caste thereto; take Wastel Bread (bread made from flour) and grate it, and yolks of eggs, and lay it up there-with and caste good powder of spices there-on, above; and then serve it forth.

Original Recipe

.Cxviij. Murreye.—Take Molberys, & wryng hem þorwe a cloþe; nym Vele, hew it, sethe it, grynd it smal, & caste þer-to; nym gode Spycery, Sugre, & caste þer-to; take Wastylbrede y-gratyd, [leaf 22.] and ȝolkys of Eyroun, & lye it vppe þer-with, & caste gode pouder a-boue y-now, & þan serue forth.

Interpreted Recipe

218. Murreye - Take mulberries, and wring them through a cloth, take veal, cut it, cook it, grind it smal and cast there-to; take good spicery, sugar and caste there-to; take wastel bread grated, and yolks of eggs and lay it up there-with, and cast good powder above enough now and then serve forth.


Ingredients 
To Serve 8

2 pounds cooked veal, pork or chicken, either sliced, or cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups mulberries
1 tsp. mixed spices (powder forte)
~ 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
*Opt*  1 tsp. lemon juice, vinegar, or wine

Instructions

1. We are instructed to "take mulberries and wring them through a cloth", to create mulberry juice.  To do this, add mulberries, spices, sugar, lemon juice (wine, vinegar) , and water (if needed) to a blender, and blend until smooth.
2. Strain your juice using a cloth lined sieve, to remove solids,  into a pan. 
3. Add bread and egg  yolk, and simmer, stirring constantly, until the bread has dissolved in the sauce. 
4. Add meat, and continue to cook until the mixture has reached your desired consistency. 

Thoughts

This recipe is found in the pottage section of the Harl. MS 279, meaning it is a dish that is cooked in a pot.  The instructions as written above, advise us to mix the meat with the sauce, and to cook it. We are left to our imagination to determine if this is a saucier dish that could serve as a "soup/stew" or if it could be served as a sauce along side, sliced meat, which would be a more modern interpretation.  Or a meat cooked in sauce, similar to a meaty pasta sauce, or a good braised meat. 

For the presentation, I chose to serve this dish as a braised dish, using slices of pork braised in the mulberry sauce over sops of bread (to catch all of the sauce!), and a side of boiled & buttered vegetables. This would be a delicious appetizer or a perfect first course dish.  I hope you enjoy. 

Rediscovering Apple Confection: A Historical Confection found in Anonimo Veneziano

As promised, this is the recipe and research for the picture above.  This item was created for Pennsic 50 A&S Warpoint Team. I was chosen as an alternate, to step in if someone who was competing for points was unable to attend.  

Original Recipe In Italian - Confetti de melle apio o de pome paradiso se le voy fare subito chomo è gratate le poy fare come ti pare.

 Toy la mella e mondala, poy la grata; varda che non vada le granelle dentro la gratitura e lassala sugare per dui iorni. El sucho che fa la mella lassalo pur con la mella; passa le pome gratate e per ogni tri libre de pome meti libre tri de mele e lassale stare dui zorni le pome chomo el mele; poy fale bolire sempre menandole con speçie tanto che le mele sia cocte, abi a mente le spezie voleno essere messe quando l' è quasi cocto el confetto, cossí quelle de chodogni. Poy la distendi suso una tavola o suso una pietra bagnata e fay a modo di foio grosso men de mezzo dido; poy lassala refredare e fane a modo de schachieri in pezetti picholi e reponile in una schatolla con foie de laurano de sotto e poy de sopra dall' altra mano va metando foie de suolo in suolo; e se voi mettere spezie tra foio e foio serà molto bono. Agi a mente ch' el vol per lo men bolire una hora grossa e forsi dui sempre menandole bene e guardale dal fumo.

Original transcription from Libro di cucina/ libro per cuoco (Anonimo veneziano) — Institut für Germanistik (uni-giessen.de)

CXXXII Candied "apio" and paradise apples that are ready immediately, and grated they can be made as you like.

Take apples and peel them, then grate them, watch that there aren’t seeds inside the grated apples, and let them dry for two days. The juice that comes from the apples leave with them, and strain the grated apples, and for every three pounds of apples add three pounds of honey and let the apples sit in the honey for two days. Then put them to boil, always mixing carefully until the honey is cooked. Have in mind that the spices should be added when the candy is nearly cooked and candied, such as for quinces. Then spread the candy over a table or over a wet stone. Make them in the way of a large sheet, less than a half a finger high. Leave them to cool and make rolls of small pieces of the candy and put them to rest on a dish lined with bay leaves (Laurus nobilis L.) below and then above and build them up layer by layer. And if you want to add spices between each layer it will be very good. Bear in mind that it will need to boil for at least an hour and perhaps for two, always mixing well and protected from smoke.

Candied "Apio" and Paradise Apples

 Ingredients:

 1 ½ pounds of apples (preferably Granny Smith), cleaned, peeled, and cored

2 ¼ cups of honey

1 tablespoon of fine spice mix[1]

Fresh bay leaves (Laurus nobilis L.) (for serving)

Directions

 

1.  Grate the peeled apples using a box grater or mandolin. Place the grated apples into a sieve suspended above a bowl to collect the juices.

2.  Cover the grated apples and allow them to sit for two days, stirring occasionally to promote air drying.

3.  On the third day, weigh the strained apples and add 12 ounces (approximately 1 cup) of honey for every pound of grated apple. Stir well and let the mixture sit for two more days, stirring daily.  (Note: Modern appliances can blend the mixture into a smooth puree if desired, otherwise the consistency of the finished product will appear “rough”.)

4.  Transfer the apple and honey mixture into a saucepan and heat it on low until the honey warms. Then increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. (Note: Alternatively, cook the mixture in a crockpot on low heat for at least ten hours.)

5.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring constantly. The paste will gradually darken in color and start pulling away from the pan's sides.

6.  Add the spice mix to the apple paste when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cook until a spoon drawn through the paste leaves a trough without disappearing. This process may take an hour or more.

7.  Transfer the fruit paste to the lined cookie sheet or baking dish and allow it to cool.

8.  Once cooled, cut the paste into squares, and serve on fresh bay leaves (Laurus nobilis L.) (do not consume the leaves). For added flavor, sprinkle the paste with additional spices before serving.

[1]  To make fine spices mix grind 2 tbsp. peppercorns to a fine powder, add to 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon and ground ginger.  ¾ tsp cloves and 1 ½ tsp saffron.

Introduction

 The Il Libro per cuoco o Anonimo Veneziano, also known as The cook's book or Anonymous Venetian, is valuable fifteenth-century Italian manuscript housed in the Casanatense Library in Rome. It contains 135 recipes that document the cooking methods, ingredients, and preferences of early Italy. The manuscript includes a recipe called "CXXXII. Confetti de melle apio o de pome paradiso se le voy fare subito chomo è gratate le poy fare come ti pare," which translates to "132. Candied 'apio' and paradise apples that are ready immediately and grated can be made as you like." This research aims to revive an ancient confectionery method and shed light on the early history of candy making, focusing on fruit pastes.  

The historical background of confections reveals their ancient origins and evolution. The ancient Egyptians preserved nuts and fruits with honey, while physicians in the Middle Ages used sweet confections to mask the taste of medicines. Sugar, introduced from India, Persia, and the Middle East, gradually replaced honey as a sweetener. The concept of sugar as medicine emerged from the Hippocratic theory of balancing bodily humors. According to Greek dietetics, the stomach's heat and digestion played a crucial role in maintaining health. Sugar and honey were believed to warm the stomach and aid digestion, leading to their prominence in sweet dishes served at the end of meals.

The recipe for "CXXXII. Confetti de melle apio o de pome paradiso se le voy fare subito chomo è gratate le poy fare come ti pare" holds several significant aspects. It documents the creation of a fruit paste that is served immediately upon completion, rather than drying it first. It also uses honey as the primary sweetener, reflecting an earlier period when sugar was not as prevalent. Additionally, the recipe showcases the richness of the ingredients, indicating the wealth of the person serving it. The instructions even include directions on how to present the dessert. By exploring this specific recipe, the project aims to revive a forgotten confectionary technique and deepen our understanding of the early history of candy making, particularly fruit pastes.

Examining the Ingredients

 The recipe for Apio features the following ingredients: honey, apples, apple juice, and various spices. Honey is the primary sweetener, adding a natural and rich sweetness. Apples, specifically the "Paradise Apple," form the base of the fruit paste once grated and mixed with honey. Spices enhance the flavor profile, providing depth and complexity to the Apio. The spices are not specified. They are added at the end of the cooking process, however, to infuse their aromatic essence with the apples and honey. The Apio is presented on bay leaves (Laurus nobilis L.), adding a visual touch of elegance, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the dish.

What kind of apples were available? Of the many varieties that were grown during this time, two stand out.  The pearmaine and the paradise, which is mentioned in the recipe. The Pearmaine apple, dating back to around 1200 in England, is described as small to medium-sized. It exhibits yellowish-green skin with streaks of red. It possesses a conical shape reminiscent of a pear, albeit wider at the stem and tapering towards the bottom. A related variety is the Queening apple, also known as Winter Pearmaine, is available today. These apples are known for their sweet, slightly tart, and tangy flavor with subtle notes of pear. A paradise apple, also called an "apium apple" or "apius apple," denotes the common apple variety. According to the Minnesota Seasons website, these apples are fleshy and exhibit a globe-shaped to somewhat egg-shaped pome, ranging from 2⅜″ to 4⅓″ in diameter. Initially green, they gradually turn yellow to red as they ripen in the mid-to-late summer. Paradise apples are commonly used as rootstock and possess an astringent or mildly acidic taste.

Considering the known apple varieties, the most favorable options for recreating this recipe are Pearmaine or Paradise apples. Obtaining these specific apples, however, proves challenging in the everyday marketplace. Nevertheless, there are modern apple varieties that can serve as substitutes. Apples such as Suncrisp, Gala, Ambrosia, Jazz, Fuji, Envy, and Winesap, known for their sweetness, slight tartness, and pear-like notes, can be suitable substitutes for Pearmaine. Additionally, with their acidic and sharp taste, Granny Smith apples can serve as a viable substitute for the Paradise apple.

In addition to sweetness, honey serves several other purposes in preparing Apio. Firstly, honey acts as a natural binder or thickener, melding the grated apples together and creating a cohesive texture for the fruit paste. Secondly, honey acts as a preservative due to its antimicrobial properties. It helps inhibit the growth of microorganisms, extending the shelf life of the Apio and enabling storage before consumption. Lastly, honey flavor directly complements the apples' natural sweetness and enhances the spices used, helping to create a balance of flavors.

The Richness of Spices

 The Apio recipe uses the term "spices" generically as one of its ingredients. I sourced the spices for this recreation from another fourteenth-fifteenth century Italian manuscript called Liber de Coquina or Libro di cucina. Like the Anonimo Veneziano, this manuscript sheds light on medieval Italian cuisine and culinary practices. The Liber de Coquina includes recipes for various dishes, from soups and sauces to meat, fish, and desserts. It guides cooking techniques, ingredient combinations, and the utilization of spices and herbs. The specific recipe chosen belongs to the category known as LXXIII. Specie fine a tute cosse or "Fine spices for all dishes (things)."

 

Original Recipe Specie fine a tute cosse in Italian

 LXXIII. Specie fine a tute cosse.

Toi una onza de pevere e una de cinamo e una de zenzevro e mezo quarto de garofali e uno quarto de zaferanno.

 Translation

LXXIII Fine spices for all dishes (things)

Take one ounce of pepper, one ounce of cinnamon, one ounce of ginger, half a quarter ounce of cloves, and one quarter ounce of saffron.

Pepper found its way into Italy during the first century BC. The Romans, renowned for their expansive trade networks, established connections with various regions, including India and other parts of Asia, where pepper thrived. Pliny the Elder describes black, long, and white pepper in his Natural History. He emphasizes the significance of these spices, stating, "Both pepper and ginger grow wild in their respective countries, and yet here we buy them by weight—just as if they were so much gold or silver." Pepper quickly became a vital ingredient in Roman cuisine and remained widely utilized throughout the empire.

Saffron also entered Italy early, thanks to the ancient Greeks. They actively cultivated and traded this valuable spice, sourcing it from regions such as Persia (modern-day Iran) and Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). The remaining spices mentioned in the recipe, however—cinnamon, clove, and ginger—arrived in Italy later. By the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Italy had grown into the Mediterranean world’s key center of trade and commerce. Venice became a crucial bridge connecting Northern and Western Europe with the Middle East and the Far East, granting access to diverse spices originating from these distant lands.

Comparison of Period and Modern-Day Equipment Used in the Preparation of Candied Apio

 The Apio recipe involves the use of several essential pieces of equipment familiar to the modern cook: grater, colander, pot or saucepan, table.

The original invention of the grater is a subject of debate. However, historians credit Isaac Hunt or François Boullier with inventing it around 1540. Bartolomeo Scappi's cookbook, Opera dell'arte del cucinare, published in 1570, illustrates a grater resembling its modern-day counterpart. In Apio, apples are grated and allowed to air dry for two days before cooking. Grating the apples breaks them into smaller pieces and helps release the juices.


After being air dried for two days, the grated apples are passed through a sieve or strainer, separating the excess liquid from the fruit. This step, passa le pome gratate (sieve the grated apples), allows for accurate measurement of the weight of the apples. The cook adds an equal weight of honey and lets the apples soak for two more days before proceeding to the next step. Scappi's Opera also features an illustration of a sieve, providing insight into its potential appearance during the time. 

The recipe instructs the cook to take the next step of "poy fale bolire" or allowing it to boil. To accomplish this, the cook should use an appropriate cooking vessel, such as a pot or saucepan. Although the recipe does not specify the type of vessel, Scappi includes numerous illustrations depicting the saucepans and pots commonly used during this period. The equipment has remained unchanged in design with the exception of variations in the materials from which it is crafted. 

The final sentence of the recipe, "Agi a mente ch' el vol per lo men bolire una hora grossa e forsi dui sempre menandole bene e guardale dal fumo." (Keep in mind that it should boil for at least an hour, constantly stirring well and protecting it from smoke.), suggests the need for slow boiling of the fruit. Slow boiling is a cooking technique that removes excess moisture and achieves a gel-like consistency. It also serves to preserve the food by eliminating organic impurities.

After cooking, the recipe instructs to pour the fruit paste onto the tavolo o superficie di lavoro (table or work surface) or pietra bagnata (wet stone). When the recipe instructs to "distendi suso una tavola" (spread it on a table), it suggests using a flat surface, such as a tabletop, or a wet stone to hold and shape the fruit paste. Placing the mixture on a flat surface allows for gradual heat release and even cooling, facilitating easier handling and cutting once the apio has solidified. 

 

Analysis of Cooking Techniques used in Apio

 The Apio recipe employs a variety of cooking techniques to achieve its outcome. When grating the apples, finely shredding them ensures easier cooking and infusion of flavors. The air-drying step removes excess moisture from the fruit, concentrating the flavor. Soaking the grated apples in honey for two days before cooking actively enhances the flavor, texture, and preservation of the apples while allowing them to absorb the honey’s sweetness and flavor. Regular stirring during cooking is crucial to ensure heat is evenly distributed and prevent the mixture from sticking to the pot. Finally, pouring the mixture onto a flat shallow surface after cooking to cool allows it to thicken and stiffen into a flexible, gel-like consistency.

The Importance of Presentation and the Use of Bay Laurel Leaves

 The recipe instructs the cook to place the prepared apio on a dish along with laurel leaves, both underneath and on top, as indicated by the phrase "picholi e reponile in una schatolla con foie de laurano de sotto e poy de sopra."  Serving the apio on fresh bay leaves (Laurus nobilis L.) adds an elegant touch to the presentation, a visually pleasing contrast between the vibrant color of the candy and the vivid green of the leaves.

It is important to note that the bay leaves are not intended for consumption but serve as an ornamental element. Despite being commonly utilized in culinary preparations, bay leaves are generally not ingested in their raw or whole form due to their leathery texture, which can be unpalatable. To extract their desired flavor and aroma fully, bay leaves are best utilized by simmering, boiling, or infusing them in liquids during cooking. Their presence in this recipe is solely decorative.

It is worth mentioning, however, that even in their raw state, bay leaves make contributions beyond the ornamental. Bay leaves – like honey -- possess significant preservative and microbial properties that contribute to their value in the culinary world. The leaves contain essential oils, such as cineol, eugenol, and linalool, which exhibit antimicrobial effects against various bacteria and fungi. Their ability to inhibit pathogens like Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes makes them a natural food preservative. Additionally, the antioxidants found in bay leaves, including caffeic acid and rutin, aid in preventing oxidative damage and spoilage. Thus, bay leaves serve as a natural food preservative due to their ability to hinder the growth of microorganisms and extend the shelf life of various food preparations. In addition to their preservative properties, bay leaves are an effective insect repellent. The pungent aroma of these leaves, primarily due to essential oils, deters pests like ants, cockroaches, and weevils. This natural quality makes bay leaves valuable to food storage areas or dried goods, safeguarding them from infestations. Historically, bay leaves have been utilized in traditional medicine for their antimicrobial attributes, aiding digestion, respiratory ailments, and wound healing. These multifaceted properties of bay leaves contribute to their extensive use in culinary practices and various therapeutic applications (Sirikin, 2018).  

Conclusion

 In conclusion, the exploration of the manuscript "Il libro per cuoco o Anonimo Veneziano o Anonimo Veneto" offers valuable insights into the early history of candy making and the culinary traditions of early Italy by providing a glimpse into the cooking methods, ingredients, and preferences of that era. Of the many recipes found within the document, one recipe, "CXXXII. Confetti de melle apio o de pome paradiso se le voy fare subito chomo è gratate le poy fare come ti pare," stands out. It showcases the creation of Apio, an apple-based fruit paste using honey as the primary sweetener, reflecting the prevalence of honey as a sweetener during that time. This rediscovered recipe not only offers a delicious treat but also highlights the interplay of humoral qualities in ancient Greek dietetics and how it continued to impact diet in the fifteenth century, emphasizing the balance of bodily humors through carefully selected ingredients.

Researchers who may be interested in further exploration into medieval culinary practices in the fourteenth and fifteenth century, should consider the following books. "Liber de Coquina," a 14th-century Neapolitan cookbook. "Le Viandier," authored by Guillaume Tirel (Taillevent) in the 14th century, is a French cookbook. For a glimpse into the culinary practices of medieval England, "Forme of Cury" is an essential resource. Compiled by King Richard II's chefs in the late 14th century, this cookbook contains a diverse range of recipes. To explore the gastronomy of medieval Catalonia, "Libre del Coch" by Ruperto de Nola is recommended.

  

Final Thoughts:

The recipe for Apio proved to be a time-consuming but straightforward process, taking five days to complete. The resulting product had a deep red color and a delightful blend of spices, with a concentrated apple flavor that was not overly sweet despite the generous use of honey. The presentation of the fruit paste was visually stunning, resembling jewels on a vibrant green backdrop.

Surprisingly modern in taste, this recipe could easily find a place on a cheese board or even as a unique addition to a sandwich. It would serve as an excellent dessert course alongside other candies such as manus christi, sugar plate, comfits, marzipan, marchpane, or gingerbread. 

  

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"The Sacred Bee: Ancient Egypt — Planet Bee Foundation". Planet Bee Foundation, 2017, https://www.planetbee.org/planet-bee-blog//the-sacred-bee-bees-in-ancient-egypt. Accessed 22 June 2023.

"William Turner · Inquirere: Early Natural History Books At The CRRS · Centre For Renaissance And Reformation Studies (CRRS) Rare Book Collection". Crrs.Library.Utoronto.Ca, 2023, https://crrs.library.utoronto.ca/exhibits/show/crrs-natural-history-books/turner. Accessed 25 June 2023.

"Winter Queening Apple". Nitty Grits, 2023, http://nittygrits.org/winter_queening_apple. Accessed 26 June 2023.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Cix.Gelye de chare &Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Cx. Gelye de Fysshe

These two particular recipes from "Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55" by  Thomas Austin could be mistaken for modern dishes known as "aspics".  An aspic is gelatine made from meat stock that is molded and include pieces of meat, fish or eggs. All aspics are gelatine, but not all gelatines are aspics.  The primary difference being the sweetness of the dish; aspics are savory, and gelatines are sweet, with medieval and rennaissance aspics falling somewhere in the middle of the two making them the precursor's to the fancy modern day dishes we know today. 

The oldest evidence of the making of gelatine can be found in the Nahal Hemar Cave near Mt. Sedom in Israel.  During the excavation it was discovered that numerous cave paintings,  baskets and utinsels contained collagen that was derived from animal skins. It was used as a glue to bind pigments found in cave paintings and to provide a waterproof barrier for baskets, cloth and other containers. It is theorized that the glue was obtained through boiling of animal hides. 

Hide glue and gelatin we eat are "the same thing".  If you are interested in trying to make a similar glue you can find instructions on the Practical Primitive website here (I would not advise eating it).  If you would like to learn more about the scientific/technical aspects of hide glue click here

Important Disclaimer: Knox Gelatine, which is what I used to prepare the gelye de chare in the past is -not- derived from the animal hide but is made from bones and therefore is not vegetarian.  

The Roman historian Pliny writes about "fish-glue", a process that produced a thin, honey like substance that when mixed with other items could be used to remove wrinkles and plump the skin.  The instructions he gives bear a closer resemblence to the instructions to make Gelye of Fleysshe. 
Fish-glue effaces wrinkles and plumps out the skin; being boiled for the purpose in water some four hours, and then pounded and kneaded up till it attains a thin consistency, like that of honey.  -- The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 6 of 6, by Pliny the Elder

The earliest recipes I was able to locate for making gelye dishes come from the 1300's.  The first being for fish from Enseignements qui enseingnent a apareillier toutes manieres de viandes (1300's).

If you want to make fish jelly, break the back of the fish and cut it into pieces, that is to say: carp and tench, bream and turbot, and put to cook in good, strong wine; Then take cinnamon, ginger, long pepper, galingale, lavender and a little saffron; Then grind and put all together; And when you strain it of the fire, then in take out the fish in a bowl and pour thereon; and if you see that it is too thick, then sieve it and let it cool until the morning, and by then take it likewise like jelly.

The second from 1381 for a meat jelly from MS Douce 257

For to make mete gelee þat it be wel chariaunt, tak wyte wyn & a perty of water & safroun & gode spicis & flesch of piggys or of hennys, or fresch fisch, & boyle þam togedere; & after, wan yt ys boylyd & cold, | dres yt in dischis & serue yt forþe. 
.Cix. Gelye de chare.—Take caluys fete, & skalde hem in fayre water, an make hem alle þe whyte. Also take howhys of [leaf 20.] Vele, & ley hem on water to soke out þe blode; þen take hem vppe, an lay hem on a fayre lynen cloþe, & lat þe water rennyn out of hem [supplied by ed.] ; þan Skore*. [Scour. ] a potte, & putte þe Fete & þe Howhys þer-on; þan take Whyte Wyne þat wolle hold coloure, & cast þer-to a porcyon, an non oþer lycoure, þat þe Fleysshe be ouer-wewyd*. [See other Cookery, No. 174, wese. ] withalle, & sette it on þe fyre, & boyle it, & Skeme it clene; an whan it is tendyr & boylid y-now, take vppe þe Fleyshe in-to a fayre bolle, & saue þe lycoure wyl; & loke þat þow haue fayre sydys of Pyggys, & fayre smal Chykenys wyl & clene skladdyd & drawe, & lat þe leggys an þe fete on, an waysshe hem in fayre water, & caste hem in þe fyrste brothe, an sethe it a-ȝen ouer þe fyre, & skeme it clene; lat a man euermore kepe it, an blow of þe grauy. An in cas þe lycoure wast*. [Waste. ] a-way, caste more of þe same wyne þer-to, & put þin honde þer-on; & ȝif þin hond waxe clammy, it is a syne of godenesse, an let not þe Fleyshe be moche sothe,*. [boiled. ] þat it may bere kyttyng; þan take it vppe, & ley it on a fayre cloþe, & sette owt þe lycoure fro þe fyre, & put a few colys vnder-nethe þe vesselle þat þe lycoure is yn; þan take pouder of Pepir, a gode quantyte, & Safron, þat it haue a fayre Laumbere coloure, & a gode quantyte of Vynegre, & loke þat it be sauery of [supplied by ed.] Salt & of Vynegre, fayre of coloure of Safroun, & putte it on fayre lynen cloþe, & sette it vndernethe a fayre pewter dysshe, & lat it renne þorw þe cloþe so ofte tylle it renne clere: kytte fayre Rybbys of þe syde of þe Pygge, & lay ham on a dysshe, an pulle of þe lemys of þe Chykenys, eche fro oþer, & do a-way þe Skynne, & ley sum in a dysshe fayre y-chowchyd,*. [Y-couched; laid. ] & pore þin*. [Thine. ] gelye þer-on, & lay Almaundys þer-on, an Clowys, & paryd Gyngere, & serue forth.

109. Gely of Flesh - Take calves feet, and scald them in fair water, and make them all the white.  Also take hooves of veal, and lay them on water to soak out the blood; then take them up and lay them on a fair linen cloth, and let the water running out of them; then scour a pot and put the feet and hooves there-on; then take white wine that would hold color, and caste there-to a portion and none other liquor, that the flesh be over-washed withal, and set it on the fire and boil it and skim it clean; and when it is tender and boiled enough, take up the flesh into a fair bowl, and save the liquor well; and look that you have fair sides of pigs, and fair small chickens well and clean scalded and draw, and let the legs and the feet on, and wash them in fair water, and caste them in the first broth, and boil it again over the fire, and skim it clean; let a man evermore keep it, and blow off the gravy. And in case the liquor waist away, caste more of the same wine thereto, and put your hand there-on and if your hand wax clammy, it is a sign of goodness, and let no the flesh be much boiled that it may bear cutting; then take it up and lay it on a fair cloth and set out the liquor from the fire, and put a few cloths underneath the vessel that the liquor is in; then take good powder of pepper, a good quantity of saffron, that it have a fair amber color, and a good quantity of vinegar, and look that it be savory of salt and of vinegar, fair of color of saffron, & put it on fair linen cloth, & set it underneath a fair pewter dish, and let it run through the cloth so oft till it run clear: cut fair ribs of the side of the pig, and lay them on a dish, and pull of the limbs (?) of the chickens, each from the other, and do away the skin, and lay some in a dish fair y-couched (laid) and pour your gely thereon, and lay almonds, thereon and cloves and paired ginger, and serve forth.

.Cx. Gelye de Fysshe.—Take newe Pykys, an draw hem, and smyte hem to pecys, & sethe in þe same lycoure þat þou doste Gelye of Fleysshe; an whan þey ben y-now, take Perchys and Tenchys, & seþe; & Elys, an kutte hem in fayre pecys, and waysshe hem, & putte hem in þe same lycoure, & loke þine lycoure be styf y-now; & ȝif it wolle notte cacche,*. [stick; see other Cookery, No. 174. ] take Soundys of watteryd Stokkefysshe, or ellys Skynnys, or Plays, an caste þer-to, & sethe ouer þe fyre, & skeme it wyl; & when it ys y-now, let nowt þe Fysshe breke; þenne take þe lycoure fro þe fyre, & do as þou dedyst be*. [By, with. ] þat oþer Gelye, saue, pylle þe Fysshe, & ley þer-off in dysshis, þat is, perche & suche; and Flowre hem, & serue forthe.

110. Gely of Fish --Take new pike, and draw them, and smite them into pieces, and boil in the same liquor that you do gely of flesh; and when they been enough, take perch and tench, and cook, and eels, and cut them in fair pieces and wash them, and put them in the same liquor, and look your liquor be stiff enough, and if it would not catch (stick?), take sounds (swim bladder) of watery stockfish, or eel skins or plaice, and caste thereto, and cook, and cook over the fire and skim it well; and when it is enough, let not the flesh break; then take the liquor from the fire, and do as you did with the other gely, save pile the fish, and lay there-of in dishes that is, perch and such; and flower them and serve forth.


Testing Recipes If you would make boiled dumplings - Sabrina Welserin cookbook 1553

 The cookbook of Sabrina Welserin offers this surprisingly modern recipe to make "boiled dumplings"!  which sounds delicious however, one important bit of information is missing..how do you make the dumpling dough??  Fortunately, she offers two additional recipes for dumplings, one of which refers us to "making a dough of good flour as if you would make a tart".  

119 If you would make boiled dumplings

Then take chard, as much as you like, some sage, marjoram and rosemary, chop it together, also put grated cheese into it and beat eggs therein until you think that it is right. Take also cinnamon, cloves, pepper and raisins and put them into the dumpling batter. Let the dumplings cook, as one cooks a hard-boiled egg, then they are ready.

The ingredients for boiled dumplings are: 

Chard
Sage
Marjoram
Rosemary
Cheese
Egg
Cinnamon
Clove
Pepper
Raisins
Dumpling dough

Further research finds the recipe for the dough here:

70 A tart with plums, which can be dried or fresh

Let them cook beforehand in wine and strain them and take eggs, cinnamon and sugar. Bake the dough for the tart. That is made like so: take two eggs and beat them. Afterwards stir flour therein until it becomes a thick dough. Pour it on the table and work it well, until it is ready. After that take somewhat more than half the dough and roll it into a flat cake as wide as you would have your tart. Afterwards pour the plums on it and roll out after that the other crust and cut it up, however you would like it, and put it on top over the tart and press it together well and let it bake. So one makes the dough for a tart.

Ingredients for Dumpling Dough

2 Beaten eggs
Flour

Test Recipe: 

For the dough: 

2 eggs
1 cup flour
pinch of salt (to satisfy modern taste)

For the Stuffing:

1 bunch of Chard cleaned and chopped
1- 2 tsp. each Sage, Marjoram, Rosemary
1/2 - 1 cup Cheese (emmantal, quark, parmesan or cottage)
1- 2 Eggs
1/2 tsp. Strong Spices 
1 tbsp. Raisins
Salt and Pepper for modern taste

Mix the ingredients together for the dough and allow to rest at least 30 minutes. Mix the ingredients for the stuffing.  Roll out the dough and cut into 3" rounds, fill with a bit of the stuffing, seal, and then boil in lightly salted water approximately 6-10 minutes.  Remove from water, and serve. 

Opt.  Serve with a sauce? Or Pan drippings? 




Testing Recipe - Thus you must roast a pig.- The Registrum Coquine of John of Bockenheim

In order to determine which of the mustard sauces would best with the pork roast that will serve as the main dish of the second course of 12th Night, it has become necessary to interpret the recipe for it. This recipe can be found in the translation by Volker Bach here, The Registrum Coquine of John of Bockenheim.

I know I will not be roasting a whole pig, that would be entirely way too much meat for the expected 50ish people. The two proposed sauces with this dish are an apple mustard and a gingerbread sauce.

14 – Thus you must roast a pig. Take its organs, that is to say liver and lung, and chop them with a knife, and temper them with hard-boiled eggs, fat bacon (lardone), and parsley, marjoram, and raisins, and sweet spices. And then cut the pig along the side (per latus), and put it on a spit, and fill it with the mixture, and close up its side well, and draw one foot across the other, so that it stands well, and make it roast all through. And that will be for the rich.

Stuffed with this stuffing found in the Kuchenmaistrey

If you want to make a stuffing for a roast or poultry, hard-boil two eggs and chop parsley among them well, with a few Italian raisins and roast apples or pears. Knead it together with raw egg, add spices, a little saffron and salt, and fill it in. After you have reached through (hollowed out) the roast with your fingers or a piece of wood or a knife and have filled it, close it up with slivers of wood or sew the stuffing up with a thread so it does not come out. You can also put chopped bacon or butter into the stuffing if you want. (kuchenmaistrey 2.ix)

Ingredients

Pork Loin Roast
Opt. Liver and Lung (I can't get it where I live) sub ground pork?
Hard boiled Egg
Bacon
Parsley
Marjoram
Raisins
Sweet Spices
Roasted Apples or Pears

I plan on butterflying the pork loins and then stuffing them with the stuffing, rolling them up before roasting in the oven.  I know that there are at 8 people per table so the pork should be 2 1/2 to 3 pounds so that each person can get at least 1/4 pound of meat in this course.  I plan on garnishing the dish with apples stuffed with the same sausage mixture, so I will be using apples rather then pears in the stuffing. 

Here are my thoughts on initial recipe:

2 1/2 to 3 pounds pork 
1/2 pound ground pork 
2 hard boiled eggs
3-4 slices of bacon
2 tsp. each parsley and marjoram
1 tbsp. raisins
1 roasted apple
Salt for modern taste

I plan on mixing the spices together and sprinkling them on the inside of the pork after it's been butterflied.  I also plan on adding salt and pepper on the outside of the pork. I plan on browning off the bacon and then mixing the remaining ingredients together (pork, chopped boiled eggs, chopped roasted apple, bacon diced, raisins and the spices) and stuffing the pork.  I plan on using kitchen twine to keep the roast together, lightly browning it and then I will cook it in a moderate oven (350)  until throughly cooked--I'm guessing a 40 t0 50 minutes. 

Now to test it :-)






Capponi sopramentati serviti freddi con caparetti sopra - capon sopramentati



122. To boil a boneless capon

…. When the capon has been prepared in either of the above ways (skinned and deboned), get the flesh from the breast of another uncooked capon, and a pound of prosciutto and pork fat together, and beat those finely with knives, adding in half an ounce of common spices, a handful of finely chopped herbs, two egg yolks and two ounces of grated cheese. Stuff the capon with that mixture, pushing it into the wings and thighs; sew it up so the stuffing cannot come out, with its wings and thighs trussed, put the cample into an ample earthenware or copper pot with cold water and put that on the fire.

123. To boil and prepare the capon "sopramentato"

When the capon is plucked and drawn, whether stuffed or empty, boil it in a meat broth or else in water with a piece of proscuitto and crushed pepper. When it is done, take it out of the broth and let it drain. Then make several slashes across the thighs, body, and breast. Sprinkle it all over, especially in the slashes, with a mixture of sugar, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and fennel flour. Let it cool. When you wish to serve it, do so with it cold, with cut-up lemons over it. Before sprinkling it, you can also splash it with rose vinegar.


First you will need to put together your common spices.  This is delicious, and I use it quite a bit in my cooking.   I have sometimes substituted cubebs and long pepper for the pepper and ginger to create a spicier blend. 

Rupert de Nola's Libre del Coch (ab 1529) gives instructions for Common Sauce Spices. Amended.

Libre del Coch

Roughly translated from Spanish to English (thank you Google) this set of instructions can be translated to be:

Cinnamon three parts; cloves two parts; one piece ginger; pepper a part/ some dry coriander well ground/ a little saffron be all well ground and sifted.

Interpreted Recipe

Common Sauce Spices, Amended

1  tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cloves 
1 tsp. ginger 
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dry coriander (ground)
Pinch of Saffron

Capon "Sopramenti" 

2-2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken (I used breasts that had been cut in half then pounded thin)
1 pound prosciutto
1 tbsp. Common spices
1 ½ teaspoons thyme
3 tablespoons sage
2 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoons ground fennel seed
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
2 egg yolks
2 ounces grated cheese

I used chicken breasts that I cut in half an pounded out so that I could tie them up into pin wheels.  Sprinkle with your common spices and add a slice of prosciutto. 

Bring chicken broth to a boil, add a couple of lemon slices and a pinch of your common spices. 

Beat egg yolks with your cheese and herbs.  I used a mix of ricotta, fontina and parmesan cheeses. 

Wrap your breasts into pinwheels and tie off with kitchen string.  Ease them into your hot broth and poach until cooked completely through.  Allow chicken to cool.

To serve, slice each chicken breast into thin slices to get chicken "pinwheels" and cover the sliced chicken with thinly sliced lemon.



Vaccina salpresa alessata, servito con petrosemolo -Cold salted beef lightly spiced







To lightly salt and boil every cut of the said animal, chapter 4, Scappi

I find that the shoulder and breast of the said animals are more appropriate than the others. When the cow or bull is dead and skinned without being skinned, one cuts it into the said layers in many pieces, and one puts it in slat in a ceramic vessel or wood, the which has been well washed, because if the salt is not cleaned, and if it is full of dirt it will have a bad smell, and when the pieces are places one on top of the others one covers the vessel with a wood cover, adding above a weight that holds everything well pressed until it has made the salt solution, and the summer when it has been curing for four days, and in the winter for eight, one pulls it out of the vessel, as much as you want to cook, rinse it in fresh water, and put it to cook in water without salt, and make sure above all that it is well skimmed. When it is cooked one can serve it hot or cold at every time with garlic sauce or mustard in plates. And if you want to make it in the same day that the animal is killed, take a piece of the shoulder or another part, and put it to boil in strong salted water until it is well cooked. And serve this in the same way that it is said above.

Ingredients

2 Pounds beef brisket or flank steak 
1/2 C. salt
1/2 Tbsp. pink salt (sodium nitrite)
2 Tbsp.  coriander
2 Tbsp. cracked black pepper 
1 Tbsp. each garlic powder and crushed fennel

Trim and clean the beef, removing connective tissue and most of the fat. Prepared the dry rub by mixing together all ingredients.  Rub the cure over all of the meat surfaces and place in a ziplock back.  Refridgerate for 7 days, turning the bag daily. 

I chose to "brine" my meat instead and omitted the pink salt.  I placed the dry rubbed meat into a ziplock bag and then covered it with water.  I allowed it to sit for three days before cooking.  I rinsed the meat very well, dried it with a paper towel and then cooked it on a grill. 

Alternatively, you can cook your meat in a slow cooker on low overnight. Allow meat to cool, slice and serve garnished with parsley or on a bed of greens. 


Harleain MS 279 (ab. 1430) - xlviij. Tayloures & Cxiiij. Tayleȝ - Rice Porridge with Currants & Dates or Figs, Dates and Raisins + Bonus Recipes for Poudre Douce (Sweet Powder)

Tayleȝ with Spiced Apples and Walnuts

I was very eager to try out this recipe from Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin" for Tayloures, which is another pottage based on the almond milk and rice flour base.  Previously published interpretations which contain this base include; Cxxxvj. A potage of Roysons (Rice Porridge with Apples and Raisins), .Ixxxv. Gaylede (Rice Porridge with Figs & Honey), .Cxxv. Vyolette - Violet. and .lxviij. Bruet of Almaynne in lente (Rice Porridge with Dates)

The taste testers and I had an interesting conversation about where in a feast you would find dishes like these served.  The consensus is that for the modern day pallet you serve them at breakfast--barring that, they should most likely be served either as a sweet side dish as part of a course, or at the end of the meal for a warm pudding. I believe in period these dishes would have been served in first course for dietetic reasons.  

I have combined two similar sets of instructions into this post which was first published in 2017.  The second dish, Tayley (Taylez) differs from the first only in the fruits used, and the addition of vinegar and honey added to the dish.  I chose to make the sauce seperately, adding the dates and the raisins to it.  You will note that the sauce appears very dark.  I was gifted autumn honey from a friend, and this particular honey is very dark and flavorful. 

These two dishes do not disappoint. They differ differs from the other pottages with the use of the wine, the fruits used and the spicing. Some things to note; the interchange of bread with rice as a thickener in the first recipe, and the usage of honey versus sugar in the second.  This led to a discussion on the preogative of the cook; Is it ok to follow the example of these recipes and add additional spices or exchange out the thickeners used when reconstructing recipes in period?  We concluded that what we were using today was a set of instructions most likely written by someone watching the cook prepare the food, and listening to what the cook said, but who may have only seen it prepared the one time.  Therefore, it is likely that just as modern day cooks will substitute one item for another, the medieval cook most likely did the same. In a situation where using a wheat based thickener is not idea, the use of eggs or rice would be appropriate.  Likewise for the use of seasoning or other items.  We also noted that in this particular manuscript several sets of instructions (like these two) may differ by one or two items, for example the addition of wine, the protein used, or  in this case the fruit and spicing differ. 

The last bit of discussion we had, while finishing off our "brunch" was the feasibility of creating dishes like this for camping events, specifically for a camp breakfast. It was noted that with the exception of almond milk, all of the ingredients are dried and easily portable.  It would be quite feasible to make almond milk on site, eliminating the need to keep a dairy product that would easily spoil around.  Further, it was noted that the cereal itself continued to thicken as it cooled.  Had there been *any* left over, I would have liked to have know if it would be possible to cool it, slice it and fry it up similar to mush.  With the ingredients used, refridgeration would not be a requirement right away.  

What would you do with the almond meal once the milk was made? With a can of pie filling, or fresh fruit of your choice, you could make a quick crumbly topping for a camp pie.  Simply mix 1/4 cup of the (used) almond flour with 1 cup dry oats, a teaspoon or more of your spices, up to a1/4 cup honey and add the juice of half an orange. Yum! Breakfast and desert done with creative use of portable items that do not require a cooler ;-)

xlviij. Tayloures. — Take a gode mylke of Almaundys y-draw with Wyne an Water, an caste hym in-to a potte, and caste gret Roysouns of corauns, Also mencyd Datys, Clowes, Maces, Pouder Pepir, Canel, Safroun, & a gode dele Salt, & let boyle a whyle; þan take it and ly*. [Lye; allay.] it wyth Flowre of Rys, or ellys with Brede y-gratyd, & caste þer-to Sugre, & serue forth lyke Mortrewys, & caste pouder of Gyngere a-boue y-now.

48. Taylours - Take good milk of almonds drawn with wine and water, and caste them in a pot, and caste great raisins of corauns (currents). Also minced dates, cloves, maces, powder pepper, cinnamon, saffron and a good deal of salt, and let boil awhile; Than take it and lie it with flour of rice, or else with bread grated and caste there-to sugar, and serve forth like mortrews, and cast powder of ginger above enough.

Interpreted Recipe

3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup wine (I used red wine)
1 tbsp currants (or raisins)
2 dates chopped as small as currants (or raisins)
2 cloves
1/8 tsp. each mace, pepper, cinnamon (or to taste)
pinch of saffron
salt to taste
2-3 tbsp. rice flour or bread crumbs
1 tbsp or to taste sugar (or to taste)
Pinch of ginger

I used commercially prepared almond milk and added white wine to it because I wanted to keep the pottage as white as possible.  I much prefer the taste of homemade almond milk to the commercially prepared almond, and a easy recipe using almond flour can be found here: Quick Homemade Almond Milk. I heated the almond milk with the currants and the raisins and added the spices, a pinch of saffron and sugar to it.  Once it had obtained the color I wanted, I added the rice flour and stirred till it was thick.  Before serving I sprinkled the dish with a pinch of ginger and a pinch of currants.

.Cxiiij. Tayleȝ.—Take a chargeaunt Mylke of Almaundys, an draw with wyne caste in to þe potte [deleted in MS]; take Fygys & Roysonys a gode porcyon, to make it chargeaunt, waysshe hem clene, & caste hem on a morter, grynd hem as small as þou myȝt, temper hem vppe with þin*. [Thine. ] Mylke, draw hem þorw a straynoure, also chargeauntly as þou myȝth; caste it in a clene potte, do it to þe fyre; take Datys y-taylid a-long, & do þer-to; take Flowre of Rys, & draw it þorw a straynoure, and caste þer-to, & lat it boyle tylle it be chargeaunt; sette it on þe fyre; take pouder Gyngere & Canelle, Galyngale; temper with Vynegre, & caste þer-to Sugre, or hony; caste þer-to, sesyn it vppe with Salt, & serue forth.

114. Tayles - Take thick milk of almonds, and draw with wine, caste in to the pot; take figs & raisins a good portion, to make it thick, wash them clean and caste them on a morter, grind them as small as you might, temper them up with your milk, draw them through a strainer, also thick as you might; cast it in a clean pot, do it to the fire; take dates, sliced long, and do there-to; take flour of rice, and draw it through a strainer, and caste there-to, and let it boil till it be thick; set it on the fire; take powder ginger and cinnamon, galingale; temper with vinegar, and caste there-to sugar or honey; cast there-to, season it up with salt, and serve forth. 

Interpreted Recipe

3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup wine 
2 figs
1 tbsp raisins
2 dates sliced long ways
2-3 tbsp. rice flour
1/2 to 1 tsp. powder douce 
1 tbsp. vinegar (I used Apple Cider)
2 tbsp. honey
salt to taste

Prepare as above.  You can serve the spiced syrup separate, or add it to the cereal mixture.  In the picture I made the wine and honey mixtures a syrup and poured over the top.  

Both of these dishes had very balanced flavors, while similar in ingredients and preperation each was different from the other.  

Similar Recipes

Le Viandier de Taillevent (France, ca. 1380 - James Prescott, trans.)

Lenten slices. Take peeled almonds, crush very well in a mortar, steep in water boiled and cooled to lukewarm, strain through cheesecloth, and boil your almondmilk on a few coals for an instant or two. Take some cooked hot water pastries a day or two old and cut them into bits as small as large dice. Take figs, dates and Digne raisins, and slice the figs and dates like the hot water pastries. Throw everything into it, leave it to thicken like Frumenty, and boil some sugar with it. To give it colour, have some saffron for colouring it like Frumenty. It should be gently salted.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (England, 1460)

Tayle. Take a lytyll milke of almonds drawyn up with wyn & do hit in a pott do ther to figes reysens & datys cut and sygure & good pondys boyle hit up colour hit with safron & messe hit forth.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163) (England, 1460)

Tayle. Take a lytyll milke of almonds drawyn up with wyn & do hit in a pott do ther to figes reysens & datys cut and sygure & good pondys boyle hit up colour hit with safron & messe hit forth.

Bonus Recipe (s) 

DUKE'S POWDER - POLVORA DE DUQUE - Libre del Coch, 1529 

Half an ounce of cinnamon, one eighth of cloves, and for the lords cast in nothing but cinnamon, and a pound of sugar; if you wish to make it sharp in flavor and [good] for afflictions of the stomach, cast in a little ginger.

And the weights of the spices in the apothecary shops are in this manner: one pound is twelve ounces, one ounce, eight drachms; one drachm, three scruples; another way that you can more clearly understand this: a drachm weighs three dineros, a scruple is the weight of one dinero, and a scruple is twenty grains of wheat.


The Libre del Coch has a second recipe for this spice mix, De altra polvora de duch, which contains 2 oz. ginger, 1/2 drachm galingale, 1 oz. cinnamon, 1 oz. long pepper, 1 oz. grains of paradise, 1 oz. nutmeg, 1/4 oz. fine sugar. 

The Libre de Sent Sovi gives yet another recipe: 1 pound sugar; 1/2 oz. cinnamon; 3/4 oz. ginger; 1/4 oz. total of cloves, nutmeg, galingale, and cardamon.

Duke's Powder

Cinnamon half an ounce --1 tbsp.
Cloves half a quarter (1/8th of an ounce) --3/4 tsp.
Sugar a pound -- (based on the 12 ounce pound) 1 1/2 cups
Ginger - a little --1 tbsp.

This mixture of spices, while not completely white, yields a very light tan powder. This is the mixture that I have used in my interpretation for Bolas and is pictured as the powder filling the dates.

Note: A dry ounce is equal to two tablespoons, or 1/8th of a cup.

Previously published: January 02, 2017