Capoun in Consewe – Medieval Chicken in Almond Broth (Harleian MS. 279)

Capoun in Consewe (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Capoun in Consewe – a luxurious, restorative pottage of chicken in almond broth.

Capoun in Consewe appears as recipe no. lxiiij in Harleian MS. 279 (c. 1430). The word consewe likely draws on Old French roots with the sense of “to comfort/strengthen,” which suits the dish: a nourishing chicken pottage scented with parsley and savory, enriched with almonds (or egg yolks), and finished with sugar.

A capon (a castrated rooster) signaled luxury; almonds and sugar were costly imports. Together they elevate a simple boiled fowl into something fit for feast tables and restorative cookery. In humoral terms, parsley and savory (hot & dry) balance the warm, moist qualities of chicken and almond milk—this is flavor and medicine in tandem.

Herbs in Context

Parsley was praised for aiding digestion and “opening the stomach.” Savory brought a peppery sharpness and was used to correct heaviness and “wind.” Their pairing keeps the dish lively and balanced.

🍲 Did You Know?

Capoun in Consewe functioned much like modern chicken soup: gentle enough for the sick or weak, yet refined enough for feast service—especially with the luxury of almonds and sugar.

⚖️ Ingredients in Humoral Balance

• Capon / Chicken – Warm & moist; gentle, nourishing flesh.
• Parsley – Hot & dry; aids digestion, “opens the stomach.”
• Savory – Hot & dry; sharp corrective for heaviness/wind.
• Almonds / Almond milk – Warm & moist; luxurious richness, easily digested.
• Egg yolks – Hot & moist; fortifying thickener (optional).
• Sugar – Warm & moist; balancing sweetness, a mark of elite dining.
• Salt – Cold & dry; flavor enhancer and practical preservative.

Together these create a restorative, balanced pottage—truly medieval “chicken soup for the soul.”

Side-by-Side Recipe

Original (Middle English)

.lxiiij. Capoun in consewe.—Take a Capoun, & make hem clene, & sethe hym in Water, percely, Sauereye & Salt; & whan he his y-now, quarter hym; þan grynde Almaundys. & temper vppe wyth þat brothe of þe Capoun; or ellys take þe ȝolkys of Eyroun, & make it chargeaunt, & strayne þe Almaundys & boyle it; take Sugre a goode porcyoun, & do þer-yn; & when it ys y-boylid, ley þe Capoun in þe dysshe, & put þat Sew a-boue, & strawe þer-vppe-on Sugre, & send it yn with alman̛.

Modern Translation

Take a capon and clean it well. Boil it in water with parsley, savory, and salt. When it is cooked, cut it into quarters. Grind almonds and mix them with the broth from the capon (or else thicken the broth with egg yolks). Strain the almond mixture and boil it. Add a good portion of sugar. When boiled, place the capon in a dish and pour the sauce over. Strew sugar on top and serve it with almonds.

Modern Recipe

Coley(s): Medieval Chicken Cullis and Early Bone Broth (Harleian MS. 279)

Coleys (Chicken Cullis): Medieval Bone-Broth Style Restorative – Harleian MS. 279

Harleian MS. 279 (c.1430) — .xxvj. Coleys — Chicken Cullis

What is “Coley(s)” / Cullis? A medieval restorative made by cooking a capon until tender, then enriching the broth with the meat, bread, and the “liquor of the bones.” Think early bone-broth technique with a comforting, spoonable finish.

In Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books (Harleian MS. 279), Coleys calls for not only the broth from boiling the capon but specifically the liquor of the bones—a clear nod toward longer extraction and collagen, much like today’s bone broth. French sources (e.g., Du fait de cuisine) even frame coulleys as food for the sick: nourishing, mild, and easily digested.

Conyng in Cyuey (Hen/Rabbit/Duck in Onion Sauce) – Harleian MS. 279 | Medieval Recipe + Modern Interpretation

Hen in Cyve – Medieval Chicken (or Rabbit/Duck) in Onion & Wine Sauce (Harleian MS. 279)

Conyng, Mawlard, in gely or in cyuey – Hen, Rabbit, or Duck in Onion Sauce (Harleian MS. 279)

What is “Cyve / Cyuey”? A savory medieval onion sauce thickened with bread and sharpened with vinegar and wine—balanced with warm spices like ginger, mace, cinnamon, and cloves. Wonderful with poultry, rabbit, or duck.

Updated 5/21/2021: This post now includes related recipes: .lxxiij. Conyngys in cyveye and .lxiij. Harys in Cyueye.

Medieval Stew in Onion Sauce

One of my favorite finds from The Ordinance of Pottage was “Hare in Cyve,” a richly flavored onion-based sauce that quickly became a feast favorite in my early SCA days. When I later discovered a related recipe in Harleian MS. 279 (c.1430), I knew it had to go on my cooking list.

Conyng means rabbit; Hare its larger cousin; and Mawlard means duck. The recipe offers flexibility—showing how cooks adapted this onion-thickened sauce (or cyuey) to whatever meat was available.

📖 A cyuey is a spiced medieval onion sauce thickened with bread and vinegar, balancing savory, sweet, and tart notes. It’s delicious with poultry, rabbit, or game.

Original Text (Harleian MS. 279)

.xlij. Conyng, Mawlard, in gely or in cyuey – Take Conynge, Hen, or Mawlard, and roste hem alle-most y-now, or ellys choppe hem, an frye hem in fayre Freysshe grece; an frye myncyd Oynenons, and caste alle in-to þe potte, & caste þer-to fayre Freysshe brothe, an half Wyne, Maces, Clowes, Powder pepir, Canelle; þan take fayre Brede, an wyth þe same brothe stepe, an draw it þorw a straynoure wyth vynegre; an whan it is wyl y-boylid, caste þe lycoure þer to, & powder Gyngere, & Salt, & sesyn it vp an serue forth.

Modern Translation

42. Rabbit, Hen, or Duck in Onion Sauce – Take rabbit, hen, or duck, and roast them almost enough, or else chop them, and fry them in good fresh fat. Fry minced onions and add all into the pot with fresh broth and half wine, along with mace, cloves, pepper, and cinnamon. Then take good bread, soak it in the same broth, and strain it with vinegar. When it is well boiled, add this mixture, plus ginger and salt. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.