Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .Clj. Creme Bastarde - Cream Bastarde

The 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 Thomas Austin contains instructions for a custard made exclusively with egg whites. This dish appears to have been very popular and instructions for it can also be found in the later tudor period. As previously discussed, custards enjoy a long history. The Romans enjoyed many sweet and savory egg based dishes, but it wasn't until the middle ages that "custards", as we understand them, hit their prime. Some of these dishes, like the hardened custards known as let lardes or milke rosty's have fallen out of favor.

I recently served this at our local Baronial 12th Night alongside stewed apples or pears (pictured above.) I discovered that my own interpretation was nearly identical to that of Peter Breverton's found in his Tudor Cookbook. It is his interpretation I have included here which includes nutmeg and cinnamon and the addition of the orangeflower water. This created a very light custard sauce that was amazing with the apples and the pears. It also would be excellent on its own or with strawberries, or cherries.

.Clj. Creme Bastarde.—Take þe whyte of Eyroun a grete hepe, & putte it on a panne ful of Mylke, & let yt boyle; [leaf 26.] þen sesyn it so with Salt an hony a lytel, þen lat hit kele, & draw it þorw a straynoure, an take fayre Cowe mylke an draw yt with-all, & seson it with Sugre, & loke þat it be poynant & doucet: & serue it forth for a potage, or for a gode Bakyn mete, wheder þat þou wolt.

Clj - Creme Bastarde. Take the whyte of Eyroun a grete hepe, and putte it on a panne ful of Mylke, and let yt boyle; then sesyn it so with Salt an hony a lytel, then lat hit kele, and draw it thorw a straynoure, an take fayre Cowe mylke an draw yt with-all, and seson it with Sugre, and loke that it be poynant and doucet: and serue it forth for a potage, or for a gode Bakyn mete, wheder that thou wolt.

151. Cream Bastarde - Take the white of eggs, a great heap and put it on a pan full of milk, and let it boil, then season it so with salt and honey a little, then let it cool, and draw it through a strainer, and take fair cow milk, and draw it with-all, and season it with sugar, and look that it be poignant and sweet: and serve it forth for a pottage, or for a good baked meat, whether that you will.

Cream Bastarde

4 egg whites
1 pint milk (I used a mixture of half and half and whipping cream)
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
Opt: 1 stick cinnamon, ½ tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. orangeflower water

You will need to use a double boiler to make this to keep the custard from scorching. If you are unfamiliar with a double boiler or how to use one, here are the instructions. You will need two pots, one that fits easily inside the other. In the larger pot you will want to put a couple inches of water (I always use enough to cover about an inch of the side of the smaller pot). Always, always, always, always use a double boiler if you do not want heat directly on the food you are cooking; custards, melting chocolate and making fruit curds are examples of appropriate times to use a double boiler. Many will say that I am incorrect in making sure that water comes up the sides of the smaller pan, but, it was good enough for mom and grandma, that makes it good enough for me ;-)

Add your milk, egg whites, honey, sugar and salt to the pan. If you are going to use the spices add those as well. Turn the heat up under the bottom pot and stir--stir--stir until your custard has thickened. I know --I think I broke all of the rules for this. Ideally, you would heat the milk, temper the eggs and add them back to the pot and cook until it thickens to custard.

Once the custard is thickened to your likeness, remove from the heat, strain if you need to in order to remove the cinnamon sticks and any curds that may have formed, and set aside to cool. When cool, add your orangeflower water and serve. - Courtesy Peter Breverton, The Tudor Cookbook

Harleian MS. 4016, (~1450) Guisseƚƚ.

Harleian MS. 4016, (~1450) Guisseƚƚ. Bread Dumplings

Baronial 12th Night 

Guisseƚƚ.-- An interesting dish which makes very thrify use of bread that has been turned into bread crumbs, eggs and broth flavored with parsley and sage and colored with saffron. Sounds a lot like dressing, yes? My recipe creates many small, irregularly shaped "curds", or dumplings. Bonus? The broth thickens as the bread cooks leaving you with a gravy that you can use elsewhere. I do not recommend using it with your dumplings. They become very sticky and unappetizing! The instructions can be found in 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. Harleian MS. 4016, ab. 1450 A.D.

The instructions are just vague enough that I wasn't very certain of what I would end up with once it had been interpreted and cooked. I was half expecting a wet mucky (and unappetizing) unbaked dressing. What I ended up with was something that closely resembled a dumpling. I wonder if it's the precursor to boiled puddings?

The process reminded me very much of making the "rivals" for potato soup with rivals. The difference being that you "pinch off" pieces of the rival dough and put it into the boiling soup, whereas here we are instructed to "cast the stuff to the broth into the pan". Rather than pinch off pieces of dough, I made the dough somewhat crumbly, and then dropped by handfuls into the boiling broth and cooked till they came to the surface. Then using a slotted spoon, I fished out the dumplings and went on to the next batch and the next...this made A LOT of dumplings. As mentioned previously, I made a slight mistake when cooking the very last batch and didn't drain them as well as I wanted to :-/ There wasn't a lot of the thickened broth left but there was enough that the entire batch became bit sticky and gummy. I thought I had ruined it--but guess what? Treating them like spaetzle, I cooked them up in some bacon fat (which makes everything better).

Harleian MS. 4016, ab. 1450 A.D. Guisseƚƚ. [supplied by ed.] *. [Taken from Douce MS. ] [folio 15.] ¶ Take faire capon̄ brotℏ, or of beef, And sette hit ouer the fire, and caste þerto myced sauge, parcelly and saffron̄, And lete boile; And streyn̄ the white and þe yolke of egges thorgℏ a streynour, and caste there-to faire grated brede, and medle hit togidre with thi honde, And caste the stuff to the brotℏ into þe pan̄; And stirre it faire and softe til hit come togidre, and crudded; And þen̄ serue it forth hote.

Guissell. (Note: Taken from Douce MS.) Take faire capon broth, or of beef, And sette hit ouer the fire, and caste therto myced sauge, parcelly and saffron, And lete boile; And streyn the white and the yolke of egges thorgh a streynour, and caste there-to faire grated brede, and medle hit togidre with thi honde, And caste the stuff to the broth into the pan; And stirre it faire and softe til hit come togidre, and crudded; And then serue it forth hote

Guissell. (Note: Taken from Douce MS.) Take faire capon broth or of beef, and set it over the fire and cast thereto minced sage, parsley and saffron, and let it boil; and strain the white and the yolk of eggs through a strainer, and cast thereto grated bread and meddle it all together with your hand, and caste the stuff to the broth into the pan; and stir it fare and soft till it come together, and curded; and then serve it forth hot.

Interpreted Recipe

2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs

4 cups water
1 tsp. sage
1 tbsp. parsley
Pinch of saffron

Put your breadcrumbs and salt (which was added for modern taste) into a bowl, create a well and add in your eggs one at a time until it starts to form lumps. Mean wile, heat up the water, sage, parsley and saffron till it comes to a boil and then lower the heat so that the water is simmering. Add the dough in small batches until the irregularly shaped, curded dough floats like delicious pillowy dumplings. Using a slotted spoon remove from the broth and let drain while you are cooking your next batch.

I imagine since these appear to be very similar to Spaetzle that you could, if you wish to prepare them in advance, put them on a sheet pan, freeze and then thaw and cook with a little bit of butter or bacon fat before serving, although that is cook's prerogative and has nothing to do with the original recipe.
Now I totally cheated and used leftover herb stuffing mix, so my bread crumbs taste a bit like ummmm ~whispers~ stuffing mix that has been made into crumbs in the blender (Hey! They were *on sale* and turning stuffing into crumbs requires very little effort). The dumplings were perfectly lovely until I didn't drain that last batch very well. What a happy mistake...fried up in bacon fat they are nothing short of magical.

In reality, these dumplings were very likely served *in* the broth, and not outside of it. So bear that in mind, you may need a lot more broth then I created. I am planning on serving these as a side dish with a roasted chicken, and therefore choose not to serve them in the broth at this time.

Similar Recipes

Forme of Cury (England, 1390)

Jusshell. XX.II. III. Take brede ygrated and ayrenn and swyng it togydre. do erto safroun, sawge. and salt. & cast broth. þerto. boile it & messe it forth

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak jusselle tak the swet brothe of a capon or of other good flesshe and set it on the fyere in a large vesselle colour it with saffron put ther to saige cut gret and salt it then tak eggs and drawe them through a strener and temper grated bread and eggs and stirre it to gedure till they be ronn and let the erbes be well mellid to gedur and when yt begynnythe to boille tak out the pot stik and turn the curd about with a scorner and let not the fyere be to hasty when it is throughe knyt tak it from the fyere and couyr it and serue it

Thomas Awkbarow's Recipes (MS Harley 5401)


Jussell. Recipe brede gratyd & egges & swyng þam togydere, & do þerto sawge & saferon & salt; þan take gode broth & cast it þerto, & bole it enforesayd, & do þerto as to charlete, & serof.

Five Sweet, Savory and Fried Custards found in Harleian MS 279 (~1430)

Some of my earliest adventures in attempting to interpret recipes from "Two fifteenth-century cookery-books. Harleian ms. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. ms. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole ms. 1429, Laud ms. 553, & Douce ms. 55" by Thomas Austin were one of my favorite childhood treats, custards. Today I present to you a selection of my favorite interpretations.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

xxix Milke Rostys- Roasted Milk -- Hard custards are a thing of the past, but this recipe has returned them to my life. Custard is set like cheese, sliced and fried in grease (roste it on a Greddelle). This was my very first interpreted recipe, and is a favorite, served cold, room temperature or hot off the griddle. 

.xxix. Lyode Soppes- an early bread pudding -  literally a sop of bread floating in a pool of beautifully thick and sweet custard, this dish is one of the earliest recipes for "bread pudding." It lacks many of the characteristics that now define a bread pudding, additional fruit, spices, and being baked in the oven.  I was unsure how this dish would be received by my bevy of taste testers, and they received it much better than I expected they would. There were a few surprised looks as they tested this dish. The general consensus amongst the tasters is "it was good but not something they would want to try again"--and they have.

lxxiiij - Arbolettys - Cheese Soup - A luxuriously velvety cheese soup worthy to be served to any king! Simple ingredients of milk, butter, cheese and eggs flavored with sage, parsley, ginger and galingale. Delicious! Caveat: My interpretation is very different from many of my contemporaries who interpret this dish as a scrambled egg dish. Being in the center of a series of dishes that should be cooked in pots, and not being instructions to let the eggs curd let to my unusual interpretation.

xx. Papyns.- When noble women of this period would choose not to breastfeed, or were unable to, and a wet nurse was not available, a mixture of broth, water, milk, grain, flour or bread, sweetened with honey or diluted wine would be fed to infants through a small horn with a hole drilled into it, or via a rag soaked in the liquid. This same pap was also fed to the elderly who were unable to chew any longer. When given to older children, or in addition to breast milk, papyns provided additional nutrition. This particular recipe adds eggs to the milk and flour as an additional thickener.

.xiij. Creme Boylede. I was delighted to interpret this recipe for an unusual custard that starts by soaking bread in cream or milk. It is a very thrifty dish for the medieval cook, because it most likely made use of bread that had gone stale and it was a way to preserve milk that would otherwise have gone bad, or may have been put to other use. This blog post includes a bonus recipe--Constance Hieatt's boiled cream custard, from a similar interpretation that can be made in the microwave and is my "go to" feast custard when I cater.

Breakfast? Five Medieval Banquet Dishes that Can be Served for Breakfast

Looking to add a late Medieval flare to your breakfast?  These five hearty recipes will do just that.  Just click on the link and you will be taken to the post.  I hope you enjoy.

  A Fryed Meate (Pancakes) in Haste for the Second Course (The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, 1682) - cottage cheese and apples combined with warm and sweet spices create a delicate pancake. Traditionally served in the second course, this dish would make a lovely camp breakfast. A bit late for Medieval, yes, delicious and to be tried all the same. 

Gammon of Bacon (A Book of Cookrye, 1591) - This is a delicious savory tidbit that creates a lovely hand pie which tastes like a holiday in a pie crust. Gammon, like ham, comes from the hind leg of a pig. Unlike ham, gammon is cured like bacon and sold raw. For this recipe I used a heritage cured ham, seasoned with pepper, cloves and mace, cut into thin slices and stuffed with parsley, sage and hardboiled egg yolks, cut to fit into the pie crust, dotted with butter and baked. A wonderful interpretation of our past, a must try for any foodie, food historian or hungry cook!

Egges yn Brewte - Poached eggs with Cheese - Gentyll Manly Cokere, MS Pepys 1047, C. 1490 - A beautifully simple dish of eggs, poached in milk and water flavored with pepper, ginger and colored with saffron, topped with cheese. Served over toast this would be a lovely perfectly period meal.

Soupes dorye - Almond Milk Toast -an absolutely decadent spin on milk toast.  Lightly toasted bread, served with a wine sweetened almond milk and warmed spices.  Comforting, delicious and fit for a king. 

Gaylede - Rice Porridge with figs and honey -Ginger and galingale are the perfect compliment to the figs and honey that accompany this simply sweetened porridge made of rice flour and almond milk.  Pretty and pink, a perfect "fairy breakfast" for that special someone if you use saunders to color as specified.  

Egges yn Brewte - Poached eggs with Cheese- Gentyll Manly Cokere, MS Pepys 1047, C. 1490

Egges yn Brewte 

This is another recipe from Curia Regis brunch. It is a beautifully simple, perfectly period recipe for poached eggs served with a surprisingly simple pan sauce of milk, flavored with saffron, pepper and ginger and then topped with cheese.

Egges yn Brewte (Gentyll Manly Cokere, MS Pepys 1047, c. 1490) Take water and seethe it. In the same water break your eggs and cast therein ginger, pepper and saffron, then temper it up with sweet milk and boil it. And then carve cheese and caste thereto small cut. And when it is enough serve it forth.

Eggs in broth - Take water and boil it. In the same water break your eggs and caste therein ginger, pepper and saffron, then temper it up with sweet milk and boil it. And then carve cheese and caste thereto small cut. And when it is enough serve forth.

Interpretation

Eggs
Water
1/4 cup of milk per egg
1/8 tsp. ginger and pepper
1-2 threads of saffron or to taste
Cheese

I used Butterkäse cheese for this recipe.  If you have not tried this cheese, please take time to do so.  It is delicious, creamy, buttery, sweet, slightly salty and mild in flavor with just a touch of acidity.  It  was a perfect accompaniment to the eggs.

Poaching eggs can be tricky.  The method I use is explained in a previous post .Cj. Eyron en poche. I do diverge from Pepy's instructions. Using this method I discovered made it impossible for me to achieve the "pan gravy" I wanted for the eggs, so I simmered the milk with the spices in a separate pan, cooked the eggs till they had set and then gently placed them in the warm milk, cutting a few slices of the cheese on top.  When the cheese had melted I served it to the taste testers on toast.

Why isn't there toast in the picture? Soggy toast is a very sad thing to see and I was unable to take a picture with the eggs sitting prettily on the toast.  Eventually I gave up and just placed the eggs on the dish by themselves.

This dish received rave reviews from taste testers and brunch participants alike.  It would be a lovely dish to serve to a small crowd or on a special occasion if you wish to follow the directions as given by Pepys.  For large crowd I would recommend oven baking the dish.  

Eisands with Otemeale grotes - A Book Of Cookrye (1591)

Eisands with Otemeale grotes - A  Book Of  Cookrye (1591) 

Eisands of otemeal grotes is one of those recipes that I knew I had to create when I first ran across it while doing research for a cook’s gathering in 2015. This interpretation was a very long time in coming. The Cook’s Gatherings were my first attempt at trying to bring about cook’s gild in the area where I live. It was a very short lived adventure and that saddens me. There does not seem to be as much interest in cooking in my area as I would like there to be. Interpreting this recipe required a lot of research. My first stumbling block evolved around *how* to cook it. My second was where to locate the main ingredient (oatmeal grotes).

I tackled my second roadblock first. I needed to determine what oatmeal grotes were and determine what the closest thing to them was I could purchase. Fortunately I had done some basic research into oatmeal when I interpreted the recipes from Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430)  for .xxiiij. Drawyn grwel and vij. Gruelle a-forsydde. Oatmeal has a long history and you can read about it in both of those articles. During my research into oatmeal I discovered there are a variety of ways that oatmeal can be prepared. Oat Groats are the hulled whole oat berry. They appear to be very similar to grains of rice, barley or wheat berries. The oats that I used were steel cut oats, which is essentially the whole oat berry that has been chopped into pieces but not rolled. Steel cut oats are sometimes referred to as Scottish or Irish oats, but these oats tend to be ground rather then cut.

The other variety of oats and the one that most people are familiar with are rolled oats, which are whole oats that have been steamed, rolled flat into flakes and then dehydrated. This method of making oats did not appear until long after our period and should not be used if other kinds of oats are available. Quick oats are the cousin of rolled oats, but they are much quicker in cooking due to a longer steaming period before dehydration and being chopped into smaller pieces. These are the least nutritious of the varieties of oats that are available on the market today.

The first roadblock took a little bit longer to overcome. I needed to determine what cooking method was used. Was the dish baked? Steamed? Cooked on the stove top or boiled? Each of these cooking methods would produce a very different result. My first attempt was to cook it on the stovetop similar to an oatmeal custard, but the directions are very specific on liquid to oat ratio and there was not enough liquid to sufficiently cook the oats. The same problem revolved around baking the dish like bread. There simply was not enough liquid. Returning to the source, I discovered that the recipes prior to and after involved boiling the puddings. The result? A delicious pudding that is similar to your classic boiled Christmas plum puddings.

When I think of a pudding, I think of a custard like dish made of chocolate or vanilla or coconut. However puddings can trace their origins to approximately 1300 and meant “a kind of sausage” where meat and suet were stuffed into the stomach or intestines of an animal and boiled to be kept and served as needed. This recipe bridges the gap between those earlier dishes and the more modern ones that emerged in the mid 1600’s. It involves food that has been boiled or steamed in a bag or a sack. At the time this particular recipe was popular puddings could be either savory or sweet, meat or grain based.

Eisands with Otemeale grotes. Take a pinte of Creame and seethe it, and when it is hot, put therto a pinte of Otemeale grotes, and let them soke in it all night, and put therto viii. yolks of egs, and a little Pepper, Cloves, mace, and saffron, and a good deale of Suet of beefe, and small Raisins and Dates, and a little Sugar.

Eisands with Otemeale grotes. Take a pinte of Creame and seethe it, and when it is hot, put therto a pinte of Otemeale grotes, and let them soke in it all night, and put therto viii. yolks of egs, and a little Pepper, Cloves, mace, and saffron, and a good deale of Suet of beefe, and small Raisins and Dates, and a little Sugar.

Eisands of Oatmeal Groats.  Take a pint of cream and heat it, and when it is hot, put thereto a pint of oatmeal groats, and let them soak in it al lnight, and put thereto eight yolks of eggs, and a little pepper, cloves, mace, and saffron, and a good deal of suet of beef, and small raisins and dates, and a little sugar. 

Interpreted Recipe                                                                            Serves 8 (six if you aren't into sharing!)

1 pint cream (whole milk)
2 cups steel cut oats, or oat groats
¼ cup of shredded suet or butter (I used butter)
1/3 cup dates halved and quartered (My dates were kind of dried out so I placed a handful in the blender and added a 1/4 cup hot water and then blended them into a puree which is probably why my pudding is so dark. Mea Culpa!)
1/3 cup currants or raisins
8 egg yolks (or four whole eggs) beaten
1 tsp. Le Menagier's "Fine Spice Powder" 
Pinch of saffron
¼ cup granulated sugar

I heated the cream and butter together in the microwave and then poured it over my oats, mixing it together, along with the dates, raisins, sugar and spices and two of my four eggs and here I diverge greatly from the recipe.  I cooked it on the stovetop to hasten the absorption process until it became very thick.  At which point I beat the remaining eggs tempered them and added them to the "dough".  Make sure it is thick and dough like. 

If you choose not to take the "shortcut" heat up the cream and the butter and pour them over the oats and let them sit preferably overnight.  Add remaining ingredients and then move forward.

While I was precooking the oatmeal I had placed my cloth into approximately two gallons of water I was bringing to boil.  I was using my canning pot which has a metal trivet in the bottom to keep the pudding from the bottom and possibly burning.  Once the dough was made (and I say dough because that is the consistency you should be aiming for with your oat and egg mixture) I removed the cloth, placed it into a bowl, added the dough and then tied it up. I used rubber bands to keep it secured and you will want to secure the cloth as close to the pudding as you can.  

Make sure that your water is at a full rolling boil before adding your pudding.  Turn heat down to medium and cook for approximately four hours.  My pudding floated so I trapped it beneath a wire sieve so that it was fully submerged during the cooking period.  You will want to check your water about every hour (or less) to make sure that the pudding is still fully submerged.

Once the pudding is cooked, remove it from the boiling water; give it a quick soak in cold water so you can handle it right away or allow draining and cooling before untying. It can be served warm or cold, but if you try to cut it when it is too hot it will crumble on you.  Although the recipe does not call for it, you could serve it with a sauce made from butter and sugar. 

With the exception of the very long boiling period, this was a very easy dish to put together and the fact that it can be served cold is a saving grace.  If you wanted to serve this at a feast, I would suggest making it a day or two before in small batches and then either warm it up, or serve it cold.  I got approximately 16 slices out of this recipe, so it would easily serve eight people, or as part of a much larger feast, up to 16. This is a perfect breakfast food.  The oatmeal becomes rice-like in texture, and to me it tasted very similar to a rice pudding (which I love).  It slices like a cake or quick bread and I could see it being served with some butter as a portable breakfast meal. Did I mention I could not stop eating it?  Neither could my taste testers who have made me promise to make this again.  This would also make a very nice camp "dessert", requiring nothing more than to make sure that it is covered with water while it cooks. 

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .Cl. Cawdel out of lente. - Caudel out of Lent

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .Cl. Cawdel out of lente. - Caudel out of Lent

When I came across 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 Thomas Austin I knew I had to try it.  I'm glad I did. The end product is a delicious soft stirred custard that can be drunk or thickened as you desire.  Because it is made with wine, I would almost like to say that this is a very early version of eggnog.  However, food anthropologists/historians will tell you that eggnog's are descended from possets--beverages that are made from milk (in this case almond) that has been curdled through the infusion of an alcoholic beverage (in this case wine).  Caudles, on the other hand are a thick drink made from ale or wine, bread crumbs, eggs, sugar and spices and were usually given to invalids and the elderly. This recipe is unusual in that it contains elements of both possets and caudles, but the name refers to it as a caudle, perhaps, this is a common ancestor of both and my theory that this may be a very early version of eggnog is correct? I will leave it to you, the reader, to decide :-) 

Although we are advised to "euer kepe it as whyte as  þou may" we are also given several options for coloring this dish.  We are advised before serving to "droppe Alkenade þer-on".  Alkenade is one of several agents used for coloring food in period.  We know that our medieval ancestors were not afraid of coloring their food.  Colors ranged from black, to gold, pink, roses, oranges, greens and blues.  I cannot imagine the modern diner would approve of sitting down to a dish of blue (or purple) chicken or fish.  An example of a well known blue/purple dish is below.  

Sapor celeste de estate. 

Piglia de li moroni salvatiche che nascono in le fratte, et un poche
de amandole ben piste, con un pocho di zenzevero. Et queste
cose distemperarai con agresto et passarale per la stamegnia. - Maestro Martino: Libro de arte coquinaria (~1450-1467)

 Sky Blue Sauce (or Heavenly Sauce) for Summer

Take some of the wild blackberries that grow in hedgerows and some thoroughly pounded almonds, with a little ginger. And moisten these things with verjuice and strain through a sieve. -  The Medieval KitchenRecipes from France and Italy

by Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, & Silvano Serventi

I cannot imagine anyone would be upset being served roasted chicken that had been coated with that sauce, which is actually a lovely purple but could be rendered sky blue with a little bit of kitchen chemistry and magic! The magical blue/purple color is not limited to berries. Turnsole is also another source for blue not only in cooking but in illuminated manuscripts as well. Flowers such as columbine and cornflower can also be used.  Even semi precious stones, such as azure, also known as lapis lazuli were used.

Alkanet, also known as Dyer's Alkanet, Dyer's Bugloss, Spanish Bugloss or Wilde Bugloss. Officially it is known as "Alkanna Tinctoria" the roots of which are used to produce a ruby red dye. Other sources of red include roses, sandalwood, galingale, barberries (red corrants) and pomegranate juice. 


Green was a very popular color for food and multiple sources were used to produce it.  Green was produced by obtaining the juice of herbs such as parsley or sage, or it could be produced by using vegetables such as spinach.  Toxic substances, such as verdigris, a copper salt were used to create inks. 

An Emeralde Greene.

Take Verdigrece, Litarge, Quicksilver brayed to powder, and ground with the pisse of a young childe.  --The Widdowes Treasure - Dyes and Ipocras

The most popular color to ting your food was yellow. Saffron is used in many of the dishes in the the Harleian MS 279, along with sandalwood.  In additon to saffron, egg yolks were also used to add a soft golden color to food.  Even precious gold found it's way to the medieval table.  

Browns and Blacks were not forgotten.  Cooks were instructed to burn toast, or add blood to create rich browns and blacks to color food. Spices such as cinnamon or ginger were also used. Cloves could also be soaked or burnt, but I imagine that would add quite a strong taste to a dish.  

.Cl. Cawdel out of lente.—Take & make a gode mylke of Almaundys y-draw vppe with wyne of Red, whyte is beterre; ȝif it schal be whyte, þan strayne ȝolkys of Eyroun þer-to a fewe. Put þer-to Sugre & Salt, but Sugre y-now; þen when it begynnyth to boyle, sette it out, & almost flatte; serue it then forth, & euer kepe it as whyte as þou may, & at þe dressoure droppe Alkenade þer-on, & serue forth; & ȝif þou wylt haue hym chargeaunt, bynd hym vppe with fflour of [supplied by ed.] Rys, oþer with whetyn floure, it is no fors. And ȝif þou wolt, coloure hym with Safroun, & straw on pouder y-now, & Sugre y-now, & serue forth.

Cl - Cawdel out of lente. Take and make a gode mylke of Almaundys y-draw vppe with wyne of Red, whyte is beterre; 3if it schal be whyte, than strayne 3olkys of Eyroun ther-to a fewe. Put [correction; sic = MS. but.] ther-to Sugre and Salt, but Sugre y-now; then when it begynnyth to boyle, sette it out, and almost flatte; serue it then forth, and euer kepe it as whyte as thou may, and at the dressoure droppe Alkenade ther-on, and serue forth; and 3if thou wylt haue hym chargeaunt, bynd hym vppe with fflour of Rys, other with whetyn floure, it is no fors. And 3if thou wolt, coloure hym with Safroun, and straw on pouder y-now, and Sugre y-now, and serue forth [correction; sic = f].


150 - Cawdel out of Lent - Take and make a good milk of almonds, drawn up with wine of red, white is better; if it shall be white, then strain yolks of eggs thereto a few.  Put there-to sugar and salt, but sugar enough; then when it begins to boil set it out and almost flat; serve it then forth and ever keep it as white as you may, and at the serving drop alkanet (a ruby red dye made from the root of the alkanet plant)  there-on, and serve forth; and if thou wilt have him thick, bind him up with flour of rice, other with wheat flour, it is no effort (fors - Middle English Dictionary - fō̆rce (n.) Also fors. 9.

(a) An effort, endeavor, exertion). And if you will, color him with saffron and strew on pouder enough, and sugar enough, and serve forth.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                          Serves 1 as Main, 2 if you are feeling friendly!

1 cup almond milk (I made mine using 1/4th cup almond flour, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup white wine)
2 egg yolks
1-2 tbsp. sugar or to taste
1/4 tsp. salt
Blaunche Powder to decorate (3 parts sugar to 1 part ginger)

You could use commercial almond milk for this recipe, but I usually make the quick almond milk. Bring to a simmer and add egg yolks, sugar and salt, or, heat over a double broiler as if you were making a custard.  Stir constantly until the mixture thickens.  Before serving you could add a bit of red food coloring, and marble it, or, sprinkle with blaunche powder.

The taste testers and I really enjoyed this dish and I must confess...I have made it several times since as a bedtime snack.  There is something very comforting about it. I prefer mine slightly hot, but suspect that it would be equally delicious room temperature or ~gasps~ cold.  I am curious to see if it would separate like a posset.

Like any custard this dish requires a bit of babysitting, which might make it impractical for a large feast or event, unless perhaps prepared in batches ahead of time.  However, It would be delicious as a camp side treat, or even a royalty luncheon.  I could imagine it served alongside some stewed or fresh fruit as well.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .lviij. Let lory - Larded Milk

.lviij. Let lory - Larded Milk

Let Lory is a fun and delicious 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. Milk and eggs are cooked until they form curds that are then drained, and served with sweetened custard.  The first time I made this dish I didn't use a double boiler to heat my milk and burned it.  This recipe is an example of custard that has been cooked until it forms curds. The instructions to heat the milk until it boils ensure that it curds and doesn't form a smooth pudding. While these kinds of custards appear to be quite popular during the 15th Century, they seem to have fallen out of favor in the 16th Century and disappear completely by the 17th Century. 

What we know is that some of the earliest documentable recipes for custards can be found in  De Re Coquinaria. The dish is called "Tyropatinam", and consists of milk, eggs and honey cooked together over a gentle heat.

Similar dishes that I have previusly interpreted include xxix - Milke Rosty, .lvj. Charlette, and  lvij - Charlet a-forcyd ryally, which have enjoyed a wide variety of opinions from the taste testers and myself.  Fortunately, the taste testers enjoyed this treat, and I have been asked to make it again. It has gone on my list of "good things to serve at a feast or for a luncheon."

.lviij. Let lory.—Take Mylke, an sette it ouer þe fyre; take Salt & Safroun, an caste þer-to; take Eyroun, þe ȝolke an þe Whyte y-strainyd a lyte,*. [lyte = little.]& caste it þer-to; whan þe Mylke his skaldyng hote, caste þe stuf þer-to, an þenne stere yt tyll it crodde; and ȝif þou wolt haue it a-forsyd with lyȝt coste, Take Mylke, & make it skaldyng hote, & caste þer-to Raw ȝolkes of Eyroun, Sugre, pouder Gyngere, Clowes, Maces, an let not fully boyle; & so hote, dresse it forth, an ley it on þe crodde; & ȝif þou wolt a-forse it in maner of charlet, do it in fastyng dayis, & serue it forth.

lviij - Let lory. Take Mylke, an sette it ouer the fyre; take Salt and Safroun, an caste ther-to; take Eyroun, the 3olke an the Whyte y-strainyd a lyte, (Note: lyte = little.)and caste it ther-to; whan the Mylke his skaldyng hote, caste the stuf ther-to, an thenne stere yt tyll it crodde; and 3if thou wolt haue it a-forsyd with ly3t coste, Take Mylke, and make it skaldyng hote, and caste ther-to Raw 3olkes of Eyroun, Sugre, pouder Gyngere, Clowes, Maces, an let not fully boyle; and so hote, dresse it forth, an ley it on the crodde; and 3if thou wolt a-forse it in maner of charlet, do it in fastyng dayis, and serue it forth.

58. Let Lory - Take milk and set it over the fire; then take salt and saffron, and caste there-to; take eggs, the yolk and the white strained a little, and caste it there-to; when the milk is scalding hot, caste the stuff there-to, and then stir it till it curd; and if you will have it reinforced for little cost, Take milk, and make it scalding hot, and caste there-to raw yolks of egg, sugar, powder ginger, cloves, mace, and let not full boil; and so hot, dress it forth, and ley it on the curd; and if you will reinforce it in manner of charlet, do it in fasting days, and serve it forth.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                              Serves 1 as main, 2 or more as side

3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
Pinch of saffron

Bring milk, salt and saffron to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan. Add the beaten eggs and stir, curds will begin to form after a few minutes. As an alternative, you can add a half tsp. of vinegar or wine to the mix which will make it curd up faster. Remove from heat when curds have formed and allow to cool completely. Place several layers of cheesecloth in a strainer and place strainer over a large bowl. Spoon the cheese mixture into the cheesecloth and allow to drain. Lift the cheesecloth bag without spilling the contents and squeeze gently until all whey has been removed.

Egg Sauce

1/4 cup milk
2 tsp. sugar
2 beaten egg yolks
1/4 tsp ginger (or to taste)
1/8 tsp. each clove and mace

Heat milk and spices to a simmer and remove from the heat, temper the beaten eggs with a bit of the milk and then add the eggs to the milk. Return to heat and simmer gently until the sauce reaches the desired thickness. Before serving spoon over the curds, and serve warm.

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

Larded milk. Take some [cow's] milk, boil it on the fire, lift it down from the fire, put it on a few coals, and thread in beaten egg yolks. If you wish it for a meat day, take lardons, cut them into two or three bits, and throw them into the milk to boil. If you wish it for a fish day, do not add lardons, but throw in some wine and verjuice to curdle it before you lift it down. Remove it from the fire, put it in a white cloth, let it drain, wrap it in 2 or 3 layers of the cloth, and press it until it is as firm as beef liver. Put it on a table, slice it into strips the size of a full palm or three fingers, button them with whole cloves, fry them until they are browned, set them out, and throw some sugar on top.

Forme of Cury (England, 1390)

Letelorye. XX.IIII. I. Take Ayrenn and wryng hem thurgh a styunour and do þerto cowe mylke with butter and safroun and salt and seeþ it wel. leshe it. and loke þat it be stondyng. and serue it forth.

Le Menagier de Paris (France, 1393 - Janet Hinson, trans.)

LARDY MILK. Take milk of cows or ewes and put to boil in the fire, and throw in bits of bacon and some saffron: and have eggs, that is both white and yolk, well-beaten and throw in all at once, without stirring, and make it all boil together, and then take it off the fire and leave it to turn; or without eggs, use verjuice to turn it. And when it is cool, tie it up stoutly in a piece of cloth or net and give it whatever shape you wish, flat or long, and weighted with a large rock let it cool on a side-board all night, and the next day release it and fry it alone without added grease, or with grease if you wish; and it is placed on plates or in bowls like slices of bacon and stuck with cloves and pignon nuts. And if you want to make it green, use turnsole.

Liber cure cocorum [Sloane MS 1986] (England, 1430)

Lede lardes. Take eyren and swete mylke of a cow, Swyng hom togedur, as I byd now. Take larde of fresshe porke with alle, Sethe hit and schere hit on peses smalle. Cast þer in and boyle hit, þenne Styr hit wele, as I þe kenne, Tyl hit be gedered on crud harde. Leche hit, and rost hit afterwarde Apone a gredel, þen serve þou may Hit forthe, with spit, as I þe say.

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak ledlardes of one coloure tak eggs and cow mylk and swinge them to gedur then sethe it and hew it in small peces and boile it and stirre it till be ron upon a herd curde then lesshe it and rost it upon a gredirn and serue it

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Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .Cj. Eyron en poche. - Eggs Poached

.Cj. Eyron en poche. - Eggs Poached

This is one of the first recipes that I have run across in 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 that specifies to "poach" the food.  I love poached eggs and I have been holding on to this recipe as a "reward" for making a couple of dishes that I was not sure I would enjoy.  Poaching is a cooking method where moist heat is used to gently cook the food. This method of cooking food can trace it's origins back to ancient times, one of the oldest cookbooks, Apicius's "De re Coquinaria" the cook is instructed to cook several dishes in liquid.  Le viandier de Taillevent one of the earliest printed  cookery books introduced poaching to a larger audience, however, poaching became more prevalant in the 17th century.

I learned how to poach eggs from my grandmother.  She would faithfully bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a little bit of vinegar "to set the whites" to the water and then using a spoon would create a whirlpool in the pot before gently cracking the egg into it. That is the method that I used with this recipe.  For more information on how to poach an egg, click here.

The taste testers and I agreed this was a very pretty dish, savory and sweet at the same time, the poached egg floating in the middle of a thickened sauce was a playful illusion of an egg cooked over easy.  I would serve this at a luncheon with some crispy toasts to act as sops, and thin slices of ham. Yummmsss!!

Opinions varied on the dish; one taste tester declared "it wasn't for them". They liked how it looked but they would have preferred a more savory dish.  Another tester wanted it to be a lot sweeter. I was happy with the balanced taste.

.Cj. Eyron en poche.—Take Eyroun, breke hem, an sethe hem in hot Water; þan take hem Vppe as hole as þou may; þan take flowre, an melle with Mylke, & caste þer-to Sugre or Hony, & a lytel pouder Gyngere, an boyle alle y-fere, & coloure with Safroun; an ley þin Eyroun in dysshys, & caste þe Sewe a-boue, & caste on pouder y-now. Blawnche pouder ys best.

Cj - 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.

101. Eggs in Poach - take eggs, break them, and cook them in hot water; then take them up as whole as you may; then take flour and mix with milk, and caste there-to sugar or honey, and a little powder ginger, an boil all together, and color with saffron; and lay your eggs in dishes and case the sauce above, and cast on powder enough.  White powder is best. 

Interpreted Recipe                                                     1-2 eggs per person


For the Egg

1or more eggs
Water 
1 tbsp. white vinegar

For the Sauce

1 tbsp. flour
1 cup milk 
1 tsp. sugar or honey
1/8 tsp. ginger
Pinch of saffron
Salt and pepper to taste

Use your best method to poach the egg.  I use a 2 quart pan and fill the pan to about an inch from the top and bring the water to a boil. Add the vinegar and then heat to simmer.  While I wait for the water to come to a quick simmer/boil I crack the egg into a cup.  When the water comes to a boil I swirl the water around until I can see a whirlpool and then I drop the egg into the center of the whirlpool.  Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let sit for about five minutes.  DO NOT--no matter how tempted you are--peek, poke, prod, or stir the egg again. Trust me on this.

While you are waiting for the egg to complete cooking, make a slurry from the flour and milk (I usually do a 1:2 ratio of starch to liquid to begin with). Because starches, like flour, tend to clump when they come into contact with liquid, make sure that you have mixed the flour and milk until it is smooth. Add remaining ingredients to the pan and then slowly bring to a simmer. As the liquid simmers the sauce will begin to thicken.  When it has thickened to your desire (I thickened mine to a "medium" sauce consistency) remove it from the heat.  

To serve, take the egg from the poaching liquid, place it in a dish and then sauce around the egg. Finish with a pinch of white powder.  

This was good as a sweet dish, I urge you to try it. I want to experiment around with this dish.  I would like to try it with more savory flavorings, for example, mustard, cumin, or even garlic-cream sauce similar to the flavorings found in lxxxx. Hennys in Gauncelye.   

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Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7] (England, 1390)

.lxxxviij. Pochee. Tak ayroun & breke hem in scaldyng hote water, & whanne they ben soden ynowgh, take hem up, & tak yolkes of ayroun & rawe mylke & swyng hem to gyder, & do therto poudour ginger, safroun & salt, set it over the fyre & lat it not boyle, take the ayroun y sode & cast the sewe onoward, & cet.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - lvij - Charlet a-forcyd ryally - Pork Reinforced Royally

lvij - Charlet a-forcyd ryally - Pork cooked in milk Reinforced Royally

This is the second of the "charlette" dishes found in 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, and the one that was least preferred of the taste testers.  

The almond milk created a finer curd then the regular milk when it was tempered with the wine, resulting in a much finer "grain" to the sliced product. This would have been a very costly dish to make with the addition of ginger, galingale, sugar and the large quantity of saffron used.  It is my belief that this was a dish to show off the wealth of the host, and not necessarily a dish that would have been eaten "every day".

This dish was the least favorite of all of the dishes that I have attempted to reinterpret and that says a lot considering the doozy's I have found; Cxxxj - A potage colde, .Cvj. Rapeye of Fleysshe and lxxj - Murrey to name a few.  This is on my "too period to be enjoyed by modern tastes list" and I do not have plans at this time to attempt to introduce the modern medieval palette to it.

.lvij. Charlet a-forcyd ryally.—Take gode Mylke of Almaunde; take tender Porke, an hew it smal, an bray it on a morter; take eyroun, an draw þorw a cloþe; temper vppe þin flesshe þer-with, an caste on þe potte; take þe mylke, an sette it ouer þe fyre; sesyn it wyth Salt an Safroun caste þer-on; boyle it, an when yt komyth on hy, a-lye it with wyne, an sette it a-doun; take vppe an ley it on a cloþe, an presse it a lytil; ondo it a-ȝen, & caste þer-on pouder Gyngere, Galyngale, Sugre y-now; menge it to-gederys, presse it a-aȝen, seþe þe broþe wyl; take styf Almaunde mylke y-temperyd with Freysshe brothe, & caste þer-on Saffroun an Sugre y-now, an a lytil Salt, & boyle it, þan take and set it owt; leche now þin mete, & ley þer-of in a dysshe; take þe sewe, & ley a-boue; take Maces & Sugre, & caste þer-on, & serue forth.

lvij - Charlet a-forcyd ryally. Take gode Mylke of Almaunde; take tender Porke, an hew it smal, an bray it on a morter; take eyroun, an draw thorw a clothe; temper vppe thin flesshe ther-with, an caste on the potte; take the mylke, an sette it ouer the fyre; sesyn it wyth Salt an Safroun caste ther-on; boyle it, an when yt komyth on hy, a-lye it with wyne, an sette it a-doun; take vppe an ley it on a clothe, an presse it a lytil; ondo it a-3en, and caste ther-on pouder Gyngere, Galyngale, Sugre y-now; menge it to-gederys, presse it a-a3en, sethe [correction; sic = MS. seye .] the brothe wyl; take styf Almaunde mylke y-temperyd with Freysshe brothe, and caste ther-on Saffroun an Sugre y-now, an a lytil Salt, and boyle it, than take and set it owt; leche now thin mete, and ley ther-of in a dysshe; take the sewe, and ley a-boue; take Maces and Sugre, and caste ther-on, and serue forth [correction; sic = f].

57. Charlette Reinforced Royally - Take good milk of almond; take tender pork, and cut it small and grind it in a mortar; take eggs, and draw through a cloth; temper up the flesh there-with, and caste on a pot; take the milk, and set it over the fire; season it with salt and saffron caste there on; boil it and when it cometh on high, mix it with wine, and set it down; take up an lay it on a cloth, and press it a little, and do it again, and caste there-on powder ginger, galingale, sugar enough; mix it together, press it again, cook the broth well: take stiff almond milk mixed with fresh broth, and caste there-on saffron and sugar enough, and a little salt, and boil it, then take and set it out; slice now your meat, and lay there-of in a dish; take the sauce and lay above; take mace and sugar and caste there-on and serve forth.

Interpreted Recipe                                                          Makes approximately six 1" slices 

For the Charlette:

1 cup almond milk

1/4 pound pork or veal (I used ground pork)

2 eggs

Salt to taste

Pinch of saffron

2 tbsp. wine

1/8 tsp. each ginger and galingale

1/4 tsp. sugar

For the Sauce: 

1/4 cup almond milk

Salt to taste

Pinch of Saffron 

Pinch each of mace and sugar to be dusted over the dish before serving.

Heat the pork, salt and saffron in the almond milk until it is cooked through.  In the meantime, beat the eggs with the wine and add the ginger, galingale and sugar. When the pork is cooked through, turn the heat up on the mixture and when it comes to boil add in the egg and wine mixture.  Stir constantly for approximately five minutes.  You will notice that the curds and whey will begin to separate almost immediately and the egg will begin to curd as well.  After five minutes or so, turn off the heat and allow to cool a little bit.  

Put cheesecloth into a strainer and pour the mixture into it.  Press with a plate and weights as you would for cheese (I used two 28 ounce cans).  Once the whey stops dripping from the "cheese" set it on a tray and let it cool.  Once cool slice into 1" slices and place into a shallow bowl. 

To make the sauce, heat the almond milk, salt and saffron until the desired colored is reach, stirring constantly to prevent scorching of your almond milk.  Pour the heated broth over the cheese and dust with a pinch of mace and sugar before serving. 

This made six 1" slices. I believe that two slices would make an adequate main course as the cheese is very dense in texture; so approximately three servings from 1 cup of milk, or six side servings.  You could even be creative with the cutting of your slices, making them just slightly smaller or cutting into cubes and this could serve a single table at an event. 

Similar Recipes

Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7] (England, 1390)

.xl. Charlet forsed. Tak mylke & seeth hit & swenge therwith yolkes of ayroun & do therto & poudour of ginger, & sugur & safroun & cast therto, tak the charlet out of the broth & messe hyt in dysches, lay the sewe o noward, floures hit with poudour douce and sugur.

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak charlet forced tak cowe mylk and yolks of eggs draw throughe a stren and bet it to gedur then tak freshe pork smalle hewene and cast all to gedure in a pan and colour it with saffrone and let it boile till it be on a crud then take it up and lay it on a clothe upon a bord and presse out the whey then tak the mylk of almondes or cow creme and sett it on the fyere put ther to sugur and colour it depe with saffrone then leshe out the crud and couche it in dishes and pour out the ceripe and cast on sugur and canelle and serve it.

Thomas Awkbarow's Recipes (MS Harley 5401) (England, 15th century)

Charlet Enforesyd. Recipe swete mylk and egges зolkes & ale, & seth pork withoute erbis, brayed, & lat it boyle tyll it do crud; and colour it with saferon, & þan take it vp & press it. Þan take creme of almondes or of kow mylk & boyle itt, & put þerto ginger & colour it depe with saferon, & lay þerof .iij. lechis or .v. in a dysh of þe charlet & poure þe [c]reme apon it; and medyl sugure, sawndyrs, & masz togydere & strew it þeron & serof it forth.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) -.lvj. Charlette - Pork Custard

.lvj. Charlette - Pork Custard

Todays culinary adventure 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 was a pair of related dishes consisting of meat cooked in milk.  The name itself means meat-milk --char - for flesh and lette for milk.  The first dish was a bit more favorably received then the second dish. There are recipes for dishes called "milk meats" similar to  Milke Rostys.

This might make a good breakfast dish, but it is thoroughly unappetizing to look at and I'm afraid the modern diner might have to be "talked into" giving it a try. In fact, we did place this on our list of least favorite dishes that we have tried and on the "too period for modern tastes" list.

That being said, you should try this recipe if for nothing else, the experience of putting this dish together. I'm sure additional seasonings would improve the taste, if not the look. What the dish turns out to be is a kind of "cheese" with bits of egg and meat, held together by the cheese which is created when the acid, ale, in this case comes to a boil. Be sure to chill this before attempting to slice it, otherwise it crumbles. The broth then should be piping hot when you pour it over the slices to reheat them.  

I couldn't imagine trying to create this the day of an event.  I would recommend if you are going to try this dish you create the charlette the day before the event so it has a chance to drain and cool completely. You may want to prepare extra, in case the slices fall apart.  

.lvj. Charlette.—Take Mylke, an caste on a potte, with Salt and Safroun y-now; þan hewe fayre buttys of Calf or of Porke, noȝt to fatte, alle smal, an kaste þer-to; þan take Eyroun, þe whyte an the ȝolke, & draw þorw a straynoure; an whan þe lycoure ys in boyling, caste þer-to þin Eyroun and Ale, & styre it tylle it Crodde; þan presse it a lytil with a platere, an serue forth; saue, caste þer-on broþe of Beeff or of Capoun.

lvj - Charlette. Take Mylke, an caste on a potte, with Salt and Safroun y-now; than hewe fayre buttys of Calf or of Porke, no3t to fatte, alle smal, an kaste ther-to; than take Eyroun, the whyte an the 3olke, and draw thorw a straynoure; an whan the lycoure ys in boyling, caste ther-to thin Eyroun and Ale, and styre it tylle it Crodde; than presse it a lytil with a platere, an serue forth; saue, caste ther-on brothe of Beeff or of Capoun.

56 - Charlette - Take milk and cast on a pot, with salt and saffron enough; then hew fair butts of calf or pork, not to fat, all small, and caste there-to; then take eggs, the white and the yolks and draw through a strainer: and when the liquor is boiling, caste there-to your eggs and ale, and stir it till it curd; then press it a little with a platter, and serve forth; save, caste there-on broth of beef or of capon.

Interpreted Recipe                                                          Makes approximately six 1" slices 

1 cup milk

1/4 pound pork or veal (I used ground pork)

Salt to taste

Pinch of saffron

2 eggs

2 tbsp. ale

1/4 cup chicken stock 

Simmer the meat in the milk with the salt and saffron until it has cooked through.  In the meantime, beat the eggs with the ale.  When the meat has cooked completely bring the milk to a boil and throw in the egg and ale mixture.  Stir constantly to prevent burning and sticking.  After a minute you will see the milk and eggs beginning to form curds.  Continue to stir for about five more minutes and remove from heat.  Let sit for five more minutes. 

Line a sieve with cheesecloth and pour the meat and egg mixture into it.  Fold the cheesecloth over and weight with a plate. I used a couple of 28 ounce cans to continue to press the mixture and strain out the whey, just like you would do if you were making cheese.  Remove from the sieve and place on a tray and into a fridge to allow to cool completely.  

Once the charlette is cooled completely, slice it into slices and set the slices in a bowl. I used "two" slices for a main dish, so this recipe would serve three as a main. They are very substantial.  Cover with chicken or beef stock that has been brought to a rolling boil, and serve. 

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Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7] (England, 1390)

.xxxix. Charlet. Tak pork & seeth it wel, hewe hit smal, cast it in a panne, breke ayroun & do therto & swynge hit wel to geder, do therto cow mylk & safroun & boyle it to gyder, salt hit and messe hit forth.

Ancient Cookery [Arundel 334] (England, 1425)

Charlet. Take sweete cowe mylk, and put into a panne, and cast in therto zolkes of eyren and the white also, and fothen porke brayed, and sage; and let hit boyle tyl hit crudde, and colour it with saffron, and dresse hit up, and serve hit forthe.

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak charlet tak freche porke and sethe it and swing eggs ther withe then hewe the pork smalle and boile it in swet mylk and serue it.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .lxxxx. Hennys in Gauncelye - Chicken in Garlic Cream Sauce

.lxxxx. Hennys in Gauncelye - Chicken in Garlic Cream Sauce

This dish is unusual and distinguishes itself from other similar dishes found in 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. The first difference is the use of the garlic in the sauce. It is one of a handful of recipes in the book that calls for it. Secondly, this is one of the few dishes that I believe could be served either as a soup or as a dish of meat with a sauce--that could be me putting modern thought into this dish.

Garlic is a member of the same plant family as onions and like onions, its cultivation is so old as to make its origins unknown. Garlic has been found in Egyptian temples, and it has a long history of medical, not culinary usage. Hippocrates and Dioscurides recommend garlic as a way to treat parasites, respiratory conditions and poor digestion.

Some other items of note in my quick research of garlic and its usage. According to ancient Egyptian records, slaves were given garlic to ward off illness. Pyramid builders were given beer, flatbread, onions and garlic. During the reign of King Tut a healthy male slave could be purchased for fifteen pounds of garlic!

Garlic was placed on piles of stones at crossroads for Hecate, and to protect from demons. It was believes that garlic would cause evil spirits to lose their way. Before going into battle, Greek soldiers would consume garlic as did Greek athletes before a competition. Roman soldiers also ate garlic; it was believed that consuming garlic would inspire them and give them courage.

Many European stories attribute the ability to ward of the "evil eye", the devil, or to protect from evil spirits to garlic. We all know that wearing garlic or hanging garlic in windows, doorways and chimneys will keep vampires away.

.lxxxx. Hennys in Gauncelye.—Take Hennys, an roste hem; take Mylke an Garleke, an grynd it, an do it in a panne, an hewe þin hennys þer-on with ȝolkys of eyron, an coloure it with Safroun an Mylke, an serue forth.

lxxxx - Hennys in Gauncelye. Take Hennys, an roste hem; take Mylke an Garleke, an grynd it, an do it in a panne, an hewe thin hennys ther-on with 3olkys of eyron, an coloure it with Safroun an Mylke, an serue forth.

90 - Hen in Gauncelye - Take hens and roast them; take milk and garlic and grind it, and do it in a pan, and chop your hens there-on with yolks of egg, and color it with saffron and milk and serve forth.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                          Serves 1 as main, 2 as side

1/4 pound of chicken (I used chicken breast that I had simmered)
1 cup milk, cream or half and half
2-3 cloves of garlic finely minced
1 egg, or 2 egg yolks
pinch of saffron
Salt and Pepper to taste

I say this phrase a lot, it couldn't have been simpler to put this together. I used a double boiler to heat the milk to a simmer along with the saffron, garlic salt and pepper. Once it was heated I tempered the egg yolks with a bit of the garlic cream and then continued to heat the sauce until it began to thicken. I added my precooked chicken to the sauce and continued to cook a few moments more.

Do not be hesitant with the garlic. I know it sounds like quite a bit, but the cream tempers it quite a bit. I had originally made this with 1 clove, afraid that I would keep away family members and vampires alike. It was ok, but amping up the garlic made the dish.

This could be served as a creamy soup, or, as a sauce on the side of a dish of chicken and therefore as a dish of meat served with a broth as opposed to a dish of meat served with a sauce. This makes the dish very versatile about where it can fit in the menu.

The taste testers and I both enjoyed this dish. I would serve this at a luncheon, a lunch tavern, or even at a feast. It has gone into my "must serve again" list.

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Du fait de cuisine (France, 1420 - Elizabeth Cook, trans.)

46. Now it remains to be known with what sauce one should eat the pilgrim capons: the pilgrim capons should be eaten with the jance, and to advise the sauce-maker who should make it take good almonds and blanch and clean them very well and bray them very well; and take the inside of white bread according to the quantity which he needs, and let him have the best white wine which he can get in which he should put his bread to soak, and with verjuice; and when his almonds are well brayed put in a little garlic to bray with them; and take white ginger and grains of paradise according to the quantity of sauce which he needs, and strain all this together and draw it up with the said white wine and a little verjuice and salt also, and put it to boil in a fair and clean pot.

And if the staffs are lampreys make lamprey sauce in the manner which is devised above under lamprey pasty.

And if they are eels, green garlic made with sorrel and verjuice.

Ancient Cookery [Arundel 334] (England, 1425)

Gaunsell Gaunsell for gese. Take floure, and tempur hit with gode cowe mylke, and make hit thynne, and colour hit with saffron; and take garlek, and stamp hit, and do therto, and boyle hit, and serve hit fbrthe.

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak hennes in gauncelle tak and rost your hennes then tak garlik and mold it with mylk and put it in a pan then hew your henne and put ther to and mele it withyolks of eggs and colour it with saffron and boile it well and serue it.

Een notabel boecxken van cokeryen (Netherlands, ca. 1510 - C. van Tets, trans.)

To make a ganselsie outside fasting time. Take bread, garlic, raw egg yolks and saffron. One shall grind this all together and pass it through a strainer with wine or with sweet milk and one simmers it over the fire until it is thick. With this one serves fried/roast chicken; in the winter, goose or capons.