Tench (Fish) Three-Ways

Originally published on Patreon Oct 7, 2022





After some debate, I placed all three interpretations 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 for tench in sauce or broth on the same blog post. My reasoning for this is that they have more similarities than differences. The Tenche in Cyueye includes onions, the Tenche in Bruette does not and the Rapeye can be made with various fishes (including tench) and includes different raisins and spices.

The Glossary of Medieval & Renaissance Culinary Terms defines cyueye in the following way:

cive, civey(e), ciuey, cyuey, ceue, cyueye = Ragout or stew (possibly derived from a word meaning 'onion' (Plouvier). (Viandier) - Among other modern usages, this is probably a derivative of civey, which was at one time named for, and characterized by, the possibility of thickening a sauce with finely chopped onion, cooked till very soft. Some medieval recipes for civeys (for example, hare in civey) also call for blood as an additional thickener; nowadays the dish, which is now sometimes called civet, is mostly characterized by thickening and enriching the broth with the reserved blood of the critter you're cooking. It will coagulate if boiled, and turn very dark, but if heated properly it will assume a velvety texture similar to a stirred custard, and acquire a deep russet shade almost like a mole-poblano-type sauce. (Troy)

I was intrigued by the instructions to scald or boil the fish before roasting it. Scalding is a method of cleaning and killing any microorganisms that might be harmful. It involves heating a liquid (in this case water) or milk to just below boiling. If you have a thermometer 180 degrees is best. If you don't you want to keep an eye on the side of the pan. You can remove your liquid when you see small bubbles forming around the side and steam starting to wisp off the pan.

Original Recipe

.lxxxxiiij. Tenche in bruette.—Take þe Tenche, an sethe hem & roste hem, an grynde Pepir an Safroun, Bred and Ale, & tempere wyth þe brothe, an boyle it; þen take þe Tenche y-rostyd, an ley hym on a chargeoure; þan ley on þe sewe a-boue

Interpretation

94. Tench in Broth- Take the tench, and boil him and roast him, and grind pepper and saffron, bread and ale, and temper with the broth, and boil it, then take the tench roasted, and lay him on a charger; then lay on the sauce above.

Ingredients - Serves 1 as Main, 2 as side

1/4 pound fatty firm textured fish such as carp, perch, tench, bluefish or bass
1/4 tsp. pepper
pinch of saffron
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
3/4 cup ale
3 tbsp. fish broth

Instructions In keeping with the instructions, I scalded the fish by placing it in a pot with just enough water to cover it. I then heated the pan until I saw small bubbles forming around the edge of it and steam starting to form. Due to modern methods of cleaning and butchering fish, I imagine you could have skipped this step without difficulty.

I removed the fish from the pan and placed it on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roasted it in the oven until it was done. While the fish was cooking in the oven I took a few tablespoons of the broth and added the saffron to it. Once the saffron had strongly colored the water, I added it to the ale (ok confession time--I used Sam Adams Summer Shandy made with lemon peel and grains of paradise) and then soaked the bread crumbs in it. Once the bread was soggy I put it in the pot and brought it to a boil until it formed a thick sauce. After the fish had finished cooking I plated and served it.

Original Recipe

.lxxxxv. Tenche in cyueye.—Take a tenche, an skalde hym, roste hym, grynde Pepir an Safroun, Brede an Ale, & melle it to-gederys; take Oynonys, hakke hem, an frye hem in Oyle, & do hem þer-to, and messe hem forth.

Interpretation

95. Tench in Civey - Take a tench, and scald him, roast him, grind pepper and saffron, bread and ale, and mix it together; take onions, hack them, and fry them in oil, and do them there-to, and mess him forth.

Ingredients - Serves 1 as Main, 2 as side

1/4 pound fatty firm textured fish such as carp, perch, tench, bluefish or bass
1/4 tsp. pepper
pinch of saffron
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
3/4 cup ale
3 tbsp. fish broth
3 tbsp. onions
1 tbsp. oil

Instructions

To make this dish, follow the instructions above. The additional step is to lightly brown the finely chopped onion in oil, and after plating, garnish the plate with it.

Original Recipe

.Cxxxiij. Rapeye.—Take Pykys or Tenchys, oþer freysshe Fysshe, & frye it in Oyle; þen nyme crustys of whyte brede, & Raysonys & Canelle, an bray it wyl in a mortere, & temper it vppe wyth gode wyne; þen coloure it with Canelle, or a litil Safroun: þan boyle it, & caste in hol Clowys & Quybibes, & do þe Fysshe in a dysshe, & þan serue forth.

Interpretation

133. Rapeye - Take pike or tench, other fresh fish, & fry it in oil; then take crusts of white bread, and raisins and cinnamon, and grind it well in a mortar, and temper it up with good wine; then color it with cinnamon or a little saffron; then boil it, and caste in whole cloves, and cubebs and do the fish in a dish, and then serve forth.

Ingredients - Serves 1 as Main, 2 as side

1/4 pound fatty firm textured fish such as carp, perch, tench, bluefish or bass
1 tbsp. oil
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1 tbsp. raisins
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup wine
3 tbsp. fish broth
Pinch of saffron
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. cubebs

Instructions

Prepare and serve as above.

Sources

"Glossary.Html". Thousandeggs.Com, 2022, http://www.thousandeggs.com/glossary.html#C. Accessed 7 Oct 2022.

"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 / Edited By Thomas Austin". Quod.Lib.Umich.Edu, 2022, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/CookBk/1:6?rgn=div1;view=fulltext. Accessed 7 Oct 2022.

Soops of Turnips, Buttered Colliflowers, Buttered Wortes (Cabbage), The Accomplisht Cook

Soops or butter’d Meats of Spinage.

Take fine young spinage, pick and wash it clean; then have a skillet or pan of fair liquor on the fire, and when it boils, put in the spinage, give it a warm or two, and take it out into a cullender, let it drain, then mince it small, and put it in a pipkin with some slic’t dates, butter, white-wine, beaten cinamon, salt, sugar, and some boil’d currans; stew them well together, and dish them on sippets finely carved, and about it hard eggs in halves or quarters, not too hard boil’d, and scrape on sugar. 

Soops of Carrots

Being boil’d, cleanse, stamp, and season them in all points as before (soops of butter'd Meats of Spinage; dates, butter, white wine, cinnamon, salt, sugar, and currants); thus also potatoes, skirrets, parsnips, turnips, Virginia artichocks, onions, or beets, or fry any of the foresaid roots being boil’d and cleansed, or peeled, and floured, and serve them with beaten butter and sugar.

Interpreted Recipe

1 ½ pounds turnips
4 tbsp. butter
1 ½ cups broth
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

Peel your turnips and slice them crosswise ¼” thick. Bring the butter, broth, vinegar, and seasonings to a boil in a saucepan and add your turnips. Lower the heat and simmer until the turnips are almost tender, stirring them every 15 minutes.

Buttered Colliflowers

Have a skillet of fair water, and when it boils put in the whole tops of the colliflowers, the root being cut away, put some salt to it; and being fine and tender boiled dish it whole in a dish, with carved sippets round about it, and serve it with beaten butter and water, or juyce of orange and lemon.

Interpreted Recipe

1 pound  cabbage, turnips or cauliflower, cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces

Water

1 pound butter cut into pieces

Sugar to taste

Place turnips (or cauliflower) into a large saucepan and cover with water. On medium-high heat, bring turnips to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain into a colander and set aside.

Bring 4 tbsp. water to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Butter and water mixture will start to emulsify. Once the sauce has emulsified, you can continue to add remaining butter until all butter has been added to the mixture.

To serve: Pour butter over boiled vegetables, sprinkle with sugar to taste.

Note: Sauce may break if allowed to get too warm.

Buttered Wortes (Cabbage),  Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books, Thomas Austin

Take al manor of good herbes that thou may gete, and do bi ham as is forsaid; putte hem on þe fire with faire water; put þer-to clarefied buttur a grete quantite. Whan thei ben boyled ynough, salt hem; late none otemele come ther-in. Dise brede small in disshes, and powre on þe wortes, and serue hem forth.

Interpreted Recipe

1 head of cabbage
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add cabbage and parboil five minutes, drain, and then bring another pot of water to boil, add cabbage and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer until cabbage is tender. Drain and serve with butter.

Sausages, Otherways, The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May

 

Otherways.

Mince pork with beef-suet, and mince some sage, and put to it some pepper, salt, cloves, and mace; make it into balls, and keep it for your use, or roll them into little sausages some four or five inches long as big as your finger; fry six or seven of them, and serve them in a dish with vinegar or juyce of orange.

Thus you may do of a leg of veal, and put nothing but salt and suet; and being fried, serve it with gravy and juyce of orange or butter and vinegar; and before you fry them flower them. And thus mutton or any meat.

Or you may add sweet Herbs or Nutmeg: and thus Mutton.

Interpreted Recipe

2 pounds ground pork for sausage
½ tsp. Ground pepper mix
½ tsp. Mixed spices (sage, clove, mace)
1 tsp. Salt
1 small onion grated

In a large bowl combine pork, spices, salt and onion and mix well.  Shape by rounded tablespoonfulls into balls, or, roll them into small sausage shaped logs the size of your finger. 

To serve: Cook until done, and serve with a sprinkling of orange juice or vinegar.  

Note: These make an excellent and economical way of rounding out a meat course.  

For Gusset that may be another potage, A Proper Newe Booke of Cookerye, Anonymous

 

Note: For this dish the chicken was poached in the seasoned broth.  Sliced and then served over sippets of bread.  It was very well received. 

For Gusset that may be another potage.

Take the broathe of the Capons and put in a fayre chafer, then take a dosen or syxtene egges and stere them all together whyte and all, then grate a farthynge whyte loafe as smale as ye canne, and mynce it wyth the egges all togeather, and putte thereto salte and a good quantite of safiron, and or ye putte in youre egges, putte into youre brothe, tyme, sauerye, margeron and parseley small choppd, and when ye are redye to your dynner, sette the chafer upon the fyre wyth the brothe, and lette it boyle a lyttle and putte in your egges and stere it up well for quaylinge the less. The less boylynge it hathe the more tender it wyll be, and then serve it forthe two or three slyces upon a dysshe.

Interpreted Recipe

4 C clear chicken broth
1 tbsp. Minced parsley
1 tsp. Salt
Pinch of saffron
⅛ tsp. each marjoram, thyme, savory
2 eggs
2 tsp . bread crumbs
3 slices hot buttered toast


Add parsley, salt, saffron,marjoram, thyme, and savory to chicken broth and simmer for 15 minutes. Beat the eggs with the bread crumbs and stir them into the broth. Turn off the heat and let the broth simmer for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Divide the toast among individual soup bowls and pour the hot broth over it immediately.

A Hash of Beef, Otherways, The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May

A Hash of Beef Otherways

Stew it in Beef gobbets, and cut some fat and lean together as big as a good pullets egg, and put them into a pot or pipkin with some Carrots cut in pieces as big as a walnut, some whole onions, some parsnips, large mace, faggot of sweet herbs, salt, pepper, cloves, and as much water and wine as will cover them, and stew it the space of three hours.

Interpreted Recipe

2 pounds chuck roast cut into slices
1 medium onion
2 carrots
2 parsnips
1/2 tsp. each thyme marjoram and winter savory
1 tbsp. parsley
2 cups red wine
1/8 tsp. mace
Salt and Pepper to taste

Lightly fry slices of beef in butter and then stew beef in a pan with water for about an hour and then skim it clean. Add salt, pepper, clove, mace, carrots, parsnips and whole onions and cook till tender. Add Parsley, thyme, sweet marjoram, spinach, sorrel and winters savory and some when then dish it up on sippets serve it hot.

To make a grand Sallet of minced Capon, Veal, roast Mutton, Chicken or Neats tongue, The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May

 

To make a grand Sallet of minced Capon, Veal, roast Mutton, Chicken or Neats tongue.

Minced capon or veal, &c. dried Tongues in thin slices, lettice shred small as the tongue, olives, capers, mushrooms, pickled samphire, broom-buds, lemon or oranges, raisins, almonds, blew figs, Virginia potato, caparones, or crucifix pease, currans, pickled oysters, taragon.

How to dish it up.

Any of these being thin sliced, as is shown above said, with a little minced taragon and onion amongst it; then have lettice minced as small as the meat by it self, olives by themselves, capers by themselves, samphire by it self, broom-buds by it self, pickled mushrooms by themselves, or any of the materials abovesaid.

 

Garnish the dish with oranges and lemons in quarters or slices, oyl and vinegar beaten together, and poured over all, &c.

Interpreted Recipe

2 chicken breasts, roasted (alternately you could use veal, pork or tongue)
Loose leaf lettuce

2 tbsp. Olives
2 tbsp. Capers
4 tbsp. Pickled mushrooms
2 tbsp. Raisins
2 tbsp. Almonds
6 black figs
2 tbps. Baby peas boiled till tender
4 tbsp. Pickled Asparagus (for Samphire)
4 tbsp. Artichoke hearts

Dressing:

¾ cup Oil
2 tbsp. wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

To make a Crystal Jelly and Other Jelly for Service of Several Colours, The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May

To make a Crystal Jelly.

Take three pair of calves feet, and scald off the hair very clean, knock off the claws, and take out the great bones & fat, & cast them into fair water, shift them three or four times in a day and a night, then boil them next morning in a glazed pipkin or clean pot, with six quarts of fair spring water, boil it and scum it clean, boil away three quarts or more; then strain it into a clean earthen pan or bason, & let it be cold: then prepare the dross from the bottom, and take the fat of the top clean, put it in a large pipkin of six quarts, and put into it two quarts of old clear white-wine, the juyce of four lemons, three blades of mace, and two races of ginger slic’t; then melt or dissolve it again into broth, and let it cool. Then have four pound of hard sugar fine beaten, and mix it with twelve whites of eggs in a great dish with your rouling pin, and put it into your pipkin to your jelly, stir it together with a grain of musk and ambergriese, put it in a fine linnen clout bound up, and a quarter of a pint of damask rose-water, set it a stewing on a soft charcoal fire, before it boils put in a little ising glass, and being boil’d up, take it, and let it cool a little, and run it.

Other Jelly for service of several colours. 

Take four pair of calves feet, a knuckle of veal, a good fleshie capon, and prepare these things as is said in the crystal jelly: boil them in three gallons of fair water, till six quarts be wasted, then strain it in an earthen pan, let it cool, and being cold pare the bottom, and take off the fat on the top also; then dissolve it again into broth, and divide it into 4 equal parts, put it into four several pipkins, as will contain five pints a piece each pipkin, put a little saffron into one of them, into another 203 cutchenele beaten with allum, into another turnsole, and the other his own natural white; also to every pipkin a quart of white-wine, and the juyce of two lemons. Then also to the white jelly one race of ginger pare’d and slic’t & three blades of large mace, to the red jelly 2 nutmegs, as much in quantity of cinamon as nutmegs, also as much ginger; to the turnsole put also the same quantity, with a few whole cloves; then to the amber or yellow color, the same spices and quantity.

Then have eighteen whites of eggs, & beat them with six pound of double refined sugar, beaten small and stirred together in a great tray or bason with a rouling pin divide it into four parts in the four pipkins & stir it to your jelly broth, spice, & wine, being well mixed together with a little musk & ambergriese. Then have new bags, wash them first in warm water, and then in cold, wring them dry, and being ready strung with packthread on sticks, hang them on a spit by the fire from any dust, and set new earthen pans under them being well seasoned with boiling liquor.

Then again set on your jelly on a fine charcoal fire, and let it stew softly the space of almost an hour, then make it boil up a little, and take it off, being somewhat cold run it through the bag twice or thrice, or but once if it be very clear; and into the bags of colors put in a sprig of rosemary, keep it for your use in those pans, dish it as you see good, or cast it into what mould you please; as for example these.

Interpreted Recipe

To make clear Jelly:

2 cups clear stock
1 cup white wine
1 cup water
Juice of ½ a lemon
½ tsp. ground mace
1-2 slices of fresh ginger
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. rose water
4 packets unflavored gelatin

To Make Yellow Jelly

Add a pinch of saffron to the above

To Make Red Jelly

Substitute red wine for white
Add 2 tsp. ground nutmegs and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon sticks to the above

Note: 2 packets unflavored gelatin + 2 cups liquid will make about 20 -1 ounce servings

Bloom the gelatin in the water. Heat the stock, wine, lemon juice, spices and sugar until boiling and pour into a bowl, add the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Add the rosewater. Put into your mold or pan and allow setting.

Note: You may need to strain the gelatin into your pan to remove undissolved gelatin and spices.

To make Mustard divers ways, The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May

To make Mustard divers ways.

Have good seed, pick it, and wash it in cold water, drain it, and rub it dry in a cloth very clean; then beat it in a mortar with strong wine-vinegar; and being fine beaten, strain it and keep it close covered. Or grind it in a mustard quern, or a bowl with a cannon bullet.

Otherways.

Make it with grape-verjuyce, common-verjuyce, stale beer, ale, butter, milk, white-wine, claret, or juyce of cherries.

Mustard of Dijon, or French Mustard.

The seed being cleansed, stamp it in a mortar, with vinegar and honey, then take eight ounces of seed, two ounces of cinamon, two of honey, and vinegar as much as will serve, good mustard not too thick, and keep it close covered in little oyster-barrels.

Mustard of Dijon, or French Mustard

The seed being cleansed, stamp it in a mortar, with vinegar and honey, then take eight ounces of seed, two ounces of cinamon, two of honey, and vinegar as much as will serve, good mustard not too thick, and keep it close covered in little oyster-barrels.

To make dry Mustard very pleasant in little Loaves or Cakes to carry in ones Pocket, or to keep dry for use at any time.

Take two ounces of seamy, half an ounce of cinamon, and beat them in a mortar very fine with a little vinegar, and honey, make a perfect paste of it, and make it into little cakes or loaves, dry them in the sun or in an oven, and when you would use them, dissolve half a loaf or cake with some vinegar, wine, or verjuyce.

Interpreted Recipe

Mustard of Dijon, or French Mustard
Makes approximately 3 cups

1 Cup Mustard Seeds
1 ½ Cups Mustard Powder
¼ cup cinnamon
¼ cup honey
½ cup vinegar
1 ½ cups water



Grind the whole mustard seeds for a few seconds in a spice or coffee grinder, or by hand with a mortar and pestle just enough to crack. Pour the seeds, mustard powder, honey and cinnamon into a bowl and then add COLD vinegar and water. Wait at least 12 hours before using. Seeds can be a mix of brown, black or white. Black offers the most “heat”.

Note: I purchased prepared whole grain mustard and stone ground mustard mix in lieu of making the mustard. To these I added the cinnamon and honey. This dish was prepared almost a month in advance of the feast.

To Souce and Garnish a Pig (Brawn with Mustard) The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May

To souce a Pig.

Take a pig being scalded, cut off the head, and part it down the back, draw it and bone it, then the sides being well cleansed from the blood, and soaked in several clean waters, take the pig and dry the sides, season them with nutmeg, ginger, and salt, roul them and bind them up in clean clouts as the pig brawn aforesaid, then have as much water as will cover it in a boiling pan two inches over and two bottles of white-wine over and above; first let the water boil, then put in the collars with salt, mace, slic’t ginger, parsley-roots and fennil-roots scraped and picked; being half boiled put in two quarts of white-wine, and when it is boil’d quite, put in slices of lemon to it, and the whole peel of a lemon.

To garnish Brawn or Pig Brawn.

Leach your brawn, and dish it on a plate in a fair clean dish, then put a rosemary branch on the top being first dipped in the white of an egg well beaten to froth, or wet in water and sprinkled with flour, or a sprig of rosemary gilt with gold; the brawn spotted also with gold and silver leaves, or let your sprig be of a streight sprig of yew tree, or a streight furz bush, and put about the brawn stuck round with bay-leaves three ranks round, and spotted with red and yellow jelly about the dish sides, also the same jelly and some of the brawn leached, jagged, or cut with tin moulds, and carved lemons, oranges and barberries, bay-leaves gilt, red beets, pickled barberries, pickled gooseberries, or pickled grapes.

Interpreted Recipe

Brawn With Mustard

1 ½ to 2 pounds pork (loin, or shoulder)
2 cups dry white wine
2 ½ cups water or broth
1 small piece ginger chopped
2 tsp. nutmeg
1 ½ tsp. salt
*opt. 1 parsley root (sub parsnips) and 1 fennel root (sup 1 tsp. fennel) and 1 whole lemon cut in slices

Brine Mixture: 1 Tbsp. Salt to 1 cup of water

Remove extra fat from the meat, season with nutmeg, ginger and salt, and roll tightly and tie.  Make a brine of salt and water, and allow to sit in brine several hours, but overnight or longer is preferred. 

Bring additional water and wine to a boil, rinse your meat and then add it to the boiling water along with the parsley root (or parsnips), fennel root (or fennel seed),  lemon and additional seasonings you prefer.  Make sure that your meat is completely covered by cooking liquid, turn heat to medium low and cook until tender adding water, broth or wine as necessary. 

To serve, slice thinly and garnish with red and yellow wine jellies, jagged lemons or oranges, red beets, pickled grapes, fresh grapes, bay leaves, etc. 

Note: I have made this using pork butt, and pork shoulder roast. Ideally, it would be made using the loin or belly which make up the "sides" of the pig.  

This is a very "fluid" recipe.  Another cook I know, cooks the meat ahead of time and then stores it in the brine, as opposed to brining first and then storing.  I prefer to make ahead and store in the cooking liquid after brining as opposed to cooking first and brining second. 

 

Baronial 12th Night - To Make Candied Orange Peel, Le Menagier de Paris, 1393 and To candy any roote, fruite or flower - English Housewife, 1615

To Make Candied Orange Peel, Le Menagier de Paris, 1393

To Make Candied Orange Peel, divide the peel of one orange into five quarters and scrape with a knife to remove the white part inside, then put them to soak in good sweet water for nine days, and change the water every day; then cook them in good water just till boiling, and when this happens, spread them on a cloth and let them get thoroughly dry, then put them in a pot with enough honey to cover them, and boil on a low fire and skim, and when you believe the honey is cooked, (to test if it is cooked, have some water in a bowl, and let drip into this one drop of the honey, and if it spreads, it is not cooked; and if the drop of honey holds together in the water without spreading out, it is cooked;) and then you must remove your orange peel, and make one layer with it, and sprinkle with ginger powder, then another layer, and sprinkle etc., and so on; and leave it a month or more, then eat.

Candied Orange Peel (easy method)

Orange peel
2 c. sugar
1 c. water
Additional sugar for dredging peels

To begin, cut your peel into quarter inch strips. Put into a pot and bring to a boil about 15 minutes. Drain, rinse and repeat. At this point you can choose to drain, rinse and repeat the boiling process a third time or, move forward with candying. Since I like a touch of bitter with my candied peels I only do this twice.

Allow peels to drain while you make your syrup. Mix together sugar and water and cook over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase your heat until the syrup comes to a boil. Add your peels, lower to simmer and cook until the peels become translucent (between 30 and 45 minutes).

Place your additional sugar into a ziploc bag, using a fork or slotted spoon remove the peels a few at a time, drain the syrup from them and place them into the ziploc bag (sounds more complicated than it is). Put the drained peels into the sugar, shake until well coated then place the sugared peels onto a wire rack to dry. Drying can take 1-2 days. Store peels in an airtight container. If you wish to recreate the flavor of the peels, substitute honey for sugar, and add ginger to the sugar you coat your peels with.

To candy any roote, fruite or flower - English Housewife, 1615

Dissolue Sugar, or sugar candy in Rose-water, boile it to an height, put in your rootes, fruits or flowers, the sirrop being cold, then rest a little, after take them out and boyle the sirrop againe, then put in more roots, &c. then boile the sirrop the third time to an hardnesse, put∣ting in more sugar but not Rose-water, put in the roots, &c. the sirrop being cold and let them stand till they candie.

Candied Fruit (quince, plums and pears)

I chose to make the candied fruit from quince, pears and plums for this event. The process is simple, and does not require days on end. Simply peel, core and slice your fruit into slices and add them to your syrup using the same portions as you would use for the candied orange peels, and cook till fruit is transparent. Cooking times and drying times will vary.

12th Night Feast - Gyngerbrede Harl. MS 279, 1430 - Gingerbread

Marchpane, Gingerbread, Coriander Flavored Marzipan (Callishones) decorated
with White Coriander Comfits

iiij - Gyngerbrede. Take a quart of hony, and sethe it, and skeme it clene; take Safroun, pouder Pepir, and throw ther-on; take gratyd Brede, and make it so chargeaunt (Note: stiff) that it wol be y-lechyd; then take pouder Canelle, and straw ther-on y-now; then make yt square, lyke as thou wolt leche yt; take when thou lechyst hyt, an caste Box leves a-bouyn, y-stykyd ther-on, on clowys. And 3if thou wolt haue it Red, coloure it with Saunderys y-now.

4. Gingerbread - Take a quart of honey and cook it, and skim it clean; take saffron, powder pepper and throw there-on; take grated bread, and make it so stiff that it will be sliced; then take powder cinnamon, and strew there-on enough; then make it square, like as you will slice it; take when you slice it, and cast box-leaves above, stick there-on cloves. And if you will have it red, color it with saunders enough.

Gingerbread

1 pound honey (I use raw honey)
1 pound bread crumbs
2 tsp. pepper ** see below
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Opt. 1 tbsp. ginger, 1 tsp. grains of paradise, ½ tsp. white pepper

Bring honey to boil and skim off the scum that rises.\, once the honey is cleaned remove from heat. Add spices to bread crumbs and mix well (you don't want clumps of spice), mix honey and spiced bread crumbs together, shape, and allow to cool. Once mixture is cool it can be sliced. I prefer to shape the gingerbread into bite sized balls.

**I like to use this mix for pepper which is my version of powder forte)

1 tbsp. mixed peppers (black, long pepper, grains of paradise and cubebs)
1/2 tsp. each nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger
1/4 tsp. clove

Baronial 12th Night - Spiced apples and pears Chiquart's 'On Cookery’, 1420

                                    

Spiced apples and pears Chiquart's 'On Cookery’, 1420 Again, pears cooked without coals or water: to instruct the person who will be cooking them, he should get a good new earthenware pot, then get the number of pears he will be wanting to cook and put them into that pot; when they are in it, stop it up with clean little sticks of wood in such a way that when the pot is upside down on the hot coals it does not touch them at all; then turn it upside down on the hot coals and keep it covered over with coals and leave it to cook for an hour or more. Then uncover them and check whether they have cooked enough, and leave them there until they are cooked enough. When they are cooked, put them out into fine silver dishes; then they are borne to the sick person. Chiquart's 'On Cookery, 1420

Spiced apples and pears

Approximately 2 pound apples and pears
¼ cup sugar (I used brown)
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp. anise seeds (opt)
1/4 cup water

Peel and core your fruit and slice into even slices. Mix well with spices and sugars and place into a baking dish. Add water and bake in a 400 degree oven until tender. Alternatively, you can place in a crockpot and cook on low overnight.

Baronial 12th Night - Cheese & Nuts

Cheese & Nuts 

While researching dietary theory, specifically 15th century England, and brainstorming ways that the theory could be applied to modern day feasts specifically for SCA events, I learned that it was customary to serve later in the meal ripened or hardened cheeses (especially after meat) and nuts (after fish). Since I had served both at this event, I put together a "dessert" plate of cheeses, dried fruits and nuts.

For the nuts I used a mixture of walnut, almond, hazel and pistachio nuts. The cheeses included mild cheddar in slices, white cheddar curds, gouda, blue cheese and brie. I also added dried fruit to the tray including raisins and currants mixed together, dried cherries, dried apricots, dates and figs.

Baronial 12th Night - Pickled Barberries (Blueberries/Lingonberries) The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, 1682

                                      

Pickled Barberries (Blueberries) The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, 1682

The copy of this book I have is a copy of the 1682 edition of Rabisha's book. The first edition of this book was printed in 1661. Many individuals have expressed concern on why I would choose to use books that are published after our time period. The answer is simple, despite being published late, many of the methods described were used in our time period, common foods and methodologies were not written down, and it is only later that you find them. To quote Mr. Rabisha, who says it quite eloquently:

"..It hath been the practice of most of the ingenuous Men of all Arts and Science, to hold forth to posterity what light or knowledge they understood to be obscure in their said Art: And the wisest of Philosphers, learned and pious Men of old, have highly extolled these principles, who went not out like the snuff of a Candle, but have left thier Volumes to after-ages, to be their School-master in what they have a mind to practice; which calls back time and gives life to the dead." 

So it is my belief that common items were not written down and that it was not until cooking was given "to the masses" that you begin to see everyday items placed into books so that the art would not be lost. I have no way to prove this theory, however, with careful research, many of the items referenced in this particular book can be found in older manuscripts.

I have access to dried barberries through Amazon. However a friend gifted me with five pounds of the most beautiful wild blueberries, which I used for this pickle. It is delicious and I did take liberties with the spicing for it.

To Pickle Barberries Red (or blueberries blue) When your Barbaries are picked from the leaves in clusters, about Michaelmas, or when they are ripe, let your water boyl, an give them a half a dozen walms; let your pickle be white-wine and Vinegar, not to sharp, so put them up for your use.

Pickled Blueberries

1 cup vinegar (I used white wine)
1/2 cup wine (I used a white moscato)
3 sticks whole cinnamon
1 tsp. coriander
3-4 whole cloves
8 cups blueberries, cleaned, rinsed and drained
2 cups sugar

Make your pickle by heating vinegar, wine, and spices together until it begins to simmer, lower heat and cook for approximately five minutes. Add blueberries and continue to cook approximately ten more minutes. SHAKE the pan--do not stir to keep your blueberries as whole as possible. Remove pan from heat, allow to cool about ten more minutes.

Strain the blueberries over a bowl so that you can preserve your syrup and place into clean sterilized jars. Return the syrup to the pan, add the sugar and bring to a boil, continuing to boil until sugar has dissolved. Be sure to skim off anything that rises to the top so that your syrup is clear. Fill the jars with the syrup. You can continue the canning the process at this point, or store in your fridge. Berries are best when they have been allowed to sit for a few weeks.

Baronial 12th Night - Guissell- Bread Dumplings Harl. MS 4016, 1450

Spatchcocked roast chicken served with "farce" balls and giussel along with pickled blueberries (pickled barberries)

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 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.

Guissell- bread dumplings Harl. MS 4016, 1450

2 cups bread crumbs (1/2 cup sage and onion stuffing mix and 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 eggs
1 small onion minced and parboiled
4 cups broth
1 tsp. sage
1 tbsp. parsley
Pinch of saffron

Served as side dish

Put your breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, (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. Add your onions, and then enough water to form a smooth stiff "dough". If serving your dumplings dry (not in a flavored broth) add sage, parsley and omit the saffron.

Shape your dough into balls (I used a tablespoon) and drop them into boiling broth and remove with a slotted spoon when they begin to float. Serve.

Served as pottage

If you are not serving the dumplings dry, but are serving them in a flavorful broth, heat the broth, sage, parsley and saffron till it comes to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Shape your dough into balls, or add the dough in small batches until the dumplings float. Serve with broth.

Baronial 12th Night - Pickle for the Mallard - Onion Relish Harl. MS 279, 1430

Capon Farced, Let Lorey and Pickle for the Mallard

PikkyH ipotir le Mallard. ^ Take oynons, and hewe hem smaH, and fry hem in fressh grace, and caste hem into a potte, And fressh broth of beef, Wyne, & powder of poper, canel, and dropping of the mallard/ And lete hem boile togidur awhile ; And take hit fro ]>e ijre, and caste thereto mustard a litul, And ponder of ginger. And lete hit boile no more, and salt hit, And seme it forthe with j^e Mallard.

36. Pickle for the Mallard. Take onions, and hew them small, and fry them in fresh grease, and cast them into a pot, and fresh broth of beef, wine & powder of pepper, cinnamon, and drippings of the mallard/ And let them boil together awhile; And take it from the fire, and cast thereto mustard a little, and powder of ginger, and let it boil no more, and salt it and serve it forth with the Mallard.

Pickle for the Mallard – Onion Relish Harl. MS 279, 1430

2 medium onions sliced
1 tbsp. oil or lard
1 cup beef broth (you should be able to sub chicken or 50/50 beef/ chicken mix)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. melted duck fat (I used chicken fat that I had saved after skimming off fat from chicken stock)
1/2 tsp. dry mustard (I used a tsp. of the lombard mustard)
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt

In large skillet over medium heat, fry the onions in oil until they are transparent, add the broth, wine, pepper, cinnamon, duck fat, and let the mixture boil until the flavors are mixed, about 10 minutes. Add mustard, ginger, and salt. Stir. Reduce heat. Serve hot with duck (capon, chicken, or goose).

Baronial 12th Night - Capon Farced – chicken stuffed with a mixture of sausage, onions and grapes, roasted Harl. MS 279, 1430 and How to Spatchcock Chickens

Spatchcocked roast chicken served with "farce" balls and giussel along with pickled blueberries (pickled barberries)

I had originally planned to serve the chickens stuffed with the farce. The time to cook the chickens was problematic, and the last time I served chickens stuffed with a meat stuffing, the stuffing tinted the meat closest to it a light pink and despite the fact that the chickens were *falling apart* the diner's complained that because of the tint (I used veal and pork in the stuffing) the meat was not cooked. Not wanting a repeat of that experience I elected instead to spatchcock (butterfly) the chickens which would cook them evenly, and halve the cooking time. I also elected to turn the stuffing into "sausage balls" that was served as a side to the chickens.


How to Spatchcock (butterfly) Chickens


Word of advice--buy a cheap pair of kitchen shears if you are going to be doing this to a large number (16) of chickens. My shears needed to be resharpened when I had completed this process. I found it easier to remove the backbone from the chicken while they were still semi frozen, then when they were thawed. I would not attempt this while frozen.

The tailbone of the chicken is also referred to as the parson's nose, and now I can't stop referring to it as that. Turn the chicken so that it is breast side down. Using your shears cut the chicken along each side of the parson's nose which removes the backbone from the bird.

Turn the chicken back over onto its breast and put the frustration of trying to cut through some of the thicker bones into flattening it by placing your hands into the middle of the bird and pushing down until she gives up fighting and lies down complacently flat for you. Ignore any odd noises you might hear.

You can also take the extra step of cutting out the breast bone, but I didn't do this. I think that chicken cooked on the bone is more flavorful and moister then chicken not on the bone.

Original Recipe: XXXV. Capoun or gos farced. — Take Percely, & Swynys grece, or Sewet of a schepe, & parboyle hem to-gederys til J^ey ben tendyr; J^an take harde plkys of Eyroun, & choppe for-w/tA ; caste ])er-to Pouder Pepir, Gyngere, Canel, Safroun, & Salt, & grapis in tyme of jere, & clowys y-nowe ; & for defawte of grapis, Oynons, fyrst wil y-boylid, & afterward alle to-choppyd, & so stufFe hym & roste hym, & serue hym forth. And jif ]70 lust, take a litil Porke y-sode, & al to-choppe hit smal a-mong )7«to|ier ; for it wol be J^e better, & namely ^ for ]>e Capoun.

Translated: 35. Capon or Goose stuffed. Take parsley & swines grease, or suet of a sheep, and parboil them together till they are tender; then take hard yolks of eggs, and chop forthwith; cast thereto powdered pepper, ginger, cinnamon, saffron & salt & grapes in time of year, and cloves enough; & for default of grapes, onions, first well boiled & afterward all chopped, & so stuff him & roast him, & serve him forth. And if thee like, take a little pork seethed, & all chop it small among that other; for it will be the better, & especially for the capon.

Capon Farced – chicken stuffed with a mixture of sausage, onions and grapes, roasted Harl. MS 279, 1430

For the chicken

1 chicken
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. pepper

For the stuffing

2 small onions minced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
¼ cup water
½ cup chicken broth
2 tbs. bacon fat, lard or suet
1 pound mild spice sausage (I used sage)
1 hardboiled egg
1/2 cup seedless grapes
½ tsp. cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp. cloves

To Roast Chicken

Pat your chicken dry and lightly coat it with butter or oil. I prefer European butter because it results in a crispier skin. Mix together salt, ginger and pepper, and sprinkle over the chicken, being sure to coat inside and outside of your bird. If you are stuffing your bird, add the stuffing, and cook your chicken at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half.

If you are serving the sausage as meatballs on the side, and have spatchcocked your chicken, cook your chicken at 400 degrees until the chicken is browned (about 45 minutes) and has an internal temperature of 165 degree's measured in the thickest part of the thigh.

For the stuffing balls:

Put parsley, water, broth, fat and onions in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes. Remove the pot from heat, drain and allow to cool. Meanwhile, finely chop the hardboiled eggs and grapes. Add onions, grapes, parsley, cloves, cinnamon, salt and pepper to the sausage and form into balls. I use a tablespoon to shape the sausage balls.

To cook your stuffing, bring a pot of water to boil, and place the balls into it. They will float when they are done. Drain. At this point you can freeze them (they freeze well) or serve them.

Baronial 12th Night - Garbage - stewed chicken offal (hearts, gizzards, livers, feet, neck) Harl. MS 279, 1430

         

Fryer chickens went on sale ($.68/pound) right after Thanksgiving. I purchased 16 of them and much to my surprise on the day I was butterflying them I discovered that they came complete with neck, gizzards, liver and heart. Joy! A "found dish" within the already purchased ingredients that I could offer at the event for those brave enough to try it. I did purchase (on sale) an additional package of livers, gizzards and hearts, and chicken feet.

I have to chuckle because at this particular event, the diner's got to enjoy mortis (mortrews), entrails (trayne roast), compost (pickled vegetables) and garbage (offal) all while being entertained with a boar's head. I'm not sure if anyone else realized it or if I have just let the cat out of the bag, but 12th night had a bit of an accidental darker theme going on :-D

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

17 - Garbage - Take fair garbage of chickens, as the head, the feet, the liver, and the gizzard; wash them clean, and caste them in a fair pot, and caste there-to fresh broth of beef or else of mutton, and let it boil; and mix it with bread, and lay on pepper and saffron, mace, cloves, and a little verjuice and salt, and serve forth in the manner as a stew

Garbage - stewed chicken offal (hearts, gizzards, livers, feet, neck) Harl. MS 279, 1430

1 1/2-2 pounds of chicken offal
1 c. beef broth
2 tbsp. bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper (I used my pepper mix which is made from black pepper, cubebs, long peppers and grains of paradise)
pinch of saffron
1 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. clove
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt

Clean your offal; this means rinsing away blood, cutting gizzards in half and removing anything you find inside of them (it's part of the digestive system and you -don't- want to eat that!), trim away the lining of the gizzard, trimming fat, green parts and membranes from the livers, remove connective tissue from hearts, wash the feet, peel if you want (I didn't), clip the toes if you want (I didn't). Make sure that you clean and sanitize your work surface after. Offal is delicious but it does carry a higher risk of contamination.

Place all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until tender. I have to confess that I treated the garbage like I treat a stock and simmered this for about six hours after which I served. What I discovered is the livers mostly disappear, they cook away to almost nothing, flavoring the broth.

Those who tried it loved it, and someone took home the left overs. If rumor is true, chicken feet were a much sought after commodity.

A Christmas Dinner in Honor of the Cratchit's - Charle's Dickens "A Christmas Carol"

 Featuring recipes for:

A Christmas Dinner in Honor of the Cratchit's

Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management, 1861

Roast Goose, Sage and Onion Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Apple Sauce, Gravy, Plum Pudding

Includes Bonus Recipes for "Harvey Sauce" and Mushroom Ketchup

The Third Visitor 
Artwork by John Leech, 1843

°• ♔ •°

Charle's Dicken's wrote several stories about the Christmas holiday, but, A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, is my favorite. An instant best seller when it was first published in 1843, this story which transcends time and offers a dash of hope for better things to come has a dark past. It is that past we will touch lightly upon before we get to the "meat" of the story--A Christmas Dinner in Honor of the Cratchits!

One such issue was child labor as represented by the character's "Martha and Tim Cratchit". Dicken's had read a government report (The Condition and Treatment of the Children employed in the Mines and Colliers of the United Kingdom Carefully compiled from the appendix to the first report of the Commissioners With copious extracts from the evidence, and illustrative engravings,1842) that detailed child labor in factories and mines. The report was the result of a three year investigation and contained thousands of pages of oral testimony regarding the dangerous working conditions of children.

He was appalled to discover that childen, as young as three years old, were considered very cheap labor. They were small enough to crawl into machines to perform maintenance, with oftentimes crippling and sometimes fatal results. They would be forced to work up to 16 hours a day six days a week. It was a sad reality that the poor would be unable to support themselves if their children did not work and this reality is not lost, but reinforced in the story Dicken's wrote.

Ebenezer Scrooge represents the mindset of the period, hard and hard-hearted. Lest it is forgotten or overlooked Bob Cratchit, at the end of a twelve hour work day, with barely a coal used to heat his office space, is reminded by Mr. Scrooge that he has one holiday off a year. But Scrooge is also a generalization of the mindset of the time.

You’ll want all day to-morrow, I suppose?” said Scrooge.

“If quite convenient, sir.”

“It’s not convenient,” said Scrooge, “and it’s not fair. If I was to stop half-a-crown for it, you’d think yourself ill-used, I’ll be bound?”

The clerk smiled faintly.

“And yet,” said Scrooge, “you don’t think me ill-used, when I pay a day’s wages for no work.”

The clerk observed that it was only once a year.

“A poor excuse for picking a man’s pocket every twenty-fifth of December!” said Scrooge, buttoning his great-coat to the chin. “But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next morning.

Remember, during this period of time, individuals who were poor were considered to be either lazy or immoral. It was their behavior that brought about their downfall. This attitude was bolstered by Rev. Thomas Malthus, who argued against the commonly held belief that a nations resources was determined by the size and fertility of it's population.

It would charitable to state that the Reverand's concerns came from his fears of overpopulation and lack of natural resources (food) which would lead to greater and continued suffering. However, his concern was that to help the poor would be to encourage them to continue to be lazy and immoral. It was his belief, that it would be better for everyone if the poor were to die of starvation and decrease the population.

I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. “Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned—they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there.”

“Many can’t go there; and many would rather die.”

“If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides—excuse me—I don’t know that.

I confess, that despite the darker origins of the story, I find it pleasurable to revisit it at this time of year. It reminds me that change is possible, and to hope for better things to come. This year, what struck me most was the description given of the Cratchit's Christmas Dinner.

Such a bustle ensued that you might have thought a goose the rarest of all birds; a feathered phenomenon, to which a black swan was a matter of course—and in truth it was something very like it in that house. Mrs. Cratchit made the gravy (ready beforehand in a little saucepan) hissing hot; Master Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour; Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple-sauce; Martha dusted the hot plates; Bob took Tiny Tim beside him in a tiny corner at the table; the two young Cratchits set chairs for everybody, not forgetting themselves, and mounting guard upon their posts, crammed spoons into their mouths, lest they should shriek for goose before their turn came to be helped. At last the dishes were set on, and grace was said. It was succeeded by a breathless pause, as Mrs. Cratchit, looking slowly all along the carving-knife, prepared to plunge it in the breast; but when she did, and when the long expected gush of stuffing issued forth, one murmur of delight arose all round the board, and even Tiny Tim, excited by the two young Cratchits, beat on the table with the handle of his knife, and feebly cried Hurrah!

°• ♔ •°

The recipes that I bring you today, are based upon the meal described by Dicken's, and were found in "The Book of Household Management, by Mrs. Isabella Beeton", 1861, located at Project Gutenberg. I hope you enjoy.

ROAST GOOSE

968. INGREDIENTS.—Goose, 4 large onions, 10 sage-leaves, 1/4 lb. of bread crumbs, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, 1 egg.

Choosing and Trussing.—Select a goose with a clean white skin, plump breast, and yellow feet: if these latter are red, the bird is old. Should the weather permit, let it hang for a few days: by so doing, the flavour will be very much improved. Pluck, singe, draw, and carefully wash and wipe the goose; cut off the neck close to the back, leaving the skin long enough to turn over; cut off the feet at the first joint, and separate the pinions at the first joint. Beat the breast-bone flat with a rolling-pin, put a skewer through the under part of each wing, and having drawn up the legs closely, put a skewer into the middle of each, and pass the same quite through the body. Insert another skewer into the small of the leg, bring it close down to the side bone, run it through, and do the same to the other side. Now cut off the end of the vent, and make a hole in the skin sufficiently large for the passage of the rump, in order to keep in the seasoning.

Mode.—Make a sage-and-onion stuffing of the above ingredients, by recipe No. 504; put it into the body of the goose, and secure it firmly at both ends, by passing the rump through the hole made in the skin, and the other end by tying the skin of the neck to the back; by this means the seasoning will not escape. Put it down to a brisk fire, keep it well basted, and roast from 1-1/2 to 2 hours, according to the size. Remove the skewers, and serve with a tureen of good gravy, and one of well-made apple-sauce. Should a very highly-flavoured seasoning be preferred, the onions should not be parboiled, but minced raw: of the two methods, the mild seasoning is far superior. A ragoût, or pie, should be made of the giblets, or they may be stewed down to make gravy. Be careful to serve the goose before the breast falls, or its appearance will be spoiled by coming flattened to table. As this is rather a troublesome joint to carve, a large quantity of gravy should not be poured round the goose, but sent in a tureen.

Time.—A large goose, 1-3/4 hour; a moderate-sized one, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hour.

Seasonable from September to March; but in perfection from Michaelmas to Christmas.

Average cost, 5s. 6d. each. Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons.

Note.—A teaspoonful of made mustard, a saltspoonful of salt, a few grains of cayenne, mixed with a glass of port wine, are sometimes poured into the goose by a slit made in the apron. This sauce is, by many persons, considered an improvement.

SAGE-AND-ONION STUFFING, for Geese, Ducks, and Pork.

504. INGREDIENTS.—4 large onions, 10 sage-leaves, 1/4 lb. of bread crumbs, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, 1 egg.

Mode.—Peel the onions, put them into boiling water, let them simmer for 5 minutes or rather longer, and, just before they are taken out, put in the sage-leaves for a minute or two to take off their rawness. Chop both these very fine, add the bread, seasoning, and butter, and work the whole together with the yolk of an egg, when the stuffing will be ready for use. It should be rather highly seasoned, and the sage-leaves should be very finely chopped. Many cooks do not parboil the onions in the manner just stated, but merely use them raw. The stuffing then, however, is not nearly so mild, and, to many tastes, its strong flavour would be very objectionable. When made for goose, a portion of the liver of the bird, simmered for a few minutes and very finely minced, is frequently added to this stuffing; and where economy is studied, the egg may be dispensed with.

Time.—Rather more than 5 minutes to simmer the onions.

Average cost, for this quantity, 4d.

Sufficient for 1 goose, or a pair of ducks.

MASHED POTATOES.

1145. INGREDIENTS.—Potatoes; to every lb. of mashed potatoes allow 1 oz. of butter, 2 tablespoonfuls of milk, salt to taste.

Mode.—Boil the potatoes in their skins; when done, drain them, and let them get thoroughly dry by the side of the fire; then peel them, and, as they are peeled, put them into a clean saucepan, and with a large fork beat them to a light paste; add butter, milk, and salt in the above proportion, and stir all the ingredients well over the fire. When thoroughly hot, dish them lightly, and draw the fork backwards over the potatoes to make the surface rough, and serve. When dressed in this manner, they may be browned at the top with a salamander, or before the fire. Some cooks press the potatoes into moulds, then turn them out, and brown them in the oven: this is a pretty mode of serving, but it makes them heavy. In whatever way they are sent to table, care must be taken to have them quite free from lumps.

Time.—From 1/2 to 3/4 hour to boil the potatoes.

Average cost, 4s. per bushel.

Sufficient,—1 lb. of mashed potatoes for 3 persons.

Seasonable at any time.

APPLE SAUCE FOR GEESE, PORK, &c.

363. INGREDIENTS.—6 good-sized apples, sifted sugar to taste, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, water.

Mode.—Pare, core, and quarter the apples, and throw them into cold water to preserve their whiteness. Put them in a saucepan, with sufficient water to moisten them, and boil till soft enough to pulp. Beat them up, adding sugar to taste, and a small piece of butter This quantity is sufficient for a good-sized tureen.

Time.—According to the apples, about 3/4 hour. Average cost, 4d.

Sufficient, this quantity, for a goose or couple of ducks.

A GOOD BEEF GRAVY FOR POULTRY, GAME, &c.

435. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of lean beef, 1/2 pint of cold water, 1 shalot or small onion, 1/2 a teaspoonful of salt, a little pepper, 1 tablespoonful of Harvey's sauce or mushroom ketchup, 1/2 a teaspoonful of arrowroot.

Mode.—Cut up the beef into small pieces, and put it, with the water, into a stewpan. Add the shalot and seasoning, and simmer gently for 3 hours, taking care that it does not boil fast. A short time before it is required, take the arrowroot, and having mixed it with a little cold water, pour it into the gravy, which keep stirring, adding the Harvey's sauce, and just letting it boil. Strain off the gravy in a tureen, and serve very hot.

Time.—3 hours. Average cost, 8d. per pint.

CHRISTMAS PLUM-PUDDING. (Very Good.)

1328. INGREDIENTS.—1-1/2 lb. of raisins, 1/2 lb. of currants, 1/2 lb. of mixed peel, 3/4 lb. of bread crumbs, 3/4 lb. of suet, 8 eggs, 1 wineglassful of brandy.

Mode.—Stone and cut the raisins in halves, but do not chop them; wash, pick, and dry the currants, and mince the suet finely; cut the candied peel into thin slices, and grate down the bread into fine crumbs. When all these dry ingredients are prepared, mix them well together; then moisten the mixture with the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the brandy; stir well, that everything may be very thoroughly blended, and press the pudding into a buttered mould; tie it down tightly with a floured cloth, and boil for 5 or 6 hours. It may be boiled in a cloth without a mould, and will require the same time allowed for cooking. As Christmas puddings are usually made a few days before they are required for table, when the pudding is taken out of the pot, hang it up immediately, and put a plate or saucer underneath to catch the water that may drain from it. The day it is to be eaten, plunge it into boiling water, and keep it boiling for at least 2 hours; then turn it out of the mould, and serve with brandy-sauce. On Christmas-day a sprig of holly is usually placed in the middle of the pudding, and about a wineglassful of brandy poured round it, which, at the moment of serving, is lighted, and the pudding thus brought to table encircled in flame.

Time.—5 or 6 hours the first time of boiling; 2 hours the day it is to be served.

Average cost, 4s.

Sufficient for a quart mould for 7 or 8 persons.

Seasonable on the 25th of December, and on various festive occasions till March.

Bonus Recipes

Harvey's Sauce

INGREDIENTS.— 6 anchovies, 1 pint of strong vinegar, 3 tablespoonfuls of India soy, 3 table-spoonfuls of mushroom catchup, 2 heads of garlic bruised small, 1/4 ounce of cayenne, cochineal powder

Mode.— Dissolve anchovies in vinegar, and then add to them India soy, and mushroom catchup, garlic, and cayenne. Add sufficient cochineal powder to colour the mixture red. Let all these ingredients infuse in the vinegar for a fortnight, shaking it every day, and then strain and bottle it for use. Let the bottles be small, and cover the corks with leather.

Mushroom Ketchup

INGREDIENTS.—To each peck of mushrooms 1/2 pound of salt; to each quart of mushroom-liquor 1/4 ounce of cayenne, 1/2 ounce of allspice, 1/2 ounce of ginger, 2 blades of pounded mace

Mode.—Choose full-grown mushroom-flaps, and take care they are perfectly fresh-gathered when the weather is tolerably dry; for, if they are picked during very heavy rain, the ketchup from which they are made is liable to get musty, and will not keep long. Put a layer of them in a deep pan, sprinkle salt over them, and then another layer of mushrooms, and so on alternately. Let them remain for a few hours, when break them up with the hand; put them in a nice cool place for 3 days, occasionally stirring and mashing them well, to extract from them as much juice as possible. Now measure the quantity of liquor without straining, and to each quart allow the above proportion of spices, etc. Put all into a stone jar, cover it up very closely, put it in a saucepan of boiling water, set it over the fire, and let it boil for 3 hours. Have ready a nice clean stewpan; turn into it the contents of the jar, and let the whole simmer very gently for 1/2 hour; pour it into a jug, where it should stand in a cool place till the next day; then pour it off into another jug, and strain it into very dry clean bottles, and do not squeeze the mushrooms. To each pint of ketchup add a few drops of brandy. Be careful not to shake the contents, but leave all the sediment behind in the jug; cork well, and either seal or rosin the cork, so as perfectly to exclude the air. When a very clear bright ketchup is wanted, the liquor must be strained through a very fine hair-sieve, or flannel bag, after it has been very gently poured off; if the operation is not successful, it must be repeated until you have quite a clear liquor. It should be examined occasionally, and if it is spoiling, should be reboiled with a few peppercorns.

Seasonable from the beginning of September to the middle of October, when this ketchup should be made.

Note: This flavouring ingredient, if genuine and well prepared, is one of the most useful store sauces to the experienced cook, and no trouble should be spared in its preparation. Double ketchup is made by reducing the liquor to half the quantity; for example, 1 quart must be boiled down to 1 pint. This goes farther than ordinary ketchup, as so little is required to flavour a good quantity of gravy. The sediment may also be bottled for immediate use, and will be found to answer for flavouring thick soups or gravies.