Tudor Mince Pies (1591) – For Pyes of Mutton or Beefe from A Book of Cookrye

For Pyes of Mutton or Beefe (A Book of Cookrye, 1591)

Originally published: December 31, 2020 · Updated: November 15, 2025

🥕 Dietary Notes: Contains gluten, beef, and dried fruit. Suet may be replaced with vegetable shortening for a vegetarian-friendly option (texture and flavor will differ from period practice).

Kitchen Notes: For SCA feasts, I always post an ingredient-based menu on the kitchen door and tables, and I am happy to accommodate dietary needs with advance notice. Medieval dishes often contain ingredients modern diners may not expect, so clear labeling is essential.

A Note on Historical “Mincemeat”

Today, “mincemeat” often refers to a sweet mixture of fruit, spices, and sometimes spirits—but from the Middle Ages through the early modern period, mince pies always contained meat. The traditional mixture blended minced beef, mutton, or veal with suet, dried fruit, warm spices, and sometimes saffron.

These were hearty, savory-sweet hand pies served throughout the winter and were far closer to a spiced meat pastry than a modern dessert.

Original Recipe (1591)

For Pyes of Mutton or Beefe.
Shred your meat and Suet togither fine, season it with cloves, mace, Pepper, and same Saffron, great Raisins, Corance and prunes, and so put it into your Pyes.
~ A Book of Cookrye Very Necessary..., 1591

Modern English

Shred your meat and suet together fine. Season with clove, mace, pepper, and a little saffron. Add large raisins, currants, and chopped prunes, and place the mixture into your pies.

A Quick Story About Mincemeat & Misunderstandings

At one SCA event where I served these pies, a guest came into the kitchen distraught after eating a mince pie “with meat in it.” She had assumed they were vegetarian, not realizing that historical mince pies always contain meat. The menu—with a full ingredient list—was posted at the kitchen door and on the tables, but modern expectations can surprise people.

This experience reinforced why I am meticulous about posting detailed ingredient-based menus and why I encourage diners to share dietary needs in advance. I can always accommodate those needs when I know about them, and it helps everyone enjoy feast day without worry.

Why Medieval Cooks Mixed Meat, Fruit, and Spices

To a modern palate, combining beef with raisins and saffron may seem unusual, but in the 15th and 16th centuries this combination reflected the height of good cookery. Medieval recipes often balanced warm and cold humors using meat, fruit, and spices to keep the body in proper “temperament.”

Dried fruits brought sweetness and moisture; spices like mace, clove, and pepper added warmth and helped “correct” the perceived coldness or dampness of certain foods. Saffron contributed both color and a sense of luxury. A pie like this was not a random flavor mashup, but a carefully considered dish grounded in medieval food philosophy.

Mince Pies at the Medieval Table

Pies were central to medieval and Tudor feasts. A well-made pie demonstrated the cook’s skill, the host’s wealth, and the kitchen’s organization. Small, hand-sized pies like these were easy to portion out in a noisy hall, could be served hot, and traveled well on trenchers or small plates.

Mince pies appear in banquet menus, civic feasts, and household accounts as part of winter and holiday fare. Rich with meat, fat, fruit, and spice, they signaled generosity as much as good taste.

Historical Background

In medieval and Tudor England, mince pies were part of a long tradition of mixing meat with fruit and warm spices. This blend of savory and sweet flavors created a rich, festive pie that was especially popular during winter months and holidays. The dried fruit added subtle sweetness, the suet added richness, and the spices—clove, mace, pepper, and saffron—brought warmth and luxury.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, mince pies evolved into the sweet-only versions we know today, but in 1591, they were still very much a savory meat dish with a delicate sweet note.

How Mince Pies Changed Over Time

In the 16th century, mince pies were hearty, savory dishes that happened to include fruit. Over the 17th century, the amount of sugar and dried fruit increased, and the spice blends became more elaborate. By the 18th and 19th centuries, many “mincemeat” recipes had lost the meat entirely, relying instead on suet, fruit, sugar, and alcohol.

This 1591 recipe belongs to that earlier, meat-forward tradition. If your only experience of mince pies involves modern Christmas desserts, these will be a completely different—and delightfully historical—experience.

What These Pies Taste Like

These pies are savory first, with gentle sweetness from the dried fruits. The spices and saffron provide warmth and fragrance without overpowering the meat. They’re rich, filling, and wonderfully medieval—best enjoyed warm, and very much a hand pie rather than a dessert.

Why Saffron?

Saffron was one of the most prized spices in Tudor England. It added not only a golden hue, but also warmth and gentle floral notes. Its presence in a pie signaled celebration, hospitality, and expense—saffron was never used casually. A pinch in the filling is a small nod to the luxury this recipe would have represented on a 16th-century table.

What Suet Adds to the Recipe

Suet is the hard, clean fat from around the kidneys of cattle or sheep. It has a higher melting point than butter, which gives medieval pies their characteristic light, crisp bite and keeps the filling rich without becoming greasy.

Rendered suet (tallow) also acted as a preservative fat in winter cookery. When mixed with dried fruit and spices, it produced a filling that stayed good far longer than fresh meat alone. For cooks working with cool pantries and open hearths, this made mince pies both festive and practical.

How to Serve These Mincemeat Pies

These pies are best served warm from the oven and make excellent hand food for feasts, holiday tables, potlucks, or outdoor events. Their rich filling and small size make them ideal for the first or second course of an SCA feast.

If you want to stay close to period service, consider pairing them with:

• a hot spiced drink, ale, or hippocras
• a simple salad of herbs or “sallet” greens
• a pottage or broth as a preceding course

Cook’s Notes

These little pies surprised me with how comforting and deeply flavorful they were. The saffron lifts the filling, the prunes add richness, and the suet gives the mixture the perfect texture. They remind me of other European holiday meat pastries, but with a distinctly medieval soul. If you enjoy this recipe, it pairs beautifully with other late 16th-century dishes and makes a fine addition to a winter or Christmas-themed board.

Crown Tournament 10/19/2019: O-zōni (Rice Cake Soup – Mochi and Simmered Vegetables with Fish-Paste Cake)

O-zoni – Rice Cake and Simmered Vegetables with Fish-Paste Cake
Photo: Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Originally published 1/29/2020 Updated 11/6/2025

Kitchen Adventures – Crown Tournament 10/19/2019: O-zoni (Rice Cake Soup)

Context: In Muromachi-period formal dining (honzen ryori), o-zoni is a welcoming soup — a composed bowl of mochi (rice cake), seasonal vegetables, and savory elements in a clear broth. The feast version here uses square kaku-mochi in vegetarian kombu-shiitake dashi so more diners could enjoy it. Regional variations exist, but rice cake is essential.

Kohaku-namasu (Daikon and Carrot Salad)

Kitchen Adventures – Crown Tournament 2019: Kohaku-namasu (Daikon and Carrot Salad)

Kohaku-namasu (Daikon and Carrot Salad)
Photo © Cooking with Dog, used under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Originally published 11/25/2019 Updated 11/6/2025

A symbolic red-and-white salad of daikon and carrot lightly pickled in sweetened vinegar — a bright accent to the first tray of the Muromachi-period Honzen Ryori feast.

Kohaku-namasu represents more than flavor: the colors themselves are auspicious. Red symbolizes joy and protection from evil; white represents purity and celebration. The dish was introduced from China during the Nara period and became a central feature of Osechi Ryori — the traditional New Year’s cuisine of the Heian court.

Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 Mikawa ae (Miso & Sesame Cucumber Pickles)

Crown Tournament 2019: Mikawa ae (Miso and Sesame Cucumber Pickles)

From the Muromachi-period Honzen Ryori menu served at Crown Tournament (October 19, 2019): crisp cucumbers dressed in a miso–sesame emulsion, bright with rice vinegar and shiso.

Mikawa ae — Photo courtesy of Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Originally published 11/25/2019 Updated 11/6/2025

This beautifully simple dish was a standout on the first tray. The balance of salt, sweetness, and umami offered a refreshing counterpoint to the grilled and simmered items. The redaction draws on Sengoku Daimyo’s Redactions of Japanese Dishes, aligning with techniques seen in late medieval Japan.

Fukujinzuke – “Seven Lucky Gods” Pickles for Japanese Curry

Fukujinzuke (red pickles for curry) 福神漬け
Photo courtesy of Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Originallypublished 10/29/2029 Updated 10/31/2025

Fukujinzuke (福神漬け) is a sweet–salty soy-pickled relish traditionally served with Japanese curry rice (kare-raisu). Its name honors the Shichi Fukujin—the Seven Lucky Gods—each symbolizing a different virtue. A classic preparation uses seven vegetables such as daikon, lotus root, cucumber, eggplant, carrot, shiitake, and burdock.

Though curry and fukujinzuke date from Japan’s Meiji era (1868–1912), these pickles trace their roots to far older preservation arts. Including them in the Crown Tournament Feast provided guests with a glimpse of how Japanese foodways evolved from the Muromachi period’s elegant honzen ryōri to later, modern tastes.

Tsukemono—Japanese pickles—form an essential part of nearly every meal. They cleanse the palate, add color and texture, and reflect regional produce and technique. Methods range from simple salt cures (shiozuke) and vinegar brines (amasuzuke) to soy-based (shoyuzuke), miso (misozuke), rice-bran (nukazuke), and sake-lees (kasuzuke) fermentations.

Our fukujinzuke is a shoyuzuke: vegetables simmered briefly in a soy–sugar–vinegar brine for a glossy, gently candied finish. Commercial versions are often tinted red; traditional homespun ones remain soy-brown. A sliver of beet can replace the food dye for color if desired.

🥕 Dietary Notes: Vegan & vegetarian. Contains soy. For gluten-free, use tamari. Omit candied ginger for low-sugar or allium-free adaptation.

Capon Farced – Medieval Chicken Stuffed with Sausage, Onions & Grapes (Harleian MS 279, 1430 | Baronial Twelfth Night Feast)

Twelfth Night Feast: Spatchcocked roast chicken with “farce” balls and giussel, plus pickled blueberries (a barberry stand-in).

Originally published 12/31/202 Updated 10/30/2025 

Capon Farced (stuffed capon) is a showpiece bird from Harleian MS. 279 (c. 1430): parsley and suet are parboiled, then mixed with hard-boiled egg, spices, and fruit (grapes “in time of year,” or onions), sometimes with minced pork, to stuff and roast the bird. For our Baronial Twelfth Night Feast, I adapted the recipe using a modern spatchcock roast and served the farce as sausage balls on the side for even cooking and speed at scale.

Feast Course	Companions on the Table
Second Course — Highlight	Capon Farced (this dish), Guissell, Pickle for the Mallard, Roasted Chestnuts, Turnips & Sage, Pickled Barberries

🌟 Explore the full menu: Baronial Twelfth Night Feast Hub

Humoral Balance & Kitchen Technique

In medieval dietetics, poultry was considered warm and moist—suitable to winter. Sweet fruit and fragrant spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves—optionally saffron) moderated the richness of suet and meat. Historically, stuffing kept birds moist at a hearth; for modern feast service, spatchcocking (removing the backbone to flatten the bird) ensures fast, even roasting and crisp skin without drying the meat.

How to Spatchcock (Butterfly) a Chicken

With sturdy kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone (around the “parson’s nose”) and remove it. Flip the bird breast-side up and press firmly over the breastbone until it lies flat. It’s easiest when slightly firmed from the chill; expect a few crunches—normal!

Renaissance Candied Fruit, Roots & Flowers (Markham, 1623) — Step-by-Step + Modern Method

Sugared Plums (Renaissance method)

Originally published: 2015  •  Updated: 2025-10-24

Context. This post expands on Gervase Markham’s early-17th-century candying method from The English Huswife (1623), part of his famous “banqueting-stuffe”—the delicate sugarwork served at the end of elite meals. Candying preserved seasonal produce for winter and created jewel-like sweets for feast courses and subtleties. Below you’ll find Markham’s original text and a carefully tested modern method I use for SCA feast work.

Symbolism of the Turtle (Kame) — Longevity, Wisdom & Protection in Muromachi Japan

Urashima Tarō carried by a turtle to the Dragon Palace (Ryūgū-jō). Image via Kyuhoshi.

Originally Published 10/22/2019 - Updated 10/20/2025

In Japan, the turtle (kame) is a joyful emblem of longevity, wisdom, protection, and steady good fortune. It appears in courtly art, shrine lore, and folktales—from the patient, long-tailed minogame to the northern guardian Genbu (Black Tortoise). For our Muromachi-period Crown Tournament feast, turtle symbolism tied neatly to the suppon hot pot we served: a nourishing dish with deep historical roots.

During Japan’s Muromachi period (1336–1573), when Zen aesthetics and courtly rituals blended with warrior culture, symbolic animals often appeared in art and ceremonial meals. The turtle (kame), long associated with immortality and wisdom, represented the enduring stability of the shogunate and the virtues of patience and loyalty — qualities praised in poetry, calligraphy, and seasonal foods alike.

Lady Graie’s Manchet Bread – Elizabethan White Bread Recipe

Elizabethan Manchet Bread – three loaves from one batch

Originally published 8/30/2015 / Updated 10/2/2025

Introduction

Can you imagine eating two to three pounds of bread a day? Or washing it down with a gallon of ale? During the late medieval and early modern period, that was the standard ration for households and garrisons alike. Bread wasn’t just food—it was the staple at every table. It appeared as trenchers, used as edible plates, or as the fine “table bread” known as pain de mayne or manchet.

The Menagier de Paris even instructs his wife that four-day-old trencher bread was best for entertaining, as it held its shape beneath sauced meats. From castle to cottage, bread marked rank: the nobility received pale white wheat bread, while darker maslin loaves went to servants. This post focuses on one of the most celebrated “white breads” of Elizabethan England: manchet.

What is manchet?

Manchet was the “best” white household bread of the late Tudor and early Stuart period. These were small, hand-sized loaves or rolls made from double-bolted flour (finely sifted to remove bran and germ), yielding a pale crumb and firm crust.

Leavening

Recipes call for a piece of old dough (sourdough-style leaven) opened with water and mixed with ale barm—brewer’s yeast skimmed from fermenting ale. In a modern kitchen, this is easily mimicked with commercial yeast and a splash of mild ale.

Deep dive: see my pillar post on White Bread in Early Modern England.

Historical Recipe

The following comes from The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin (1594), under the title “The making of manchets after my Ladie Graies use.” It is one of the earliest printed bread recipes in English.

Take two peckes of fine flower, which must be twice boulted, if you will have your manchet verie faire: Then lay it in a place where ye doe use to lay your dowe for your bread, and make a litle hole in it, and put in that water as much leaven as a crab, or a pretie big apple, and as much white salt as will into an Egshell, and all to breake your leaven in the water, and put into your flower halfe a pinte of good Ale yeast, and so stir this liquor among a litle of your flower, so that ye must make it but thin at the first meeting, and then cover it with flowre, and if it be in the winter, ye must keepe it verie warm… Of one pecke of flower ye make ten caste of Manchets faire and good.

Comfits of Anise and Fennel – Medieval Candied Spices & Seeds (A Sweet Treat from the Past)

Comfits—candied spices & seeds—served as sweet digestives and table decoration in late medieval & Renaissance feasts.

Comfits – Medieval Candied Spices & Seeds (How to Make Historic Comfits)

Originally published 9/15/15 / updated 10/1/2025

Please note this correction: gum arabic and gum tragacanth are not the same substance. I originally conflated them—mea culpa, and thank you to the reader who flagged it.

Baronial 12th Night Comfits

Comfits were often served at the end of a feast as a digestive, to perfume the breath, and to decorate subtlety dishes and table settings. Aromatic seeds such as anise, fennel, or caraway were built up with repeated coats of sugar syrup—sometimes tinted with beet, spinach, or saffron. Almonds, ginger, and cinnamon splinters appear in later sources as well. You can still buy descendants of these sweets today (think Jordan almonds and pastilles), but handmade comfits are more delicate and—yes—tastier.

Chawatteys – Medieval Pork & Veal Pie with Fruit and Spice (Harleian MS. 279, c. 1430)

Chawatteys (Harleian MS. 279, c. 1430)

Originally published: 2017 — Updated: 2025

Chawatteys is a late medieval pie blending pork or veal with dried fruit, saffron, eggs, and warm spices. The mix of sweet and savory, baked in a pastry shell, reflects the luxury tastes of fifteenth-century England. It comes to us from Harleian MS. 279, one of the great English cookbooks of the early 1400s.

Did You Know?

The name Chawatteys (also spelled Chawettys or Chywettes) comes from the Middle English word chewet, meaning a small pie. The word is thought to derive from Old French chouette (“owl”), since early chewets were sometimes shaped to resemble little birds. Over time, chewet came to mean any small meat pie, often filled with minced pork, dried fruit, and spices.

Modern notes: Can’t find verjus? Substitute with a splash of wine vinegar. Veal may be replaced with pork, or even chicken. If you want a vegetarian option, mushrooms or eggplant can stand in for the meat (though this moves away from the medieval version). Zante currants and saffron are both available online if your local shop doesn’t stock them.

The Original Recipe

Chawatteys (Harlieian MS 279, c. 1430) Take buttys of Vele, and mynce hem smal, or Porke, and put on a potte; take Wyne, and caste þer-to pouder of Gyngere, Pepir, and Safroun, and Salt, and a lytel verjus, and do hem in a cofyn with yolks of Eyroun, and kutte Datys and Roysonys of Coraunce, Clowys, Maces, and þen ceuere þin cofyn, and lat it bake tyl it be y-now.

Canabeys with Lekys — A Medieval Bean and Leek Pottage (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Canabeys with Lekys — Harleian MS. 279 (c. 1430)

Originally published 3/30/2015, Updated 9/17/2025

What is “Canabeys (Canabens) with Lekys”?

Canabeys/Canabens in Harleian MS. 279 refers to cooked beans, most often the broad/fava beans familiar to medieval cooks, prepared plainly in broth or enriched with dairy and sometimes served with bacon. Combined with lekys (leeks), you get a humble, comforting pottage that fits beautifully on a fifteenth-century table—and on ours.

🥕 Dietary badge: Vegetarian as written; easily vegan. Gluten-free.

Blawnche Perrye – Creamed Leeks with Rice and Fish (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Harleian MS. 279 (c.1430) – For to make Blawnche Perrye – Creamed Leeks with Rice

Originally published 3/30/2017 Updated 9/10/2025

In Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430), we are told to serve fish — especially eel — with Blawnche Perrye, much as venison was paired with furmenty. Eel was common in medieval England, but difficult to find (and costly) today. For this version, I substituted perch, though monkfish or mullet would be closer to the fatty, firm texture of eel.

This dish sits at the intersection of pottage cookery and fish service. It’s a reminder of the wide variety of fish eaten in the Middle Ages: herring, salmon, eel, cod, pike, turbot, perch, carp, trout, even porpoise and whale. Shellfish such as oysters, cockles, shrimps, crabs, and mussels were also common.

The Original Recipe

.xlv.—For to make Blawnche Perrye.
Take þe Whyte of the lekys, an seþe hem in a potte, an presse hem vp, & hacke hem smal on a bord. An nym gode Almaunde Mylke, an a lytil of Rys, an do alle þes to-gederys, an seþe an stere it wyl, an do þer-to Sugre or hony, an dresse it yn; þanne take powderd Elys, an seþe hem in fayre Water, and broyle hem, an kytte hem in long pecys. And ley .ij. or .iij. in a dysshe, and putte þin perrey in a-noþer dysshe, an serue þe to dysshys to-gederys as Venysoun with Furmenty.

Daniel Myers offers a modernized Middle English transcription on Medieval Cookery, and the recipe is also rendered in Austin’s edition of Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books.

Modern Recipe

Chykonys in Bruette — Medieval Chicken in Ale-Broth with Saffron (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Chykonys in Bruette — Chicken in Ale-Broth with Saffron (Harleian MS. 279)

Chykonys in Bruette — Chicken in Ale-Broth with Saffron (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Originally published 12/21/2016 - Updated 9/10/2025

Bruet/bruette in Middle English generally signals a sauce or broth thickened with bread and seasoned with warm spices. In Harleian MS. 279, this dish is a straightforward, feast-friendly pottage: gently boiled chicken, chopped, then simmered in its own broth with ale, pepper, ginger, and saffron, thickened with ground bread. A related stream of recipes (Forme of Cury, Liber cure cocorum, Noble Boke) adds pork and cumin; this post presents the Harleian-only version first and notes the pork-and-cumin variant below.

Original Recipe

.lxxxxvij. Chykonys in bruette.
Take an Sethe Chykonys, & smyte hem to gobettys; þan take Pepir, Gyngere, an Brede y-grounde, & temper it vppe wyth þe self brothe, an with Ale; an coloure it with Safroun, an sethe an serue forth.

Gloss: Boil chickens; chop to gobbets. Grind pepper, ginger, and bread; temper (mix) with the same broth and ale; color with saffron; boil and serve.

Modern Recipe (tested)

Yield: 4 servings (pottage course) • Time: ~45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) bone-in chicken (thighs or split breasts)
• Water to cover (or light chicken broth)
• 1 cup (240 ml) mild ale (low-bitterness)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¾–1 tsp ground black pepper
• Generous pinch saffron, crumbled
• ¾–1 cup (45–60 g) fresh breadcrumbs (or 35–45 g dried, finely ground)
• Salt, to taste

Method

1. Parboil: Cover chicken with water; bring to a gentle boil. Skim, then simmer until just cooked (20–25 min). Remove chicken; reserve broth. When cool enough, strip meat and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Make the bruette: Measure 4 cups (950 ml) of the chicken broth back into the pot. Add ale, ginger, pepper, and saffron. Bring to a gentle simmer 3–5 minutes to bloom spices.
3. Thicken: Whisk in ground bread gradually until the broth lightly coats a spoon; simmer 3–5 minutes. Adjust thickness with more bread or broth.
4. Finish: Return chicken to the pot; simmer 2–3 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve hot.

Cook’s Notes: Aim for a spoonable, saucy pottage—not a paste. If your ale is bitter, cut with more broth. For a silkier texture, sieve the sauce before adding the chicken.

Fylettys en Galentyne - Pork in Spiced Onion Sauce (Stew & Sauce Interpretations, Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Fylettys en Galentyne – Pork in Spiced Onion Sauce (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Kitchen test photo from the original 2016 post, showing the stew interpretation of Fyletes in Galentyne.

Fyletes in Galentyne appears in Harleian MS. 279 (c.1430) and exemplifies a common medieval pairing: roasted or half-roasted meat finished in a rich, spiced sauce. The “galentyne” is thickened with bread and given depth either by blood (for savory richness) or by sanders (red sandalwood) to tint and flavor. Both are legitimate medieval options, so we present them side by side.

Note on interpretation: When this recipe was first published here on February 11, 2016, I presented it as a stew — simmered pork and onions in a spiced broth. On closer reading, however, the text more clearly aligns with the medieval understanding of galentyne as a sauce for meat: roast pork finished with a thickened, spiced, colored sauce. 

Both versions are plausible, so I’ve left my original interpretation here (Version A) and added the sauce-based version (Version B). The original post has been updated and republished on September 10, 2025 to reflect this correction.

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Original Recipe (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Englishe:
“Take fayre porke of the fore quarter, and rost hit tyl hit be almost ynogh; then take and smyte hit in fayre pecys, and caste hit in a fayre potte; then take oynons and shredde hem small, and frie hem in fayre grece, and caste hem to the porke, and stew hit togydre; then take gode broth of beef or motton, and caste thereto; then take powder of peper and of gynger, and caste thereto; and take bred ystepid in vinegre, and strayne hit thorow a straynoure, and caste thereto; and colour hit with blode, or elles with sandres, and then lat hit boyle up wel, and serve it forth.”

Modern Translation:
Take good pork from the forequarter and roast it until nearly done; cut into pieces and place in a pot. Chop onions, fry them in fat, and add to the pork. Stew together with good beef or mutton broth. Add pepper and ginger. Take bread soaked in vinegar, strain it, and add. Color with blood—or else with red sandalwood—and let it boil well. Serve forth.

Cormarye – Spiced Wine Pork Roast (Forme of Cury)

Cormarye – Spiced Wine Pork Roast (Forme of Cury)

“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for spice-laden pork roasts such as cormarye.

Source: The Forme of Cury, c. 1390 (ed. Hieatt & Butler). Adapted in Redon et al., The Medieval Kitchen (1998).

Original Recipe

Take Colyaundre, Caraway, garlec ygrounde, powdour fort, and salt, medle all this togyder and lay it on a fylett of pork al holes, and lay it to roste; when it is rosted enough, take vinegre and wyne and the juyce of the pork, medle hem togyder, and serve forth.

Translation

Take coriander, caraway, ground garlic, strong spice powder, and salt. Mix all this together and spread it over a fillet of pork, pricking it well. Roast it. When it is cooked enough, take vinegar, wine, and the juices of the pork, mix them together, and serve it forth.

Fungi di Monte – Renaissance Italian Mushrooms from Scappi (1570)

Fungi di Monte – Renaissance Mountain Mushrooms

“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for a Renaissance savory pie.

Sources: Bartolomeo Scappi, Opera dell’arte del cucinare, 1570 (Book II, cap. 193); Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, Silvano Serventi, The Medieval Kitchen, 1998.

Mushrooms were a popular ingredient in Renaissance Italy, eaten in fast-day dishes and served alongside roasted meats. This recipe for Fungi di Monte (“mushrooms of the mountain”) comes to us from Bartolomeo Scappi’s monumental 1570 Opera. Redon adapts it into a clean, modern version while preserving its essential spicing and method.

Historic Recipe (Scappi, 1570)

Per cuocere funghi di monte in più modi. Dopo che saranno ben nettati, si cuociano in acqua calda, & si lascino scolare; poi si facciano soffriggere con cipolla trita, olio, sale, pepe, canella, garofali, & altre buone spetiarie. Si possono anco cuocere con burro fresco, & cacio parmigiano, & similmente si possono friggere in pastello.

Translation

To cook mountain mushrooms in several ways. After they are well cleaned, cook them in hot water and let them drain; then fry them with chopped onion, oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and other good spices. They may also be cooked with fresh butter and Parmesan cheese, and likewise they may be fried in batter.

Medieval French Cooking: Une Vinaigrette (Beef & Onions in Spiced Wine Sauce)

Une Vinaigrette (Beef & Onions with Wine-Ginger Sauce)

“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for a Renaissance savory pie.

Context

Une Vinaigrette appears in medieval French sources and was translated by Terence Scully (1998). The dish layers beef (or lamb) with onions and serves it in a sauce of red wine, broth, breadcrumbs, and warming spices—ginger, grains of paradise, pepper, saffron, and vinegar. The result is both hearty and sharp, showing the medieval palate for savory meats balanced with spice and sour notes.

Humoral Qualities

In humoral theory, beef is heavy, hot, and dry, suited to those with strong digestions or balanced by moistening and cooling elements. The onions and wine add heat and sharpness, while the vinegar offers a cooling, cutting quality to aid digestion. The dish would have been considered appropriate in a main roast course, but could also appear earlier to stimulate appetite.

Provenance

The recipe for Une Vinaigrette comes from Le Viandier, one of the most important medieval French cookbooks. Traditionally attributed to Guillaume Tirel (called Taillevent), master cook to King Charles V of France, the text survives in several manuscripts from the late 14th and 15th centuries. It reflects the refined cooking of the French court, where sauces of wine, vinegar, and warming spices balanced the heaviness of roasted meats. Terence Scully’s 1998 edition (The Viandier of Taillevent, University of Ottawa Press) provides a critical edition of the extant manuscripts and the English translation used here.

Original French

Une vinaigrette. Prenez buef ou mouton et coupez en pièces, puis mettez-les à rostir au gril. Prenez oignons et taillez par rondelles, et friez en sain de lart bien cuit. Puis prenez bon vin vermeil et bouillon de buef, et mettez du pain blanc tosté et broyé pour lier. Mettez gingembre, graine de paradis, poivre et saffran, et un petit de vinaigre. Couliez vostre sausse, et mettez vostre viande et oignons dedans; ou les servez à part, et la sausse en un autre plat.

This passage is the basis for Scully’s English rendering: beef or mutton, roasted with onions, served in a sauce of red wine, broth, breadcrumbs, ginger, grains of paradise, saffron, pepper, and vinegar.

Original Text & Modern Translation

Original (Scully, 1998)

Modern Interpretation

Take beef or mutton and cut it in pieces, then put them to roast on the grill. Take onions and slice them into rounds, and fry them in grease until well cooked. Then take good red wine and beef stock, put therein white bread toasted and ground to thicken it, and season with ginger, grains of paradise, pepper and saffron, and a little vinegar. Strain the sauce and put the meat and onions therein; or serve the meat and onions separately, with the sauce in a dish.

Cut beef or lamb into chunks and roast or grill until done, but not overcooked. Slice onions into rounds and sauté them in butter, oil, or lard until golden. For the sauce, simmer red wine and beef broth with breadcrumbs until smooth. Add ginger, pepper, grains of paradise (or allspice), saffron, and a splash of vinegar. Strain the sauce and serve it either mixed with the meat and onions, or on the side as a dip. Excellent served on its own, or with rice or pasta.

Tortelletti d’herba alla Lombarda - Herb tortellini in the Lombard Style - Scappi

Tortelletti d’herba alla Lombarda

Herb-Filled Pasta in the Lombard Style — Scappi’s Comforting Winter Classic

This delicate and fragrant dish of tortellini stuffed with sautéed greens, herbs, cheese, and sweet spices originates from Opera dell’Arte del Cucinare (1570), the monumental cookbook by Bartolomeo Scappi. Best known as the personal chef to Pope Pius V, Scappi was a master of both elaborate banquets and refined simplicity — and this recipe, nestled in Chapter 179 of his Secondo Libro, showcases the Lombard love of herbs, butter, and subtly sweet notes.

Scappi and the Rise of Pasta in the Renaissance Kitchen

Bartolomeo Scappi’s Opera (1570) offers one of the most complete windows into the elite cuisine of late Renaissance Italy — and pasta plays a surprisingly prominent role. While modern perceptions associate early Italian cuisine with bread and stews, Scappi details dozens of pasta forms: tortelletti, tagliatelle, lasagne, gnocchi, and more. He provides both fast-day (Lenten) and meat-day variations, often using rich fillings, egg-based doughs, and flavored broths.

Beyond Pasta: Scappi’s Influence on Italian Cuisine

While Scappi is celebrated for cataloging pasta, his legacy goes well beyond noodles. He formalized kitchen hierarchy, seasonal menu planning, and equipment standards that echoed into the 18th century and beyond. His work documents early uses of parchment paper for baking, cooking with a bain-marie, and even proto-refrigeration techniques using snow. He preserved the culinary knowledge of late medieval traditions while also introducing innovations that bridged the gap to modernity. Scappi’s recipes emphasized not only taste but also visual elegance, hygiene, and timing — principles that continue to shape Italian fine dining today.

His chapter on pasta (including Cap. 177–179) reflects the growing popularity of filled pasta in elite households — a sign of culinary sophistication. Doughs were often perfumed with rose water or sugar, and pasta was sometimes served in sweetened broths or dusted with sugar and cinnamon. These dishes bridged the gap between savory and sweet, medicine and indulgence, humble vegetables, and luxurious presentation.

In the Spirit of Romoli: Doctrine and Daily Table

Domenico Romoli’s La Singolare Dottrina (“The Singular Doctrine”) outlines not only how to cook but also how to organize and serve elaborate banquets across the seasons. His January banquet — which inspired this feast — features carefully curated combinations of hot and cold, dry and moist, light and heavy, always with an eye toward harmony and digestion. Pasta dishes like tortelletti fit perfectly into this philosophy: gentle on the stomach, warming in the winter months, and suitable for both Lenten and meatless preparations, depending on the broth and sauce.

Romoli, like Scappi, reflects the culinary doctrine of the sixteenth-century Italian elite, where food was viewed as an art, a science, and a means to health, all served in silver.

The Lombard Legacy: Herbs, Pasta, and Humoral Balance

Lombardy, located in northern Italy, was renowned throughout the Renaissance for its refined cuisine and affinity for dairy, herbs, and egg-rich dishes. Dishes like tortelletti d’herba reflect the region’s agricultural abundance and the influence of monastic gardens and courtly kitchens. These small-filled portions of pasta, cousins to ravioli and agnolotti, were considered both elegant and nourishing — ideal for feast days or Lenten fare when meat might be restricted, but the richness was not.

The inclusion of sweet spices like cinnamon and cloves, along with sugar and currants, reveals a broader Renaissance fascination with balancing flavors and creating contrasts on the palate — often underpinned by humoral theory. Warm spices helped balance the “cold” qualities of greens, while cheese and egg yolks added “moist” richness. In this way, tortelletti d’herba were more than delicious — they were medicinally appropriate.

Did You Know?
Common greens used in Renaissance kitchens included bietole (Swiss chard or beet tops), spinaci (spinach), and cavolo nero. Herbs like parsley, mint, marjoram, and savory were prized not just for flavor but for their role in digestive and humoral health.

What Herbs and Greens Were Used in Renaissance Tortelletti?

The phrase herba alla Lombarda in Scappi's recipe refers to a familiar blend of leafy greens and aromatic herbs popular in northern Italy during the Renaissance. Common greens included bietole (chard or beet greens), spinaci (spinach), and sometimes cavolo nero (black cabbage). These were often combined with soft herbs like parsley, marjoram, mint, and savory — herbs prized for their digestive and warming properties, aligning with humoral dietary practices of the time. Regional cooks might adjust the balance of herbs depending on season and occasion: more mint and marjoram in summer, more parsley and chard in winter.

We featured this dish as part of the Arrosto course at our 12th Night 2024 feast, where it was served alongside roast beef, sweet mustard sauce, Turkish squash, and jewel-like Renaissance jelly bites. Helewyse de Birkestad adapted the recipe used in her event, Feste di San Martino, and offers a beautifully balanced winter pasta that pairs greens with Parmesan, currants, and spices.

🦚 Curious about the full feast?
Explore the complete menu from the Flaming Gryphon 12th Night Feast 2024 to see all the dishes and historical inspirations behind this event.

Historical Recipe: Per far minestra di tortelletti d’herba alla Lombarda

Scappi, Opera (1570), Cap. CLXXIX, Secondo Libro

Take beet (chard) and spinach, chop very finely, wash in several waters, and wring dry. Fry them gently in fresh butter, and add a handful of odiferous herbs. Boil briefly, then drain and combine the mixture in a glazed earthen or tinned copper pot. Add grated Parmesan and soft cheese, with pepper, cinnamon, cloves, saffron, currants, and enough raw egg to bind. If too soft, add breadcrumbs; if too firm, more butter. Make pasta as described in Chapter 177, shape small or large tortelletti, boil in meat broth, and serve with cheese, sugar, and cinnamon on top.

Modern Redaction (Adapted by Helewyse de Birkestad)

Pasta Dough

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp rosewater
• ~1¼ cups warm water (as needed)

Filling

• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• 1 bunch spinach
• Small handful each: parsley, mint, marjoram
• 15 oz ricotta
• 6 oz Parmesan (grated)
• 1–2 eggs
• 1 oz currants
• Salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and saffron to taste

Instructions

1. Make the Dough: Combine flour, salt, sugar, melted butter, and rosewater. Mix with warm water to form a smooth dough. Knead well, then rest covered for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the Filling: Wash and chop the greens and herbs. Sauté in butter until wilted. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor with cheeses, eggs, spices, and currants until a firm but scoopable filling forms.
3. Shape the Tortelletti: Roll pasta thin (second-to-last setting on a hand-cranked machine). Cut into squares or circles. Place small scoops of filling, fold and seal. Shape into tortelletti.
4. Cook: Boil in salted water (or broth) until they float — about 5 minutes. Drain and serve hot.
5. To Serve: Top with a light dusting of grated cheese, cinnamon, and sugar for an authentic Renaissance finish.

Regional Variations Across Italy

Though Scappi’s version is firmly rooted in Lombardy, filled herb pastas appear across Italy with regional twists. In Emilia‑Romagna, tortelli di erbette are filled with greens and ricotta, often served with sage‑butter. Tuscany offers tortelli maremmani, sometimes incorporating wild greens and nutmeg. Liguria features pansoti made with preboggion (a traditional wild herb mix) and walnut sauce. Each variant celebrates local herbs and fillings while preserving the form’s essential comfort and seasonality.

Notes from the Feast Table

At 12th Night 2024, these tortelletti were part of the Arrosto course with:

• Spit-roasted beef (brisket)
• Turkish squash dishes
• Sweet mustard sauce
• Gelo in bocconcini di più colori (jelly in small bites)

Want More from This Feast?

This recipe is just one part of our 12th Night 2024 Renaissance Feast, inspired by Scappi, Romoli, and the lavish January banquets of Renaissance Italy.

To see the full event menu and explore additional recipes as they’re released, visit the official feast page:

Flaming Gryphon 12th Night 2024 Feast Menu.

Looking for printable cards or a bundled feast pack? Support the project on Ko-fi and stay tuned for downloads!

Onion Pottage with French Bread and Cheese – Robert May’s 17th-Century Comfort Food

This rich, onion-based pottage was a hit during a lunch fundraiser at a SCA Collegium event, where it helped raise funds for Arts & Sciences in celebration of the SCA's 50th anniversary. Easy to prepare, completely meatless, and packed with deep, savory flavor, it's a classic piece of "tavern fare" that works beautifully for both period events and modern autumn or winter meals. The original recipe hails from Robert May's The Accomplisht Cook (1660), a cornerstone text of early modern English cuisine.

Original Recipe (Historical Source):

"Fry good store of slic't onions, then have a pipkin of boiling liquor over the fire, when the liquor bils put in the fryed onions, butter and all, with pepper and salt: being well stewed together, serve in on sops of French bread."

— Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook (1660)

Modern Interpretation (Serves 4):

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ lb onions, peeled and sliced ¼" thick
• 4 cups vegetable stock (or broth of choice)
• 1 tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• Toasted French bread (for serving)
• Cheese (optional for serving)

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add sliced onions and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.
3. Meanwhile, bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a separate pot.
4. Add the sautéed onions, including the oil, to the boiling stock.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. To serve, place toasted slices of French bread in bowls, ladle the hot onion broth over top, and add cheese if desired.

Feast/Event Notes:

This dish was one of several warm, filling options served during our Collegium fundraiser tavern lunch. As a vegetarian-friendly option, it was ideal for feeding a crowd. Easy to prepare in advance, it holds well when kept warm in a crockpot or kettle. Paired with rustic bread and cheese, it offers satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs nourishment.

Earlier Onion-Based Variations:

This recipe from The Accomplisht Cook reflects a later stage in the evolution of onion pottages; earlier forms also appear in medieval English manuscripts. For example, Harleian MS 279 (c. 1430) includes Soupe Dorroy, a richer onion soup thickened with egg yolks, and Oyle Soppys, a simpler version that uses oil and broth over toasted bread. These earlier dishes demonstrate how cooks adapted flavor, texture, and fat sources over time and across regions.

Historical Context & SCA Use:

Robert May trained in the kitchens of English nobility during the late Tudor and early Stuart periods. Although The Accomplisht Cook was published just after the SCA's traditional 1600 cut-off, it remains an essential source for "period-adjacent" fare, especially for those exploring the evolving foodways of late-period England.

May's recipes straddle medieval and modern tastes, capturing a unique culinary crossroads. This pottage exemplifies those characteristics: hearty, rustic, and comforting, yet straightforward and adaptable for contemporary kitchens.

📜 Note for SCA Context:

Many in the SCA community recognize this dish as a reliable choice for "late period" events, especially when authenticity is a priority. It showcases the shift in English cuisine from medieval traditions to more modern techniques, making it ideal for immersive experiences, educational demos, and fundraising taverns.

Context & Menu Placement

This onion pottage was served as the opening course of our Collegium Lunch Fundraiser Tavern, a midday meal designed for easy service, rich flavor, and historical ambiance. The full menu featured a balance of meat, vegetarian options, and accessible ingredients, suited to both reenactors and newcomers.

Menu Highlights Included:

– Pork Pie with Mustard
– Cold Roast Chicken with Garlic, Sage, or Must Sauce
– Cold Lentil Salad
– Roasted Root Vegetables
– Pickles & Olives
– Fresh Fruit (Apples, Grapes, Oranges)
– French Bread & Cheese
– Water & Soda

You can view the full event menu here.

Each dish was selected to reflect late-period culinary traditions while remaining practical for modern kitchen crews and feast planners.

Labels:

17th Century | Onion Dishes | Pottage | Robert May | Tavern Fare | SCA Fundraiser | Vegetarian Friendly