Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Roseye - Chicken or Fish in Rose Sauce

 Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Roseye - Chicken or Fish in Rose Sauce

Roseye is one of the more unusal dishes that I have made from the Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 Thomas Austin. On the surface this looks like a very simple dish, however, it contains a surprisingly "modern" set of instructions - " than take Loches, an toyle (Note: Rub, cover) hem with Flowre, an frye hem". Roughly interpreted "then take loaches and cover them with flour, and fry them." This was the first time since I have started cooking from these books that I had seen instructions to flour and then fry an ingredient. This is a pretty significant finding. At the very least, it gives us a time table for pan frying--in this case fish, but chicken can be easily substituted. Secondly, we are instructed to use roses, not as a flavoring, but as a coloring agent for the sauce of almond milk that accompanies the fish.  The sauce that came from my red roses became a very soft pink color that I wish the picture could have caught.

You are probably more familiar with the loach as one of the fishes you would find in your local pet store. Loaches have been described as being mild tasting and similar to catfish in flavor. If I were to serve this dish at an event I would use catfish as my substitute, or another similarly textured or flavored fish such as bass, cod, troug, salmon, perch, whiting or whitefish.

.C. Roseye.—Take Almaunde Mylke an flowre of Rys, & Sugre, an Safroun, an boyle hem y-fere; þan take Red Rosys, an grynd fayre in a morter with Almaunde mylke; þan take Loches, an toyle*. [Rub, cover. ] hem with [supplied by ed.] Flowre, an frye hem, & ley hem in dysshys; þan take gode pouder, and do in þe Sewe, & caste þe Sewe a-bouyn þe lochys, & serue forth.

Dan Myers offers this interpretation at his site Medieval Cookery.

C - Roseye. Take Almaunde Mylke an flowre of Rys, and Sugre, an Safroun, an boyle hem y-fere; than take Red Rosys, an grynd fayre in a morter with Almaunde mylke; than take Loches, an toyle (Note: Rub, cover) hem with Flowre, an frye hem, and ley hem in dysshys; than take gode pouder, and do in the Sewe, and caste the Sewe a-bouyn the lochys, and serue forth.

100 - Roseye - Take almond milk and flour of rice, and sugar and saffron, and boil them together; then take red roses, and grind fair in a mortar with almond milk; then take loaches, and cover them with flour, and fry them, and lay them in dishes; then take good powder and do in the sauce, and caste the sauce above the loaches, and serve forth. 

Interpreted Recipe                                                                    Serves 1 as a main, 2 as a side

1/4 pound firm textured, mild flavored fish cut into finger width strips

flour to dredge the fish in

oil to fry the fish

For the sauce: 

1 cup almond milk (I used the quick almond milk recipe)

1 tbsp. rice flour

1 tsp. sugar

pinch of saffron

1/4 tsp. good powder or to taste (I used the Le Menagier's recipe for fine spice powder )
Salt and pepper to taste

Place almond milk, rice flour, sugar and saffron into a pot and simmer until it thickens to the desired consistency.  Meanwhile, cut the fish into finger width strips, lightly dredge in flour and pan fry in the oil until done.  To serve, place the fish on a plate and cover with the sauce, add good powder to taste.

I am saddened to report though, that while this is very pretty to look at, the dish itself was a bit bland and was not favored by the taste testers or myself. One of them described (and I agreed) that it resembled fish cooked in porridge.  

It hurt for something acidic--wine, lemon, ale or beer. I do strongly recommend that you create the sauce with almond milk that has been created with something acidic (like wine) or that you serve something acidic on the side (maybe even lemon slices).  Several other recipes from the manuscript prescribe making the almond milk with ale or wine, and I believe that would have gone a very long way towards creating a more favorable experience.

Similar Recipes are listed below. 

Forme of Cury (England, 1390)

XLI - For to make Rosee. Tak the flowris of Rosys and wasch hem wel in water and after bray hem wel in a morter and than tak Almondys and temper hem and seth hem and after tak flesch of capons or of hennys and hac yt smale and than bray hem wel in a morter and than do yt in the Rose so that the flesch acorde wyth themylk and so that the mete be charchaunt and after do yt to the fyre to boyle and do thereto sugur and safroun that yt be wel ycolowrd and rosy of levys and of the forseyde flowrys and serve yt forth.

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

Rose. Take flour of ryse, as whyte as sylke, And hit welle, with almond mylke. Boyle hit tyl hit be chargyd, þenne Take braune of capone or elle of henne. Loke þou grynd hit wondur smalle, And sithen þou charge hit with alle. Coloure with alkenet, sawnder, or ellys with blode, Fors hit with clowes or macys gode. Seson hit withsugur grete plenté, Þis is a rose, as kokes telle me.

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak rose, tak flour of ryse and temper it with almond mylk and mak it chaungynge then tak the braun of capon or of henne sodyn and grind it and charge it ther with and colour it with sanders and blod and fors it with clowes and maces and sesson it with sugur and serue it.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .lxxxvj. Rys - Rice

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .lxxxvj. Rys - Rice

Because of its difficulty to grow and the cost to import, rice was considered a luxury product throughout the Middle Ages. Today rice is one of the most common cereal grains in use. This recipe found in n the Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 Thomas Austin for medieval rice creates a sweet, creamy and delicious dish that reflects the simplicity of medieval cooking and its ability to create complex flavors with a few ingredients.

Where rice originated is hotly debated. One theory states that rice is a descendent of a wild grass which was cultivated in the Himalayas. Another theory suggests that rice originated in India and spread to Thailand and China. Rice spread from this region into the Middle East, where some of the oldest grains have been found in a grave dated to the first century A.D.

Alexander the Great introduced rice to Mesopotamia in the late 4th Century. It was Alexander who is credited with introducing the Greeks to rice sometime around 320BC. It was considered an exotic species and was used for medicine but not as a source of food. The Romans became acquainted with this grain through the Greeks, but chose to import their rice from Syria and Egypt. Apicius mentions that rice flour (fecula) could be used to thicken sauces.

Rice reached England in the late 13th, early 14th Century. Records indicate that Portuguese and Spanish ships included rice as one of its imports along with figs, raisins, almonds, pepper, sugar, saffron, wax, leather and Pomegranates. There is some debate on how and when this grain was introduced to Spain. One theory suggests that Moors invading from Africa brought rice with them in the eleventh century. Another theory suggests that rice was known in the Valencia region as early as the first century. It is known that Portugal had established and thriving fields of rice in the twelfth century. It is believed that both France and Italy were growing rice in the thirteenth centuries.

.lxxxvj. Rys.—Take a porcyoun of Rys, & pyke hem clene, & sethe hem welle, & late hem kele; þen take gode Mylke of Almaundys & do þer-to, & seþe & stere hem wyl; & do þer-to Sugre an hony, & serue forth.

Daniel Myers offers this interpretation on his website.

lxxxvj - Rys. Take a porcyoun of Rys, and pyke hem clene, and sethe hem welle, and late hem kele; then take gode Mylke of Almaundys and do ther-to, and sethe and stere hem wyl; and do ther-to Sugre an hony, and serue forth [correction; sic = f].

Interpreted Recipe Serves 1 as main, 2 as side

1/2 cup rice
1 cup water
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp each (or to taste) sugar and honey

What kind of rice should one use for this dish? I used a long grained white rice because it is what I had, but, if I were to cook this dish for an event I would choose a short or medium grained rice (Arborio or Valencia). I believe that the shorter grained rice was the one that was imported from Portugal and Spain into Europe. Bomba Rice which is used for paella might also be a good choice.

Follow the package directions to precook your rice. Once the rice is cooked, allow it to cool and then add your almond milk, sugar and honey and cook until the almond milk is absorbed. Serve--it could not be simpler.

I have in the past cheated at events by using the bagged, frozen rice, putting it into a pan, adding almond milk and popping it into the oven to thaw and heat. You can stir it occasionally while it is heating. The almond milk absorbs and the dish tastes similar. Using long grain rice that is frozen and adding the flavors nets a similar taste but, you miss the creamy consistency. However if you are cooking for a larger crowd, purchasing the frozen rice, means not having to fret cooking in quantity for a large crowd and possibly serving undercooked rice.

The taste testers and I "argued" over who got to eat the rest of the dish. This is definitely one of the times I wished I had made more instead of a "tasting sample.

Similar Recipes

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

Decorated rice for a meat day. Pick over the rice, wash it very well in hot water, dry it near the fire, and cook it in simmering cow's milk. Crush some saffron (for reddening it), steep it in your milk, and add stock from the pot.

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

RICE, Another Way. Pick it over and wash in two or three changes of hot water until the water is clear, then do as above until half cooked, then puree it and put on trenchers in dishes to drain and dry in front of the fire: then cook it thick with the fatty liquid from beef and with saffron, if this is a meat day: and if it is a fish day, do not add meat juice, but in its place add almonds well-ground and not sieved; then sweeten and do not use saffron.

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak ryse pik them clene and then wesshe them in two or thre waters and let the water be warm and sethe them in clene water till they begyn to boile and at the first boile put out the water and sethe them with brothe of fleshe or with the brothe of freche flesshe or of freche fisshe and put ther to sugur saffron and salt and serue it.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .xxiiij. Drawyn grwel - Tempered Gruel

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .xxiiij. Drawyn grwel - Tempered Gruel
The picture does not do the dish justice. It was much browner in the bowl.

Earlier this week I posted the recipe for .vij. Gruelle a-forsydde, or Gruel Reinforced, meaning that the gruel had been fortified with meat. That was the first of two recipes for gruel found in "Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin". This is the second that I reinterpreted. The same caveats apply, I did not go through the process of straining the dish, and the dish as I have created it is much meatier then what would probably expect in period. 

Of the two recipes that I tried this one was the favorite. The commentary from the taste testers as this was cooking was "it smells like biscuits and gravy in here!" When it came time to testing we engaged in spoon war's to eat the last of it! I have also been made to promise to make this again. I will.

The basis of any gruel is meal. In this case, that meal is specified as oatmeal. Oatmeal has a very long history of cultivation. Remains of oat grains have been found in Egypt dating back to the 12th Dynasty approximately 2000 BC. Wild oats are similar to cultivated oats and it is believed that oats were a "weed" plant that made themselves at home among the older cultivated grains of wheat and barley. Oats themselves were cultivated much later than its counterparts wheat or barley. Cultivation of oats most likely began around the time of Christ and it is argued that it began in the Caucasian plains.

Greeks and Romans disdained oats. The Romans described them as "the barbaric bread grain of the Germans" . Pliny described oats as "a weed among cereals that could only lead to the degeneration of barley." Despite this, oats were a common food staple used in gruel, and the straw used for farm animals. Wild oats were used as pasturage and as a forage crop.

Fortunately by the late 1500's the health benefits of oats were recognized. Italian herbalist Pietro Andrea Mathioli (1519-1603) writes “The effect of oats: the broth from the steeping of oats is good against coughs. Boiled and eaten, the gruel plugs stool. Against gall stones the common man is wont to heat oats or juniper berries and to place them in a poultice. Oats may be used on swollen or dislocated limbs, just as barley flour. Mixed with white lead and used to wash the countenance it makes a clear, attractive complexion. Against the mange and scabs of small children there is nothing better than to bathe them in steeped oats.”

German botanist Adam Lonitzer (1528-1586) also praises oats as useful "Oats are a useful grain for both cattle and man. Cooked and eaten it is an excellent medication encouraging one’s daily stool; it fills the belly and is a fortifying source of nutrition. Its particular virtue lies in penetrating the damp and consuming hardened ulcers; the flour of oats may be used as a poultice. It is exceedingly good for fistula. It may be consumed warm as a meal but used as a medication externally it should be cool and dry. Oats are good when used for all manner of swellings and pustules on the body that occur from heat. Wild oats, the stem, seeds and leaves steeped in red wine and drunk soothes both red and white effluvia from the belly and increases the function of the urethra, taking with it all refuse which hath collected in the bladder and womb."

.xxiiij. Drawyn grwel.—Take fayre water an lene Bef, an let hem boyle; an whan þe beef hath y-boylid, take it vp an pyke it, an lete it blede in-to a vessel, an þenne caste þe blode an þe Fleysshe in-to a potte; an þanne caste þer-to Otemele, Percely, & Sawge, an make þer-of an gode grwele; þen draw it þorw a straynowre, an putte it on a fayre potte, an let it boyle; þanne caste þer-to Salt; An ȝif it be nowt brown y-now, take a litil blode an caste þer-to or it be y-draw, an make it broun y-now, an serue it forth.

xxiiij - Drawyn grwel. Take fayre water an lene Bef, an let hem boyle; an whan the beef hath y-boylid, take it vp an pyke it, an lete it blede in-to [correction; sic = MS. blede in-to , repeated.] a vessel, an thenne caste the blode an the Fleysshe in-to a potte; an thanne caste ther-to Otemele, Percely, and Sawge, an make ther-of an gode grwele; then draw it thorw a straynowre, an putte it on a fayre potte, an let it boyle; thanne caste ther-to Salt; An 3if it be nowt brown y-now, take a litil blode an caste ther-to or it be y-draw, an make it broun y-now, an serue it forth.

24 Drawen Gruel - Take fair water and lean beef, and let them boil; and when the beef hath boiled, take it up and pick it, and let it bleed into a vessel, and then caste the blood and the flesh into a pot, and then caste there-to oatmeal, parsley and sage, and make thereof a good gruel; then draw it through a strainer, and put it in a fair pot, and let it boil; then caste there-to salt; and if it be not brown enough, take a little blood and caste there-to or it be draw, and make it brown enough, and serve it forth.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                            Serves 2 as a main, 3-4 as a side

1 cup water
1/4 pound of ground beef
1/2 cup beef stock
2 tbsp. oats ( I used a mix of Scottish ground and Steel Cut)
1 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. sage
salt and pepper to taste
*optional* 1 beef bouillon cube

This was another recipe where I threw all the ingredients into the pot and let them cook until the oatmeal had cooked through. Because I used a mixture of oats, I cooked for the longest cooking of the grain (steel cut). The gruel was ready to eat in approximately 25 minutes. This cooking time would have taken longer had I used whole oats. I do not recommend that you use rolled oats for these recipes. The information on why is below.

So often we see in period recipes the notation to "boil your meat" before cooking it. I finally decided to do a little bit of research into this. I'm sure someone who hunts or butchers their own food would be aware of this practice, but I am not and was curious. The practice of soaking the meat before boiling is done to remove any blood that might have congealed on the meats surface, as well as to remove any dirt, dust or insects that may have infected the meat. The initial boiling of the meat before cooking is done for similar reasons; it is done to remove the impurities (dirt, dust, bone fragments, insects) that might have embedded themselves into the meat during processing. The point is to have a "cleaner" piece of meat to work with. Additionally boiling the meat prior to cooking removes any acrid, bitter, irony taste of old blood that might be present in your meat and to remove any initial "scum" that might surface.

Therefore, the second set of instructions you normally see in these kinds of recipes makes perfect sense; using the initial boiling liquid to create your broth. I am making an assumption that straining the liquid was commonplace and therefore not an instruction that was written down. After the removal of initial impurities and then straining of those impurities, the actual cooking process should, in theory, result in a flavorful, clear broth or stock.

I also used a mix of two different kinds of oatmeal's in an attempt to emulate the kind of oats that might have been used in period. There are many varieties of oats available in today's markets; our medieval ancestors were probably only familiar with oat groats and oats that had been ground. The processes for making rolled oats came into existence in the 18th Century, when mills would heat or kiln-dry oats to remove the hulls from the kernel and then steam it (in some productions) and then roll it to produce a flat flake. Using a rolled oat for any recipe that calls for it in period is not recommended.

Raw newly harvested oats have a hull and a hairy stem and before they can be eaten the hulls must be removed and the grains need to be separated from the stalks. Oat groats are the whole grain that is unbroken, cleaned of the hull and stalks before it has been processed. Unprocessed oats contain a enzyme that makes them go rancid very quickly, but toasting them deactivates that enzyme and makes them stable for storage. Steel cut oats are oats that have been cut with a blade into several pieces. Sometimes these are referred to as "Scottish" oats. However true "Scottish" oats have been stone ground to produce bits of oat in varying sizes.

As stated previously, this recipe was amazing and has changed my (and the taste testers) opinions on what gruel should be. Despite rumors to the contrary, gruel is not a flavorless, thin watery soup of unknown origin. The oats add a subtle nutty flavor, the meat is tender and the water and broth thicken considerably once cooked. The end result is an unctuous soup that would be worthy to be served to kings and nobles alike. This would be a dish that I would not be ashamed to serve at any event, lunch tavern, camp breakfast, or to throw together in a pinch if I had unexpected company. I know this is meatier than expected, so you could easily stretch this out so that one pound of meat feeds 16 people (two tables of 8 if you are meal planning), and nobody should feel that they were not getting their money's worth. I urge you to try it.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .vij. Gruelle a-forsydde - Gruel Reinforced

vij. Gruelle a-forsydde - Gruel Reinforced

Much to my shame, I am hesitant to admit that I have been avoiding interpreting this dish because the thought of a savory oatmeal soup like dish was not appealing to me. I as a diner would probably turn up my nose should such a dish be served to me. Somehow, what I had pictured in my head and what eventually ended up in the bowl were two entirely different things. I have been humbled and have learned a lesson.

Two recipes of note appear early in  Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin" for "gruel".  The thought of a thin porridge of soup consisting of a meal of grains, specifically oatmeal, in this case doesn't sound very appetizing, does it? Gruel can be made with any kind of meal; rye, oats, wheat or rice which has been boiled in water, milk or almond milk.  The difference between gruel and porridge is one of consistency.  I had porridge almost every day when was I growing up and I love it. My memories of a good hearty breakfast are broken only because there were a few times when money was tight that my oatmeal, cream of wheat or malt-o-meal was too thin, resulting in trying to choke down a flavorless food because "it was good for me".

I thought I would try to write a little bit on the history of gruel, its origins etc.  I'm sure the information is out there but it seems to be a history that is as old as the art of cooking itself. What I discovered is that that cereal preparations like congee (a rice based porridge) can trace its beginnings to Asia approximately 2500BC.

There is further archeological evidence that suggests that a hot, mush like cereal, similar to our modern day porridge, was eaten either at the end of the Stone Age or the beginning of the Neolithic period. Swiss archeological digs suggest that Stone Age settlements were mashing grains and mixing them water and then cooking upon a heated rock hardening the porridge into the earliest breads and cakes.

Of course, whenever you have water and grain mixed together and allowed to sour or ferment you have the beginnings of alcohol! The earliest documentable evidence of alcohol being brewed can be documented to Iran's Central Zagros Mountains approximately 3400 - 3000 BC. The oldest documented cocktail (mixed drink) can be traced to China, approximately 7000 BC and it is described as a mixture of "rice, honey, hawthorn fruit and/or grape".

My research proved to be fruitful in many ways.  When you eat your morning porridge, or gruel, remember this; in that spoonful of cereal and liquid, most likely flavored with butter, sugar or other spices, lies the beginning of civilization as we know it--beer and bread, the ability to farm, to move from a hunter/gatherer lifestyle to a farming lifestyle. More importantly, it allowed our population to grow, as children could be fed a nutritious meal while teething and women were able to birth more children in half the time.  I didn't find the answers I wanted, but the information I did find has made me appreciate more the humble origins of this dish.

.vij. Gruelle a-forsydde.—Take otemele, an grynd it smal, an sethe it [leaf 7.] wyl,*. [(wyl = well).] an porke þer-ynne, an pulle of þe swerde*. [sward, rind, skin.] an pyke owt þe bonys, an þan hewe it, an grynd it smal in a morter; þan neme þin*. [thine. ] grwel an do þer-to, þan strayne it þorw a straynour, an put it in a potte an sethe it a lytel, an salt it euene*. [equally. ]; an colour it wyth safroun, an serue forth rennyng.

vij - Gruelle a-forsydde. Take otemele, an grynd it smal, an sethe it wyl, (Note: (wyl = well).) an porke ther-ynne, an pulle of the swerde (Note: sward, rind, skin.) an pyke owt the bonys, an than hewe it, an grynd it smal in a morter; than neme thin (Note: thine) grwel an do ther-to, than strayne it thorw a straynour, an put it in a potte an sethe it a lytel, an salt it euene (Note: equally); an colour it wyth safroun, an serue forth rennyng.

7. Gruel Reinforced - Take oatmeal and grind it small, and cook it well and pork there-in, and pull off the skin and pick out the bones and then cut it, and grind it small in a morat; then take your gruel and do there-to, than strain it through a strainer, and put it in a pot and cook it a little, and sat it equally; and color it with saffron, and serve forth running.

Interpreted Recipe                                                      Serves 2 as main, 3-4 as side

1 cup water
1/2 cup stock (pork, chicken, vegetable, beef 50/50 chicken and beef)
2 tbsp. oats -- I used a mixture of steel cut and Scottish ground oats
1/4 pound of ground pork
pinch of saffron
salt and pepper to taste

I was fully prepared to dislike this dish--savory oatmeal?? ICKS! I was very pleasantly surprised with this dish. Not only how easy it was to prepare but how taste it truly was.  A few caveats, if you will.

First, this dish is most likely a lot meatier then what was eaten in period.  In fact, I would say that you could easily use one pound of meat for 16 diners and easily replicate what was found in period.

Secondly, I did not follow the instructions completely when I prepared this dish, I didn't strain this dish at all.  I probably should have, but it is my guess that the reason for the instruction to "strayne it thorw a straynour, an put it in a potte" had a lot more to do with the processing of the food, oats specifically, then it did with anything else.  I think it would have been very difficult to remove all of the hulls of the oats and then to store them without insects getting into the grain.  It is my belief that straining this dish was for the purpose of removal of those items that should not be present in the end product, including insect, hulls, bones, gristle etc.

To prepare the dish I simply threw all the ingredients together in a pot and let them boil together until the oats were completely cooked.  I used a mixture of steel cut and Scottish oats for this dish.  One cooks much quicker then the other and together they thickened the water and stock into a delicious broth. I was surprised at how much like rice the oats ended up tasting in the finished product.  As one of the taste testers pointed out "it isn't dazzling to look at" but it was delicious when served and I do urge you to consider using this dish as a pottage for any medieval meal, camp dinner or for a simple and relatively quick soup for every day.

Similar Recipes

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

.iij. For to make grewel eforced. Take grewel & do to the fyer withe gode flesch & seeth hit wele. Take the lyre of pork & grynd hit smal and drawe the grewel thorow a straynoure & colour hyt with safroun.
Liber cure cocorum [Sloane MS 1986] (England, 1430)

For gruel of fors. Fyrst take porke, wele þou hit sethe With otene grotes, þat ben so smethe. Whenne hit begynnes wele to alye, þou save of þe þynnest brothe þer by To streyne þy gruel, alle and summe. But furst take oute þy porke þou mun And hak hit smal and grynde hit clene. Cast hit to þo gruel þat streyned bene, Colour hit with safroune and sethe hit wele. For gruel of force serve hom at mele.

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak grewelle enforced tak mary bones and freche brothe and mak grewelle and draw them throughe a strener then tak pork sodene tender and pick out the bones and the senewes and pille of the skyn and hew it and grind it smale in a mortair and temper it with the same gruelle that is drawen and mak it smothe and let it stond myche by freche pork and salt it and serue it.

Gentyll manly Cokere (MS Pepys 1047) (England, ca. 1500)

To make grewell of forse. Take mary bones of Fresh beef And make goode grewell ther of then draw hit throwgh a streynner Take fayre porke tender sodyn take A way the skynne and the bonys and the senose Then grynde hit yn A morter small And tempyr hit vp with the same grewell that ys drawne make hit smoth let hit stand resonayll by þe flesh seson hit vp with salte and saferon then set hit to the fyre and let hit boyle And serue hit furth.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Cxxxvj. A potage of Roysons - Rice Porridge with Apples and Raisins

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Cxxxvj. A potage of Roysons - Rice Porridge with Apples and Raisins

Today's adventure in cooking from from the "Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin" was a very interesting dish called Cxxxvj. A potage of Roysons. The end product was a kind of cream of rice cereal with chunks of apples and raisins in it. I would serve this as a camp breakfast, or even at an event which is offering breakfast.  

The taste testers declared it "tasty, but not delicious", which is a very fair assessment of this dish.  I have created similar recipes that I would prefer to serve over this one. Perhaps it is because I am not a fan of raisins?? 

.Cxxxvj. A potage of Roysons.—Take Raysonys, & do a-way þe kyrnellys; & take a part of Applys, & do a-way þe corys, & þe pare,*. [? peel. ] & bray hem in a mortere, & temper hem with Almande Mylke, & melle hem with flowre of Rys, þat it be clene chargeaunt, & straw vppe-on pouder of Galyngale & of Gyngere, & serue it forth.

Cxxxvj - A potage of Roysons. Take Raysonys, and do a-way the kyrnellys; and take a part of Applys, and do a-way the corys, and the pare, (Note: ? peel) and bray hem in a mortere, and temper hem with Almande Mylke, and melle hem with flowre of Rys, that it be clene chargeaunt, and straw vppe-on pouder of Galyngaleand of Gyngere, and serue it forth.

136 A Potage of Raisins - Take Raisins, and do away the kernels; and take a part of apples, and do away the cores and pare and grind them in a mortar, and temper them with almond milk, and mix them with flour of rice, that it be quite thick, and strew upon powder of galangal, of ginger, and serve forth.

Interpreted Recipe                                                              Serve 1 as main, 2 as side

1/2 apple, peeled, pared and cut into small dice
2 tbsp. raisins
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. rice flour
1/2 tsp. good powder or ginger to taste
pinch of salt

Although the recipe does not tell us to cook the raisins and the apples, it does tell us to "temper hem with Almande Mylke", which leads me to believe that we are to add hot almond milk to the apple and raisin mixture.  The term tempering is defined as the process of gradually adding a hot liquid to food so that it can be incorporated into a hot sauce or soup without curdling.  The process of tempering is used to slowly raise the temperature of the food using small amounts of hot liquid, so that the mixture can become thick. Therefore, I believe that the use of hot almond milk would be used as the method of cooking the raisins and the apples. 

What is missing is the sweetness that I have found in similar recipes; lxviij - Bruet of Almaynne in lente, xx. Papyns, .Cxxv. Vyolette, .lxxxxj. Vyolette, .Ixxxv. Gaylede, Cxxvj. Rede Rose, .lxxix. Apple Muse and .Cxxxiiij. Apple Moyle, and . Based on these similar recipes I added honey to my interpretation of this recipe, otherwise, I believe it would have been bland.

I chose to cook the apples and the raisins in the almond milk that I seasoned with ginger and honey before adding the rice flour. It couldn't be simpler! 

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .Cxxxiiij. Apple Moyle - Apple Soft

.Cxxxiiij. Apple Moyle - Apple Soft 

Apples belong to the Rosaceae family along with pears, quince, loquat, medlars and yes, roses. It is believed that there has been over 10,000 different apple cultivars that have been developed, many of which are now lost. There are at least 100 different varieties of apples that are grown commercially, but of those, only ten make up 90% of the production in the United States. I find this distressingly sad.

As mentioned in my previous post on .lxxix. Apple Muse it is generally believed that domesticated apples has their origins in Central Asia. Apples are documented as early as 6500 B.C. in Jericho and the Jordan Valley. Theophrastes records in 323 B.C the process of budding, grafting and general tree care of six different varieties of apples that were known at the time.

There are many legends regarding this fruit, the most well-known is that of Adam and Eve wherein Eve tempts Adam to eat of the "forbidden fruit". Apples are well known then, as a fruit synonymous with temptation, a reputation that is apparently well earned.

Hercules is tasked with stealing the golden apples from the Tree of Life as one of his Twelve Labors. Atalanta, was tricked by Hippomenes, losing a footrace and securing a husband, because she stopped to pick up Golden Apples given to Hippomenes by Aphrodite.

Eris, the Greek goddess of discord threw a golden apple into the wedding party of Thetis and Peleus. The apple was inscribed with the word "kallisti", meaning the fairest. Three Goddesses coveted the apple, Hera, Athena and Aphrodite and the task of appointing which of the Goddesses was indeed the fairest fell upon Paris of Troy. It was Aphrodite who promised Paris of Troy the love of the most beautiful woman, Helen of Sparta, if he would appoint her the keeper of the apple. He did, and it was this apple that was indirectly responsible for causing the Trojan War. 

Apples were not always associated with lust, love, temptation or sin. In fact, in Norse mythology it is the Goddess Idun who is the guardian of the golden apples that preserved the eternal youth of the Aesir. It is the apple that gave Avalon its name in the legends of King Arthur. The Welsh word for apple is Afal. In the legends of Arthur, apples are associated with very powerful forces of creation, birth, death and rebirth.

Lastly, the ancient Celts believed that apples were to be treasured. Apple blossoms were used as symbols of fertility and would be placed in bedrooms. They were also symbolic of goodwill, integrity and purity and love. There is a myth told of Conle, who received an apple that fed him for a year.

Today's adventure from the "Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin" was a dish called Apple Moyle, which, from the written instructions could be interpreted in multiple ways.

The interpretatino that I chose was to make a pudding of apples and almond milk, thickened with rice flour similar to Cxxv - Vyolette.  How you interpret it depends on how you wish to interpret the first few words "Nym Rys, an bray hem wyl, & temper hem with Almaunde mylke..."

.Cxxxiiij. Apple Moyle.—Nym Rys, an bray hem wyl, & temper hem with Almaunde mylke, & boyle it; & take Applys, & pare hem, an smal screde hem in mossellys; þrow on sugre y-now, & coloure it with Safroun, & caste þer-to gode pouder, & serue forth.

Cxxxiiij - Apple Moyle. Nym Rys, an bray hem wyl, and temper hem with Almaunde mylke, and boyle it; and take Applys, and pare hem, an smal screde hem in mossellys; throw on sugre y-now, and coloure it with Safroun, and caste ther-to gode pouder, and serue forth [correction; sic = f].

134 - Apple Soft - Take rice, and pound them well, and temper them with almond milk, and boil it, and take apples, and pare them, and small shred them in morsels; throw on sugar enough, and color it with saffron, and caste there-to good powder, an serve forth

Interpreted Recipe                                                               Serves 1 as a main, 2 as a side

1/4 cup rice flour
1 cup almond milk
1 small apple, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
2 tbsp. sugar
pinch of saffron
1/4 tsp. powder douce
** Pinch of Salt

Bring almond milk, rice flour, saffron, sugar and apples to a simmer and cook until the apples are tender and the mixture has thickened. Sprinkle with powder douce and serve.

I added salt to this mixture and I believe it made quite a bit of difference.  I liked this, but I have liked almost every dish I have made using the base of rice flour and almond milk and cooking it down to the thickness of a breakfast cereal.  This made a sweet porridge that I would not hesitate to serve as a breakfast dish at any event or for a camp breakfast. It couldn't be simpler to make, the most difficult part of this dish was making sure it did not thicken too much or burn. The taste testers and I had a bit of a spoon war to eat the last of this from the dish. 

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Ein Buch von guter spise (Germany, ca. 1345 - Alia Atlas, trans.)

69. Ein apfelmus (An apple puree). Wilt du machen ein apfelmus. so nim schöne epfele und schele sie. und snide sie in ein kalt wazzer. und süde sie in einem hafen. und menge sie mit wine und mit smaltze und ze slahe eyer mit wiz und mit al. und tu daz dor zu. und daz ist gar ein gut fülle. und versaltz niht.

How you want to make an apple puree. So take fine apples and skin them. And cut them in a cold water. And boil them in a pot. And mix them with wine and with fat and also beat eggs with white and with all. And do that thereto. And that is a very good filling. And do not oversalt.

Forme of Cury (England, 1390)

Appulmoy. XX.III. XIX. Take Apples and seeþ hem in water, drawe hem thurgh a straynour. take almaunde mylke & hony and flour of Rys, safroun and powdour fort and salt. and seeþ it stondyng.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Venyson in Broth with Furmenty

Venyson in Broth with Furmenty

This post features two recipes found in Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin. The first recipe, viij. Venyson with Furmenty, includes instructions on how to create a popular grain based dish, Furmenty and serve it with Venyson. The second recipe, .xxij Venyson in Broth, is instructions on how to prepare a pottage of venison. 

Frumenty was a hot porridge that normally accompanied a roasted meat or fish in the second course, however, I couldn't resist pairing this colorful dish, that might have been the medieval equivalent of mashed potatoes with the venison in broth.  I am glad I did! The name, frumenty comes from the latin frumentum which means "grain".

I used an ancient form of wheat called Kamut to make this dish. Kamut is a close relative of modern wheat but differs from modern wheat because the grain is about twice the size of modern wheat. Kamut is believed to be an ancient form of durum wheat which contains 30% more protein then regular wheat.  It is not as high in gluten as the wheat that is used for bread.  I can say that it makes a very creamy cereal with a nutty texture. Several frumenty recipes I found online suggested using cream of wheat cereal. I think it's a huge disservice to this dish to not use some form of cracked or whole wheat.

The history of Kamut is very interesting.  If rumor is to be believed this grain was first discovered in the tombs of Egypt, planted and then grown. It is more likely, though, that Kamut was kept alive via peasant farmers in Egypt or Asia Minor.  However the grain reemerged, a small sample of it was sold to an airman from Montana who mailed it home to his dad who planted the sample of seeds.  The man showed the seeds at county fairs and called it "King Tut's Wheat." It never really caught on, so the farmer began to feed his wheat to cattle.  It was rediscovered in 1977 by Bob Quinn, who has since started marketing it commercially.

.viij. Venyson with Furmenty.—Take whete and pyke it clene, and do it in a morter, an caste a lytel water þer-on; an stampe with a pestel tyl it hole*. [Hull, lose the husks. ]; þan fan owt þe holys,*. [Hulls; husks. ] an put it in a potte, an let sethe tyl it breke; þan set yt douun, an sone after set it ouer þe fyre, an stere it wyl; an whan þow hast sothyn it wyl, put þer-inne swete mylke, an seþe it y-fere, an stere it wyl; and whan it is y-now, coloure it wyth safron, an salt it euene, and dresse it forth, & þin venyson in a-nother dyshe with fayre hot water.

viij - Venyson with Furmenty. Take whete and pyke it clene, and do it in a morter, an caste a lytel water ther-on; an stampe with a pestel tyl it hole (Note: Hull, lose the husks); than fan owt the holys, (Note: Hulls; husks) an put it in a potte, an let sethe tyl it breke; than set yt douun, an sone after set it ouer the fyre, an stere it wyl; an whan thow hast sothyn it wyl, put ther-inne swete mylke, an sethe it y-fere, an stere it wyl; and whan it is y-now, coloure it wyth safron, an salt it euene, and dresse it forth, and thin venyson in a-nother dyshe with fayre hot water.

8. Venison with Furmenty. Take wheat and pick it clean, and do it in a morter, and caste a little water thereon; and stamp with a pestle until it be hulled; then fan out the hulls, and put it in a pot, and boil (sethe) until it break; then set it down and soon after set it over the fire, and stir it well; an when you have boiled it well, put therein sweet milk, and boil it together (y-fere) and stir it well; and when it is enough, color it with saffron, and salt it even, and dress it forth, and then venison in another dish with fair hot water. 

Interpreted Recipe                                    1 cup of dried Kamut makes enough frumenty to feed 8 people despite what the directions say!

1 cup kamut
3 cups water
Pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk or almond milk

Following the directions I soaked the wheat overnight in water, and then drained the water from the wheat.  I then continued to follow the directions by cooking the soaked wheat in 3 cups of water with the salt and saffron, stirring constantly until the water was completely absorbed.  I added a cup of milk to the cereal and continued to cook until the milk had been absorbed and served. The directions say this will feed four people, but the single cup made a lot of frumenty and would easily feed a table of 8 at an event. 

.xxij. Venyson in Broth.—Take Rybbys of Venysoun, and wasshe hem clene in fayre water, an strayne þe same water þorw a straynoure in-to a potte, an caste þer-to Venysoun, also Percely, Sawge, powder Pepyr, Clowys, Maces, Vynegre, and a lytyl Red wyne caste þere-to; an þanne latte it boyle tyl it be y-now, & serue forth.

xxij - Venyson in Broth. Take Rybbys of Venysoun, and wasshe hem clene in fayre water, an strayne the same water thorw a straynoure in-to a potte, an caste ther-to Venysoun, also Percely, Sawge, powder Pepyr, Clowys, Maces, Vynegre, and a lytyl Red wyne caste there-to; an thanne latte it boyle tyl it be y-now, and serue forth.

22. Venison in Broth - Take ribs of venison, and wash them clean in fair water, and strain the same water through a strainer into a pot, and caste thereto venison, also parsley, sage, powder pepper, cloves, mace, vinegar, and a little red wine caste thereto; and then let it boil till it be enough, and serve forth. 

Interpreted Recipe

1/4 pound venison or beef for stew
1 cup beef broth
1 tbsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cloves
1/8 tsp. mace
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. red wine

Place venison in the broth, add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Cook until the venison is tender and serve. 

This is another dish that I imagine could be cooked in a slow cooker or a roaster oven similar to Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Beef y-Stywyd. It was very flavorful and the taste testers, including the very picky teen who lives on chicken nuggets and pizza that I convinced to try it liked it- I call that a major endorsement.

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Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)

Furmenty with venyson. Take faire whete, and kerve it in a morter, And vanne a-wey clene the duste, and wassh it in faire watere and lete it boile till hit breke; then do awey the water clene, and caste there-to swete mylke, and sette it ouer the fire, And lete boile til it be thik ynogh, And caste there-to a goode quantite of tryed rawe yolkes of egges, and caste thereto Sapheron, sugur, and salt; but late it boile no more then, but sette it on fewe coles, lest the licoure wax colde. And then take fressh venyson, and water hit; seth hit and bawde hit; And if hit be salt, water hit, sethe hit, and leche hit as hit shall be serued forth, and put hit in a vessell with feyre water, and buille it (Note: Added from D)ayen; and as hit boyleth, blowe a-wey the grece, and serue it forth with ffurmenty, And a litul of the broth in the Dissh all hote with the flessh.
Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)

Venyson in broth. Take rybbes of venyson, and wassh hem faire in Water, And streyn the Water thorgh a Streynour into a faire potte, and cast the Venyson thereto,parcely, Sauge, powder of peper, cloue3, Maces, Vinegre, salt, And late hem boile til thei be ynow, and serue it forth.

Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)

lix - Furmenty with purpaysse. Make thin Furmenty in the maner as I sayd be-fore, saue temper it vp with Almaunden, Mylke, and Sugre, and Safroun, than take thin Purpays as a Freysshe Samoun, and sethe it in fayre Water; and when he is I-sothe y-now, bawde it and leche it [correction; sic = leche it leche it] in fayre pecys, and serue wyth Furmenty in hote Water.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab. 1430) - Gaylede - Rice Porridge with Figs & Honey

Harleian MS. 279 (ab. 1430) - Gaylede - Rice Porridge with Figs & Honey

It would be easy to pass over this recipe if you were looking for one of the more exciting period dishes, but to do so, would be a disservice. Gaylede is one of a number of almond milk and rice flour based recipes that you can find in the pottage section of Harleian MS. 279. The completed dish is very pretty; the sandalwood adds a very pretty pink color to the recipe, while the ginger and galingale provide a warm spice. Ideally, the medieval cook would serve this at the beginning of a meal because it fit in with the ideology that foods which were easily digestible, along with sugar and warm spices would prepare the stomach for the important job of digestion. Most of us would probably want to start our days with this cereal like dish. Either way, I encourage you to try it. 

This dish is interesting in that it calls for either sugar or honey to be used as a sweetener and it is the first time that I have seen this references in the Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin--which does not mean that similar recommendations were not made in other period cookery books. We know that sugar arrives in Europe in the early 1100's, and that prior to that honey was the main sweetener that would have been used in dishes. We are also given multiple suggestions on how to serve this dish, either with figs, raisins, or hard bread that has been diced.

When sugar first arrived in Europe it was used as a medicine, and would have been restricted to those households that were able to afford it. By the 1600's it would have been more readily available. Prior to sugar, honey was the universal sweetener and its usage is as old as written history itself. One of the earliest mentions of honey is 2100 BC, where it is mentioned in Sumerian and Babylonian writings.  However, there are cave paintings in Spain dating back to 7000 BC that may depict individuals gathering honey and engaging in possible bee keeping activities.  Legend states that Cupid would dip his arrows in honey before shooting them into unsuspecting lovers!

.Ixxxv. Gaylede. — Take Alraaunde Mylke & Flowre of Rys, & do ])er-to Sugre or Hony, & Powder Gyngere & Galyngale ; |ieu take figys, 'an kerue hem a-to, or Eoysonys y-hole,' or hard Wastel y-dicyd^ and coloure it with Saunderys, & sethe it & dresse hem yn.

.lxxxv. Gaylede - Take Almaunde Mylke & Flowre of Rys, & do there-to Sugre or Hony, & Powder Gyngere & Galyngale; then take figys, an kerue hem a-to, or Roysonys y-hole, or hard Wastel y-diced and coloure it with Saunderys, & seethe it & dresse hem yn.

85. Gaylede - Take almond milk and rice flour and add sugar or honey, and powder ginger and galyngale; then take figs, and cut them in two, or raisins whole, or hard Wastel (bread), diced, and color it with saunders, and boil it and dress them in.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                                     Serve 1 as main, 2 as side

1 c. almond milk
2 tbsp. rice flour
1 tbsp. sugar or honey
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. galingale
1 figs, or 1 tbsp. raisins, or 1/8 c. diced bread
2 tsp. sandalwood

Bring the almond milk to a simmer and add the sandalwood. Let steep ten minutes or until desired color is reached. I used sandalwood bark that I purchased from Amazon, and you will want to strain the bark out from the almond milk--it's just not pleasant biting into a piece of bark. Trust me on this! Once the milk has been strained, add the sugar or honey, ginger, galingale and rice flour. Cook this until the rice flour has cooked thoroughly and almond milk has thickened. Top with figs, raisins or diced bread and enjoy!

Pretty and pink! That is what I thought when I completed this dish that I am ashamed to say I did not share with anyone. I ate it all myself and I do believe this will become a regular dish on my table. It's too bad the pictures don't do the color of this porridge any justice. The sandalwood turned the almond milk a very pretty rosy pink. The ginger and galingale was a perfect complement to the figs that I used. This was a very comforting dish that I could see being used for a breakfast, especially on a cool camp morning! I have convinced myself that cream of rice cereal might be a very good substitute for the rice flour--mostly because the rice flour I have made is not smooth like wheat flour and I would miss its texture in any dish that I have added it to.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .lxxxxj. Vyolette. - Violette

.lxxxxj. Vyolette

It's that time of year again. In addition to making preserved flowers to be used as decorations for future events, I am once again revisiting violet syrup, which is delicious on ice cream, sugar plate and manus christi. I have also been looking forward to trying two recipes that I found in Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin featuring violets. You can read more about the violet and it's usage in any of the links above. 

.lxxxxj. Vyolette.—Nym Almaunde Mylke, an flowre of Rys, and pouder Gyngere, Galyngale, Pepir, Datis, Fygys, & Rasonys y-corven, an coloure it with Safroun, an boyle it & make it chargeaunt; an whan þou dressyste, take þe flowres, an hew hem, an styre it þer-with; nyme þe braunchys with þe flowres, an sette a-boue and serue it Forth.

lxxxxj - Vyolette. Nym Almaunde Mylke, an flowre of Rys, and pouder Gyngere, Galyngale, Pepir, Datis, Fygys, and Rasonys y-corven, an coloure it with Safroun, an boyle it and make it chargeaunt; an whan thou dressyste, take the flowres, an hew hem, an styre it ther-with; nyme the braunchys with the flowres, an sette a-boue and serue it Forth.

91. Violet -take almond milk, and flower of rice, and powder ginger, galingale, pepper, dates, figs and raisons cut, and color it with saffron, and boil it and make it thick. And when you dress it, take the flowers and cut them, and stir it there-with; cut the branches with the flowers and set above and serve forth. 

Of the two recipes tested today, this was the least favorite. All of the taste testers agreed that it was good and that they would eat it again if it were served again. However, unlike the recipe for .Cxxv. Vyolette., which I have been requested to make again on a regular basis, this was considered good for the purpose of a reenactment event. 

The dish was very pretty, the broth being yellow with saffron, ginger and galangal, the purple of the violets was made all the more vibrant when laid against it.  This was a very filling dish, the raisins, dates and figs in the broth of almond milk thickened with rice flour was very pleasant when you ate it.  I was reminded of more of a warmed breakfast cereal, like cream of wheat or oatmeal porridge then the more desert like Cxxv. Vyolette.

Interpreted Recipe                                                    Serves 1 as a main, 2 as a side

1c. almond milk

2 tbsp. rice flour

1/4 tsp. powdered ginger

1/8 tsp. galingale and pepper

3 dates minced

3 figs minced

1/4 c. raisins

Pinch of saffron

Violets to decorate

Warm the almond milk with the saffron on low heat until the almond takes on a yellow hue, add ginger, galingale, pepper, dates, figs and raisins and cook for approximately five minutes or until the fruit has become plumped.  Add the rice flour and stir constantly until the broth has thickened. Allow the pudding to cool for approximately three to five minutes before adding the fresh violet flowers. Enjoy! I would taste for sweetness and add sugar to taste.

Harleian MS 279 (~1430) - Bruet of Almaynne in lente - Rice Porridge with Dates

Bruet of Almaynne in Lent 

Talk about comfort food! Bruet of Almaynne in Lente definitely needs to be served more often; creamy, sweet and delicious.  It can be put together in just a few minutes, however, I caution that it does thicken as it cools so instead of the "running" dish that the recipe called for, by the time I went to eat this; it had thickened to the consistency of a loose pudding. This recipe has been added to my "must be served at a feast" in the future list.

The term 'bruet" refers to a broth that has been thickened in some way; in this case, rice flour was added to the dish to thicken the broth slightly.

During times of Lent the eating of meat products was prohibited this included fowl, eggs, milk, cheese and butter. Fish was allowed.  Individuals could seek a special dispensation from observing the strict diet during lent, if they were elderly, pregnant, young or sick.

Individuals would partake of one meal a day, usually served after Vespers (midafternoon). The cook was expected to continue to create elaborate meals despite the prohibition on meat and dairy products.  This recipe is an example of the ingenuity of the time.

.lxviij. Bruet of Almaynne in lente.—Take fyne þikke Mylke of Almaundys; take datys, an mynce hem smal þer-on; take Sugre y-nowe, & straw þer-on, & a lytil flowre of Rys; sylt, & serue forth whyte, & loke þat it be rennyng.

Dan Myers offers this interpretation for the recipe above at his site Medieval Cookery.  If you have not visited his site. I urge you to do so!

lxviij - Bruet of Almaynne in lente. Take fyne thikke Mylke of Almaundys; take datys, an mynce hem smal ther-on; take Sugre y-nowe, and straw ther-on, and a lytilflowre of Rys; sylt, (Note: ? sprinkle.) and serue forth whyte, and loke that it be rennyng.
68. Broth of Almond in lente. --Take fine thick milk of almonds; take dates, and mynce them small thereon; take sugar enough, and strew there on, and a little flour of ryce; sprinkle and serve forth white, and look that it be running.

Interpreted Recipe:              Serves 2 as main, 3-4 as side

1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp. rice flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2-3 chopped dates

You can make your own rice flour by placing a minimum of 1/4 cup of rice into your blender and blending.  I prefer to make my own then to purchase flour that has already been made.  Be aware that homemade rice flour still retains quite a bit of texture and this does have an effect on any item that you use it with.  Rice flour can be substituted on a 1:1 ratio with wheat flour.

I added the almond milk, rice flour, sugar and 1 chipped date to a saucepan and heated it to boiling. I cooked the mixture for approximately 20 minutes in order to cook the rice completely.  If I were to serve this at the feast, it would be at this point that I would strain the mixture so that I could offer a smooth and silky soup.

I added a chopped date to decorate the dish, and liberally sprinkled additional sugar on top.

To Serve 8 as a Side Dish  (Original recipe multiplied by 2 and rounded to nearest cooking fraction)

2 cup almond milk
2 tbsp. rice flour
1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
2-3 chopped dates
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