Egredouncye (Harleian MS. 279, c. 1430) — A Tangy Medieval “Sewe” & Comparison with Beef y-Stywyd
Egredouncye — A Tangy Medieval “Sewe” (Harleian MS. 279, c. 1430)
Egredouncye served over a trencher, broth “running,” fresh parsley bright on top.
Slice, broil, mince “like venison,” then stew with broth, herbs, saffron, and a tart splash of vinegar or wine. This dish is served forth rennyng—its broth pourable, its herbs fresh.
This dish represents the “sewe” family of medieval stews — broth-forward, brightened with herbs and spice, thinner than gravies and brewets.
Original Text & Translation
Original (Middle English)
.Cxl. Egredouncye.—Take Porke or Beef, wheþer þe lykey, & leche it þinne þwerte; þen broyle it broun̛ a litel, & þen mynce it lyke Venyson; choppe it in sewe, þen caste it in a potte & do þer-to Freyssh brothe; take Erbis, Oynonys, Percely & Sawge, & oþer gode erbis, þen lye it vppe with Brede; take Pepir & Safroun, pouder Canel, Vynegre, or Eysel Wyne, Broþe an Salt, & let ȝet boyle to-gederys, tylle þey ben y-now, & þan serue it forth rennyng.
Modern Translation
Take pork or beef, slice thin across the grain; broil until lightly browned, then mince like venison. Stew it in fresh broth with herbs, onions, parsley, and sage. Thicken lightly with bread crumbs. Season with pepper, saffron, cinnamon, and vinegar or eisel wine, plus broth and salt. Boil until done, then serve “running” — as a loose, pourable stew.
Sometimes a recipe resists easy interpretation, and this one has long puzzled cooks. “A Potage” from Harleian MS. 279 begins with an unusual step: cooking eggs in red wine before straining them with almond milk. At first glance, it might resemble wine clarification, but comparisons to similar recipes in Le Ménagier de Paris and other sections of Harleian MS. 279 suggest the intent was closer to a custard technique — lightly curdled eggs beaten into wine, strained, and then enriched with almond milk. The result is a sweet-savory almond custard-pottage, thickened with rice flour, colored red with sandalwood, and optionally garnished with chopped veal on flesh days. This dish sits somewhere between rice pudding, mincemeat, and almond custard, showcasing the medieval love of spice, fruit, and color in festive pottages.
Modern redaction of a 15th-century almond milk pottage, enriched with dried fruits, pine nuts, honey, and sweet spices.
The Original Recipe
Cxlix. A Potage.
Take an sethe a fewe eyron̛ in red Wyne; þan take & draw hem þorw a straynoure with a gode mylke of Almaundys; þen caste þer-to Roysonys of Coraunce, Dates y-taylid, grete Roysonys, Pynes, pouder Pepir, Sawndrys, Clouys, Maces, Hony y-now, a lytil doucete, & Salt; þan bynde hym vppe flat with a lytyl flowre of Rys, & let hem ben Red with Saunderys, & serue hym in flatte; & ȝif þou wolt, in fleyssℏ tyme caste vele y-choppid þer-on, not to smale.
Cxlix. A Potage.
Take and seethe a few eggs in red wine; then take and draw them through a strainer with a good almond milk. Then cast thereto currants, chopped dates, large raisins, pine nuts, powdered pepper, sandalwood, cloves, mace, honey enough, a little doucete, and salt. Then bind it up flat with a little rice flour, and let it be red with sandalwood, and serve it in flat. And if you will, in flesh time cast veal chopped thereon, not too small.
Medieval cooks used jewel-like pomegranate seeds to decorate sauces and meats.
Serving note: For a period-forward table setting, consider this handmade
red clay tableware set.
(affiliate)
In fifteenth-century English kitchens, sauces were not mere accompaniments but important markers of taste and refinement. Sauce Sarsoun from Harleian MS. 279 is a striking example: a rich blend of almonds, almond milk, wine, and sugar, finished with the jewel-like brilliance of pomegranate seeds. It demonstrates the medieval love of almond-based cookery, the expensive allure of sugar, and the symbolic flourish of garnishes drawn from distant lands.
Capoun in Consewe appears as recipe no. lxiiij in Harleian MS. 279 (c. 1430). The word consewe likely draws on Old French roots with the sense of “to comfort/strengthen,” which suits the dish: a nourishing chicken pottage scented with parsley and savory, enriched with almonds (or egg yolks), and finished with sugar.
A capon (a castrated rooster) signaled luxury; almonds and sugar were costly imports. Together they elevate a simple boiled fowl into something fit for feast tables and restorative cookery. In humoral terms, parsley and savory (hot & dry) balance the warm, moist qualities of chicken and almond milk—this is flavor and medicine in tandem.
Herbs in Context
Parsley was praised for aiding digestion and “opening the stomach.” Savory brought a peppery sharpness and was used to correct heaviness and “wind.” Their pairing keeps the dish lively and balanced.
🍲 Did You Know?
Capoun in Consewe functioned much like modern chicken soup: gentle enough for the sick or weak, yet refined enough for feast service—especially with the luxury of almonds and sugar.
Egg yolks – Hot & moist; fortifying thickener (optional).
Sugar – Warm & moist; balancing sweetness, a mark of elite dining.
Salt – Cold & dry; flavor enhancer and practical preservative.
Together these create a restorative, balanced pottage—truly medieval “chicken soup for the soul.”
Side-by-Side Recipe
Original (Middle English)
.lxiiij. Capoun in consewe.—Take a Capoun, & make hem clene, & sethe hym in Water, percely, Sauereye & Salt; & whan he his y-now, quarter hym; þan grynde Almaundys. & temper vppe wyth þat brothe of þe Capoun; or ellys take þe ȝolkys of Eyroun, & make it chargeaunt, & strayne þe Almaundys & boyle it; take Sugre a goode porcyoun, & do þer-yn; & when it ys y-boylid, ley þe Capoun in þe dysshe, & put þat Sew a-boue, & strawe þer-vppe-on Sugre, & send it yn with alman̛.
Modern Translation
Take a capon and clean it well. Boil it in water with parsley, savory, and salt. When it is cooked, cut it into quarters. Grind almonds and mix them with the broth from the capon (or else thicken the broth with egg yolks). Strain the almond mixture and boil it. Add a good portion of sugar. When boiled, place the capon in a dish and pour the sauce over. Strew sugar on top and serve it with almonds.
