Piatti di Salumi: Renaissance Antipasti & Mostarda (period and non-period recipe included)

“The Royal Feast” by Alonso Sánchez Coello (1531–1588), oil on canvas, public domain. A sumptuous Renaissance banquet scene that captures the richness and communal spirit of salumi, fruit, and condiments on the table.

Piatti di salumi, formaggi, olive, frutta fresca e secca e senape

Plates of cured meats, cheeses, olives, fresh and dried fruit, and mustard — listed on our 12th Night 2024 menu and served during the Primo seruitio posto in Tavola (first service on the table, antipasti). Charcuterie is a modern framing; the Italian period lens is salumi with fruit, bread, olives, and a sweet-hot mostarda. Prepared and plated by Dan Parker, the board leaned rustic and abundant—grapes spilling over, glossy olives, rosemary releasing aroma as diners reached in.

Period Context: Salumi & Mostarda

While “charcuterie” is a French term, the Italian table has long featured salumi—prosciutto, pancetta, lardo, coppa, and regional salami—paired with breads, olives, grapes, and preserved fruits. Renaissance sources also describe mostarda (sweet fruit with mustard heat). Bartolomeo Scappi (1570) includes a Mostarda amabile that blends cooked quince and apple with sugar, candied citrus, and mustard essence.

Scappi, Opera (1570), Libro II, cap. 276 — “Per far Mostarda amabile”
Quince and apples cooked with wine & sugar, worked with candied citrus and spiced with mustard—pounded to a smooth, sweet-hot sauce.

For this feast I used a modern, chutney-style mostarda for ease and flavor balance (link below), which sits comfortably in the same family even if the texture and acidity are more contemporary.

Mostarda: Period vs. Modern (quick comparison)

How Scappi’s mostarda differs from the modern chutney used at feast

Aspect	Period (Scappi, 1570)	Modern Chutney Used	Practical Notes
Fruits	Quince & apples; candied citrus peels	Apples & pears; dried cherries/cranberries	Both seasonal & flexible; quince gives classic perfume
Sweet/acid	Sugar + wine + grape must	Sugar + white wine + cider vinegar	Modern reads more “chutney” from vinegar
Heat	Mustard essence/seed	Mustard seed + ground mustard + cayenne	Adjust heat post-cook to taste
Texture	Smooth, pounded sauce	Chunky, spoonable conserve	Either pairs well with salumi & cheese
Make-ahead?	Yes — improves with rest	Yes — 3–4 weeks refrigerated	Ideal for feast workflow

Creme Bastarde – A Tudor Custard (Harl MS 279, ~1430)

Creme Bastarde (Harleian MS. 279) — Egg-White Custard for Potage or Baked Meats

Updated August 19, 2025 with additional context, serving notes, and a modern recipe aligned to the manuscript.

Creme Bastarde with stewed fruit (apples/pears) — a lovely Twelfth Night pairing.

The Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (Harleian MS. 279, ab. 1430) includes a custard made only with egg whites. It shows up again in later Tudor sources, which hints at how beloved it remained. Romans gave us many egg dishes, but the medieval period is where “custards,” as we recognize them, hit their stride. Some hard-set cousins (like let lardes or milke rosty’s) fell out of fashion; this one reads more like a pourable custard or sauce.

I recently served it at our local Baronial Twelfth Night with stewed apples and pears (pictured above). My own redaction landed very close to Peter Breverton’s version in his Tudor Cookbook—including nutmeg, cinnamon, and a splash of orange-flower water—yielding a light, fragrant custard that flatters fruit. It’s also lovely on its own, or over strawberries and cherries.

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Original Text & Modern Sense

Harleian MS. 279: .Clj. Creme Bastarde.

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

Modern Sense Translation

151. Cream Bastarde. Take a great heap of egg whites and put them into a pan full of milk; bring to a boil. Season lightly with salt and honey. Let it cool, then strain it; add fair cow’s milk and strain again. Season with sugar; aim for both “poignant” (a little sharp) and “sweet.” Serve as a potage, or with baked meats, as you wish.

Technique Notes

The manuscript boils whites in milk, then cools and strains, then enriches and sweetens. To avoid scorching or curdling, a double-boiler is your friend. (Yes, I also sometimes go “grandma method” and let a bit of water ride up the side of the insert—do what keeps it gentle and even.)