Medieval Braised Kale and Collards in Beef Broth (Lange Wortys de Chare)

Medieval Braised Greens in Beef Broth - Lange Wortys de Chare

Lange Wortys de Chare, medieval braised greens simmered in beef broth and thickened with bread.

Much like Caboges, this dish of mixed greens braised in beef broth is far better than it appears at first reading.

A simple dish of greens? No. This is kale and collards, or other sturdy greens, first parboiled, then simmered again with beef, marrow bones, saffron, salt, and grated white bread. The result is not a sad little bowl of boiled leaves. It is a savory, bread-thickened pottage with rich broth clinging to the greens.

At a glance: This is a 15th-century English greens recipe from Harleian MS 279. The greens are cooked twice, enriched with beef broth and marrow bones, seasoned with saffron and salt, and thickened with grated white bread.

That is what medieval cooks did so well. They took humble ingredients and gave them structure, seasoning, fat, and patience.

What Is Lange Wortys de Chare?

Lange Wortys de Chare appears in Harleian MS 279, a 15th-century English cookery manuscript edited by Thomas Austin in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. The title may be understood as long wortes, or leafy greens, cooked with flesh. In this case, the flesh is beef with marrow bones.

This recipe belongs to the same family of medieval greens and vegetable pottages as Medieval Wortys, Lange Wortes de Pesoun, Joutes, Whyte Wortes, and Caboges.

Why Did Medieval Cooks Boil Greens Twice?

This recipe asks the cook to parboil the greens first, then cook them again in the beef broth. That may sound redundant, but it is an important part of the method.

Many sturdy greens, especially members of the brassica family such as kale, collards, cabbage leaves, and mustard greens, can be bitter or tough. The first boiling softens them and removes some harshness. The second cooking gives them flavor. Plain water takes something away; broth gives something back.

Kitchen lesson: The first boil tames the greens. The second boil feeds them. This is the difference between plain boiled greens and a medieval pottage worth serving.

That is still good kitchen sense. Modern cooks do similar things with collards, kale, mustard greens, and other bitter greens when they simmer them with stock, fat, smoked meat, or seasoning. Medieval cooks were not merely enduring greens. They were making them delicious.

Caboges and Lange Wortys: Cousins in the Pot

Caboges and Lange Wortys de Chare use nearly the same technique. Both recipes begin by parboiling the vegetable, then cooking it again in broth with marrow or marrow bones. Both use saffron and salt. Both are thickened with grated bread.

The difference is the vegetable. Caboges uses cabbage. Lange Wortys de Chare uses leafy greens. If Caboges is the cabbage cousin, Lange Wortys de Chare is the earthier, greener sibling.

What Greens Can You Use?

I used a mixture of kale and collards, which works beautifully. Both are sturdy greens and fit well with the medieval idea of wortes or coleworts. Other good choices include mustard greens, turnip greens, beet greens, cabbage leaves, or a mixture of bitter and mild greens.

I would avoid using only tender spinach unless you want a very soft result. Spinach cooks quickly and does not behave like kale or collards in a long simmer. This recipe wants greens with some backbone.

Best modern greens: kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, beet greens, cabbage leaves, or a mixed pot of sturdy bitter greens.

For a deeper discussion of medieval wortes, coleworts, and the brassica family, see my post on Medieval Wortys.

Why Add Bread to Braised Greens?

The manuscript calls for a loaf of white bread to be grated into the pot. This is not filler. Bread was one of the great medieval thickeners, used in sauces, soups, stews, and pottages. Grated white bread dissolves into hot broth and gives it body, turning thin cooking liquid into something soft, rich, and spoonable.

For modern cooks, day-old manchet or another fine white bread is ideal. It grates better than fresh bread and thickens the broth more smoothly. Add it slowly, stirring well, because bread clumps are stubborn little gremlins.

Why This Dish Belongs at a Feast

Greens were inexpensive, useful, and widely available, but this recipe is not plain poverty food. Beef, marrow bones, saffron, white bread, and the labor of cooking the greens twice all raise the dish. It is budget-friendly compared with showier meats, but still rich enough to belong on a feast table.

This would be an excellent dish for an SCA feast. It is affordable, flexible, and deeply period in technique. It can be served brothier or thicker, lighter on the greens or packed with them. Greens cook down dramatically. A great heap becomes a much smaller pot. That is what greens do.

Greens and Humoral Balance in the Medieval Kitchen

Medieval cooks did not think about food only in terms of flavor. Food was also understood through the lens of humoral theory, in which ingredients were believed to possess qualities such as hot, cold, moist, or dry. Leafy greens were often considered cooling and moistening foods, useful in balancing richer or warmer dishes.

Yet greens could also be viewed as difficult if eaten raw or prepared poorly. This may help explain the careful treatment in recipes such as Lange Wortys de Chare. First the greens are parboiled, softening harshness and bitterness. Then they are cooked again in rich beef broth with marrow and saffron, ingredients associated with warmth, nourishment, and comfort. Bread thickens and softens the dish further, creating something more balanced and sustaining.

Humoral note: The greens begin as cooling, moist, and potentially harsh. The broth, marrow, saffron, and bread transform them into a warmer, richer, more sustaining pottage.

In other words, medieval cooks were not simply boiling vegetables. They were transforming them into food considered more agreeable to the body as well as the table.

Historic Recipe

The recipe below is from Thomas Austin’s edition of Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. Harleian MS. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1429, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55.

.j. Lange Wortys de chare. Take beeff and merybonys, and boyle yt in fayre water; þan take fayre wortys and wassche hem clene in water, and parboyle hem in clene water; þan take hem vp of þe water after þe fyrst boylyng, an cut þe leuys a-to or a-þre, and caste hem in-to þe beff, and boyle to gederys: þan take a lof of whyte brede and grate yt, an caste it on þe pot, an safron & salt, & let it boyle y-now, and serue forth.

Modern Translation

Take beef and marrow bones, and boil them in clean water. Then take good greens and wash them clean in water, and parboil them in clean water. Take them up from the water after the first boiling, cut the leaves in two or three pieces, and put them into the beef, and boil together. Then take a loaf of white bread and grate it, and add it to the pot with saffron and salt. Let it boil enough, and serve it forth.

Modern Recipe Notes

This interpretation uses kale and collards as the greens, homemade beef stock as the broth, grated bread as the thickener, and saffron as the seasoning. If you have marrow from making the stock, add it at the end so it remains visible and rich.

The original recipe begins with beef and marrow bones boiled in water. For modern kitchens, prepared beef stock is easier. Homemade stock made with marrow bones is ideal.

Wild Brassica oleracea, ancestor of many familiar greens and cabbage-family vegetables. Image originally linked from kottke.org.

Medieval Braised Cabbage with Marrow Bones – Caboges from Harleian MS 279

Medieval Braised Cabbage with Marrow Bones: Caboges from Harleian MS 279

Caboges, a medieval braised cabbage dish from Harleian MS 279, served here with bread.

A humble dish of cabbage can still surprise you.

When I first made this recipe for Caboges from Harleian MS 279, I expected something plain and useful: boiled cabbage, perhaps a little broth, a serviceable green thing on the side of the table. Instead, I found tender cabbage braised in rich broth, scented with saffron, thickened with fine bread, and finished with marrow from the bones. It was cabbage dressed for court.

Even sworn cabbage haters tried it and wanted more. Success!

This recipe is one of several vegetable-forward dishes from Harleian MS 279, a 15th-century English cookery manuscript edited by Thomas Austin in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. It belongs in the same delicious family as medieval wortes, Whyte Wortes, Lange Wortys de Chare, and Joutes.

What Are Caboges?

Caboges is the Middle English form of “cabbages.” But this is not simply boiled cabbage. The recipe directs the cook to clean and parboil the cabbage, press it dry, chop it, and then cook it again in fresh broth with marrow bones. The broth is thickened either with grated fine bread or with a strained meat gruel. At service, the marrow is knocked from the bones and placed visibly in the dish.

That finishing touch matters. This is where the recipe moves from plain vegetable cookery into feast-worthy food.

Why Was This Medieval Cabbage Recipe Fit for a Feast?

Modern readers often imagine medieval vegetable dishes as plain or rustic, but medieval cooks knew how to elevate simple ingredients. Here, cabbage becomes noble through treatment:

• It is cooked twice for better texture and flavor.
• It is simmered in fresh broth rather than plain water.
• It is enriched with marrow bones.
• It is colored and scented with saffron.
• It is thickened with grated fine bread into a soft pottage.

The cabbage may be inexpensive, but the broth, marrow, saffron, bread, fuel, and kitchen labor all add value. This is one of the joys of medieval cooking: the simplest vegetable can become something luxurious when handled with care.

How Would Caboges Have Been Served?

Caboges would likely have appeared among the wortes, pottages, or vegetable dishes of a medieval meal, served alongside roasted meats, meat pies, bread, or other greens. The marrow bones and saffron suggest a dish meant for a table with resources, not merely a plain household cabbage. This is the kind of recipe that reminds us that medieval feast food was not only about spectacular meats and subtleties. Sometimes the quiet dish at the side of the table was doing serious work.

Why Did Medieval Cooks Use Bread to Thicken Soup and Pottage?

Bread appears throughout medieval cookery as a thickener for sauces, pottages, broths, and stews. Before modern cornstarch, commercial thickeners, or the familiar flour-and-butter roux, cooks often relied on grated bread, soaked bread, ground almonds, egg yolks, or strained grain and meat mixtures to give body to a dish.

In this recipe, the manuscript calls for fayre brede, or fine bread. For a modern kitchen, a day-old manchet or other good white bread works beautifully. It grates more easily than very fresh bread and dissolves into the broth, creating a smooth, velvety texture. I originally made this with grated Rastons, but manchet is likely the better everyday recommendation for readers who want to recreate the dish.

Bread also reflects the no-waste wisdom of the medieval kitchen. Yesterday’s loaf could become today’s sauce, sop, trencher, or pottage. In Caboges, the bread is not filler. It is the quiet magic that turns broth into something spoonable and satisfying.

Why Does the Recipe Offer Bread or Meat Gruel?

The recipe gives two ways to enrich and thicken the dish: grated fine bread, or a strained gruel made from fresh meat. The bread version is more approachable for a modern kitchen and produces a smooth pottage. The meat-gruel version would have made the dish even richer, especially in a busy medieval kitchen where broth, meat, and strained cooking liquids were already part of the day’s work.

Why Do the Marrow Bones Matter?

The marrow bones are not incidental. The recipe tells the cook to boil the cabbage with marrow bones, then knock out the marrow and lay two or three pieces in the dish at service. That means the marrow is both flavoring and garnish.

For modern cooks, bone marrow can feel unfamiliar, but it brings deep richness. Think of it as the medieval equivalent of finishing a dish with butter, olive oil, or the most luxurious spoonful of beef essence imaginable. If you make your own stock with marrow bones, do not waste the marrow. Use it. The manuscript wants you to.

Cabbage in Medieval Food Philosophy

Cabbage and other brassicas were useful, filling, and widely eaten, but they could also be considered coarse, windy, or difficult if poorly prepared. This recipe manages cabbage through careful technique. Parboiling softens and tames it. Pressing removes excess water. The second cooking in broth makes it nourishing. Saffron adds warmth and fragrance, while bread gives the broth body. The result is not limp cabbage water, but a carefully balanced pottage.

Historic Recipe

The recipe below is from Thomas Austin’s edition of Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. Harleian MS. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1429, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55.

.iiij. Caboges. Take fayre caboges, an cutte hem, an pike hem clene and clene washe hem, an parboyle hem in fayre water, an þanne presse hem on a fayre bord; an þan choppe hem, and caste hem in a faire pot with goode freysshe broth, an wyth mery-bonys, and let it boyle: þanne grate fayre brede and caste þer-to, an caste þer-to Safron an salt; or ellys take gode grwel y-mad of freys flesshe, y-draw þorw a straynour, and caste þer-to. An whan þou seruyst yt inne, knocke owt þe marw of þe bonys, an ley þe marwe .ij. gobettys or .iij. in a dysshe, as þe semyth best, & serue forth.

Modern Translation

Take good cabbages, cut them, pick them clean, and wash them well. Parboil them in clean water, then press them on a clean board. Chop them, and put them in a clean pot with good fresh broth and marrow bones, and let it boil. Then grate fine bread and add it, and add saffron and salt. Or else take good gruel made of fresh meat, strained through a strainer, and add that. When you serve it, knock the marrow out of the bones and lay two or three pieces of marrow in the dish, as seems best, and serve it forth.

Modern Recipe Notes

This interpretation follows the breadcrumb-thickened version of the recipe rather than the alternate strained meat gruel. The first boiling softens the cabbage and removes some of its stronger edge. Pressing the cabbage keeps the final dish from becoming watery. The second cooking in broth gives depth, while the grated bread thickens the broth into a soft pottage.

The saffron is included in the original recipe, but I mark it as optional for modern cooks because of cost. If you have it, use it. It adds color, fragrance, and a little medieval splendor.

Simple ingredients: cabbage, broth, bread, saffron, and marrow.

Soupes Jamberlayne – Sops of Bread in Mulled Wine

Soupes Jamberlayne – Sops of Bread in Mulled Wine

Originally published November 10, 2015. Updated June 7, 2026.

Soupes Jamberlayne, a medieval dish of toasted bread soaked in spiced wine.

Soupes Jamberlayne, also known as Sops Chamberlain, is a simple but fascinating dish from Harleian MS. 279: toasted bread soaked in sweetened, spiced wine and served “in manner of a potage.” It sits in that wonderfully medieval territory where bread, drink, sauce, and spoon dish all overlap.

This is not my favorite recipe from the manuscript, and I want to be honest about that. Wine can be a migraine trigger for me, so wine-heavy dishes are not recipes I return to often. Still, Soupes Jamberlayne is historically valuable because it shows us how important sops were in late medieval English cooking. Medieval cooks did not merely serve bread beside liquids; they often built entire dishes around bread absorbing broth, milk, almond milk, wine, or sauce.

Think of this less as “soggy bread” and more as a warm, spiced, wine-soaked bread pottage. The bread gives body. The wine gives warmth and acidity. Ginger, cinnamon, sugar, and blaunch powder turn the liquid into something closer to mulled wine. It may not be everyone’s perfect breakfast, but it absolutely belongs in the medieval sop family alongside Lyode Soppes, Soupes Dorye, Bruet of Almaynne in Lente, and Rastons.

Bruet of Almaynne in Lente – A Medieval Almond Milk Porridge with Dates

Bruet of Almaynne in Lente – Medieval Almond Milk Porridge with Dates

Originally published November 5, 2015. Updated June 7, 2026.

Bruet of Almaynne in Lente, a Lenten almond milk bruet with dates.

Talk about comfort food! Bruet of Almaynne in Lente is one of my favorite medieval “porridge” recipes from Harleian MS. 279. It is creamy, gently sweet, rich with almond milk, and brightened with chopped dates. It comes together quickly, feels soothing, and has the kind of soft, spoonable texture that makes it easy to imagine at a cold-weather feast, a Lenten table, or even a modern camp breakfast.

That said, “porridge” is a useful modern description rather than a perfect medieval one. The manuscript calls this dish a bruet, a broth or liquid preparation thickened in some way. In this case, fine thick almond milk is lightly thickened with rice flour and sweetened with sugar and dates. The original recipe specifically tells the cook to “look that it be running,” meaning the finished dish should remain loose and pourable, not thick like a set pudding.

When I first made this recipe, mine thickened as it cooled. By the time I sat down to eat it, the texture had moved from a running bruet into something closer to a loose pudding. It was still delicious, and honestly, I immediately added it to my “must serve at a feast someday” list. But for a closer interpretation, the cook should aim for a silky almond broth or thin cream-of-rice consistency rather than a firm porridge.

Medieval Rabbit, Chicken, or Duck in Onion Sauce (Hen in Cyve – Harleian MS. 279)

Hen in Cyve – Medieval Chicken (or Rabbit/Duck) in Onion & Wine Sauce (Harleian MS. 279)

Conyng, Mawlard, in gely or in cyuey – Hen, Rabbit, or Duck in Onion Sauce (Harleian MS. 279)

What is “Cyve / Cyuey”? A savory medieval onion sauce thickened with bread and sharpened with vinegar and wine—balanced with warm spices like ginger, mace, cinnamon, and cloves. Wonderful with poultry, rabbit, or duck.

Updated 5/19/2026: This post now includes related recipes: .lxxiij. Conyngys in cyveye and .lxiij. Harys in Cyueye.

Medieval Stew in Onion Sauce

One of my favorite finds from The Ordinance of Pottage was “Hare in Cyve,” a richly flavored onion-based sauce that quickly became a feast favorite in my early SCA days. When I later discovered a related recipe in Harleian MS. 279 (c.1430), I knew it had to go on my cooking list.

Conyng means rabbit; Hare its larger cousin; and Mawlard means duck. The recipe offers flexibility—showing how cooks adapted this onion-thickened sauce (or cyuey) to whatever meat was available.

📖 A cyuey is a spiced medieval onion sauce thickened with bread and vinegar, balancing savory, sweet, and tart notes. It’s delicious with poultry, rabbit, or game.

Original Text (Harleian MS. 279)

.xlij. Conyng, Mawlard, in gely or in cyuey – Take Conynge, Hen, or Mawlard, and roste hem alle-most y-now, or ellys choppe hem, an frye hem in fayre Freysshe grece; an frye myncyd Oynenons, and caste alle in-to þe potte, & caste þer-to fayre Freysshe brothe, an half Wyne, Maces, Clowes, Powder pepir, Canelle; þan take fayre Brede, an wyth þe same brothe stepe, an draw it þorw a straynoure wyth vynegre; an whan it is wyl y-boylid, caste þe lycoure þer to, & powder Gyngere, & Salt, & sesyn it vp an serue forth.

Modern Translation

42. Rabbit, Hen, or Duck in Onion Sauce – Take rabbit, hen, or duck, and roast them almost enough, or else chop them, and fry them in good fresh fat. Fry minced onions and add all into the pot with fresh broth and half wine, along with mace, cloves, pepper, and cinnamon. Then take good bread, soak it in the same broth, and strain it with vinegar. When it is well boiled, add this mixture, plus ginger and salt. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Coleys (Chicken Cullis): Medieval Chicken Bone Broth & Restorative Soup

Coleys (Chicken Cullis): Medieval Chicken Bone Broth & Restorative Soup – Harleian MS. 279

Harleian MS. 279 (c.1430) — .xxvj. Coleys — Chicken Cullis

What is “Coley(s)” / Cullis? A medieval restorative made by cooking a capon until tender, then enriching the broth with the meat, bread, and the “liquor of the bones.” Think early bone-broth technique with a comforting, spoonable finish.

Originally published 5/12/ 2019 Updated 5/13/2026

In Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books (Harleian MS. 279), Coleys calls for not only the broth from boiling the capon but specifically the liquor of the bones—a clear nod toward longer extraction and collagen, much like today’s bone broth. French sources, including Du fait de cuisine, even frame coulleys as food for the sick: nourishing, mild, and easily digested.

This is not a clear soup. It is closer to a spoonable medieval chicken soup, a savory porridge, or a soft restorative broth thickened with bread. The result is mild, warming, and practical: a dish that uses the bird thoroughly and turns broth, meat, bones, skin, and bread into something sustaining.

Gyngaudre – A Medieval Fish Liver Stew (Harleian MS. 279, c. 1430)

Gyngaudre – Medieval Fish Liver Stew from Harleian MS. 279 (c. 1430)

Originally published July 2015 · Updated October 28, 2025

Illustration from The Book of Wonders of the Age (St Andrews ms32).

Fish in the Medieval Diet: During the Middle Ages, fish was an essential protein for both the pious and the practical. Church fasting rules forbade meat from warm-blooded animals on Fridays, during Lent, and other holy seasons—amounting to nearly one-third of the year. Preserved and freshwater fish therefore became dietary staples across all social classes, and creative dishes like Gyngaudre ensured nothing was wasted.

Context & Historical Background

Gyngaudre (sometimes written Jingandre or Gyngawdre) is a rare entry in Harleian MS. 279 (c.1430), one of the great English culinary manuscripts of the 15th century. It appears alongside many Lenten and fasting-day recipes, where fish replaces red meat or poultry. The dish is a rich fish-liver stew, thickened and sharpened with wine, vinegar, saffron, and pepper.

Offal dishes—especially those made with liver and roe—were prized for their perceived nourishment and humoral warmth. According to medieval dietetic theory, liver was considered “hot and moist,” believed to restore vitality and promote sanguine balance. Fish livers, particularly from eel or cod, were thought especially rich in essence and restorative for those weakened by fasting.

Modern readers may balk at the idea of fish offal, but in its day this would have been a luxurious and economical dish—making use of every edible part of valuable seafood during Lent or “fish days.” Today, cod liver remains a delicacy in parts of Northern Europe, often canned in its own oil.

About the Source

Harleian MS. 279 is one of two major medieval English cookbooks compiled for upper households in the early 15th century (the other being Harleian MS. 4016). Its recipes show a transition between heavily spiced, sauce-rich medieval fare and the more refined early Tudor palate. “Gyngaudre” reflects that shift—spiced, fragrant, but comparatively simple.

What Is a “Fish Pouch”?

The manuscript calls for “the Pouches and the Lyuerys.” The term pouch may refer to the roe sac, as in “fish pouch of eggs,” or possibly a scribal error for “paunch”—meaning belly. Both interpretations fit a recipe focusing on rich internal organs. For modern cooks, roe or belly meat are both acceptable substitutes.

Modern Safety Note

While medieval cooks used offal liberally, modern dietary safety recommends avoiding fish livers from unknown sources due to possible toxin accumulation. If you wish to attempt this dish, use clean, cold-water species and ensure all organs come from a safe, traceable source. Alternatively, substitute filleted fish and roe for a milder and safer experience.

Bruet of Almayne (Spiced Wine Broth) — Harleian MS 279 (c. 1430)

Detail from the Banquet du Paon (Chroniques de Hainaut, c. 1447–48) — feasts like these inspired Russell’s Dynere of Flesche.

In John Russell’s Dynere of Flesche, a “pottage of spice and wine” appears beside Herbelade as part of the first course. The closest surviving analogue is Bruet of Almayne from Harleian MS 279 (c. 1430): a smooth, aromatic broth of wine, almond milk, and warming spice. Where Herbelade is cool and green, this dish is rich and golden — together balancing the table in taste and humor.

See the full reconstructed menu here: A Dynere of Flesche — John Russell’s 15th-Century Menu.

What “Bruet” means: from Old French bruir, “to boil” or “brew.” In medieval English cookery, a bruet was a seasoned sauce or broth — rich, spiced, and served as an early-course pottage or accompaniment to meats.

Why “of Almayne”? Almayne = Germany. Late-medieval English kitchens borrowed Central European taste for wine-forward, spice-laden sauces. This “German-style” bruet showcases almond milk, white wine, and warming spices (ginger, galingale, cinnamon, cloves, mace), yielding a golden, aromatic pottage.

Spice Note – Galingale vs. Ginger: Galingale (or galangal) was a favorite medieval spice imported from the East Indies, resembling ginger but sharper and more peppery. English cooks often paired the two — ginger for warmth, galingale for brightness — in “Almayne” and “Lombard” dishes influenced by continental taste. In modern kitchens, you can substitute extra ginger or a touch of cardamom for a similar aromatic lift.

Original Text — Harleian MS 279 (EETS 1888 p. 23)

Bruet of Almayne. Take Almonde mylke and Wyne, and drawe it with powder of Gyngere, of Galyngale, of Canelle, of Clowys, and of Maces, and let hit boyle; and take brawne of Capoun or Hennys, and small cutte, and cast therto; and when hit is boyled, then serve hit forth.

Modern English Rendering

Take almond milk and wine, and blend it with powders of ginger, galingale, cinnamon, cloves, and mace. Bring it to a boil. Add diced cooked capon or chicken, simmer briefly, and serve hot.

Modern Recipe (Tested Redaction)

Yield: 6–8 servings • Time: ~25 min

• 2 cups almond milk
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 ½ cups cooked chicken or capon, diced small (optional for pottage)
• ¼ tsp each ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, galingale (or nutmeg), and mace
• Pinch saffron (optional for color)
• 1–2 tsp sugar (optional, period-accurate)
• Salt to taste

1. Heat almond milk and wine together over gentle flame.
2. Add spices, saffron, and sugar; stir well.
3. Add diced chicken if using; simmer 10–15 minutes until fragrant.
4. Season with salt and serve warm as a lightly thickened broth.

Flavor profile: warm, spiced, subtly sweet — the golden mirror to Herbelade’s green herb pottage.

Herbelade (Herb Pottage) — Harleian MS 4016 & Forme of Curye

Herbelade (Herb Pottage) — Harleian MS 4016 (c. 1450) & Forme of Curye (1390)

Detail from the Banquet du Paon (Chroniques de Hainaut, c. 1447–48) — the kind of noble feast where Herbelade might open the first course.

John Russell’s Boke of Nurture lists a “pottage of herbs, spice, and wine” in the first course of his Dynere of Flesche. See the full reconstructed menu here: A Dynere of Flesche — John Russell’s 15th-Century Menu. . Among surviving 15th-century recipes, the Herbelade from Harleian MS 4016 (c. 1450) matches that description exactly — a delicate, green, wine-scented broth thickened with bread and perfumed with gentle spice.

What “pottage” means here: a smooth herb-based soup or light stew served early in the meal — modestly thickened with bread or almond milk, spiced with ginger and saffron, and occasionally enriched with wine.

Original Text — Harleian MS 4016 (EETS 1888 p. 89)

Herbelade. Take persel, sawge, ysope, saveray, and tansey, and other gode herbys that ye may gete, and do hem in a potte; sethe hem; take brede y-grated, and temper it with broth, and do thereto, and sethe it, and serue it forth.

Modern English Rendering

Take parsley, sage, hyssop, savory, tansy, and any other good herbs you can find, and put them in a pot; boil them. Mix grated bread with broth (or wine), add it to the herbs, and simmer; then serve it forth.

Modern Recipe (Tested Redaction)

Yield: 6–8 servings • Time: ~20 min

• 3 cups mixed herbs – parsley, sage, savory, hyssop (or thyme), tansy (optional)
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth – replace up to 1 cup with white wine
• ½ cup breadcrumbs (or 2 Tbsp ground almonds for richer version)
• Pinch ginger, few threads saffron, and a little sugar (optional)
• Salt to taste

1. Blanch herbs 30 sec, chop fine.
2. Heat broth + wine; add herbs.
3. Stir in breadcrumbs (or almond flour) to thicken.
4. Season with ginger, saffron, pinch sugar, and salt.
5. Simmer 5–10 min until lightly thickened. Serve hot.

Flavor profile: fresh herbal green, gently spiced, and light on the palate — ideal first-course fare.

About Tansy: Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) was a common medieval herb with a strong, aromatic, slightly bitter flavor. Though best known for Lenten or Easter “tansy” dishes, it also appeared in savory contexts like Herbelade, valued for its warming, cleansing properties. Medieval herbalists classed it as “hot and dry,” balancing the “cold and moist” nature of green herbs, and believed it aided digestion after rich meats.

• Flavor: Bitter–spiced, similar to a cross of rosemary and sage; use sparingly in modern redactions.
• Availability: A hardy perennial, typically dried for winter use.
• Modern caution: Tansy contains thujone, a volatile compound that is both neurotoxic and abortifacient in high doses. Historically, tansy was used medicinally to induce menstruation or miscarriage — so it’s absolutely contraindicated during pregnancy. and should be omitted entirely, or used in the smallest of quantities; mild substitutes include thyme or a pinch of rosemary.

Balloke Brothe – Medieval Eel Broth (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)

Balloke Brothe – Medieval Eel Broth (Harleian MS. 279, ab. 1430)

                                 Eel from the 13th-century  Ashmole Bestiary

Source: Harleian MS. 279, ab. 1430, recipe xxv.

📜 Original Recipe

xxv - Balloke Brothe. Take Elys and fle hem, an kytte hem in gobouns, an caste hem in-to a fayre potte with fayre water; than take Percely and Oynonys, an schrede hem to-gederys nowt to smal; take Clowes, Maces, an powder Pepyr, an caste ther-to a gode porcyon of wyne; then take 3est of New ale an caste ther-to, an let boyle: an when the Elys byn wyl y-boylid, take fayre stokfysshe, an do a-way the skyn, an caste ther-to, an let boyle a whyle; then take Safroun and Salt, an a lytil Venegre, an caste ther-to, an serue forth.

Almond Milk in the Middle Ages — History, Humors & Culinary Uses

Ground almonds mixed with water – the basis of almond milk, a medieval staple.

Almond Milk in the Middle Ages — History, Humors & Uses

Originally Published 11/10/2015 / Updated 10/1/2025

“The more things change, the more they remain the same.” That phrase feels especially true when we look at almond milk. Today, we reach for it as a dairy-free alternative in lattes or smoothies. In the Middle Ages, cooks turned to it for many of the same reasons: dietary restrictions, health, and versatility.

Almond milk appears in nearly every major medieval cookbook — from the English Forme of Cury (c. 1390) to French texts like Le Viandier. Whether thickened into custards, stirred into pottages, or sweetened for desserts, it was a foundational ingredient in European kitchens from the 13th–15th centuries. Understanding almond milk helps unlock a whole category of medieval recipes.

Origins & Spread of Almonds

The almond tree (Prunus dulcis) is native to the regions of modern-day Iran and Central Asia. Cultivation spread westward along trade networks into Persia and the Mediterranean by the first millennium BCE. The Greeks and Romans knew almonds well — Roman authors like Pliny the Elder mention them, and they were commonly served at banquets.

Through Roman expansion and later Arab influence in Spain and Sicily, almonds became established throughout southern Europe. By the 9th–10th centuries, almond-based dishes appear in Arabic medical and culinary texts, praised both for flavor and for their gentle, “cooling” effect in humoral medicine.

Almonds on the Move: From Orchard to Feast Table

• Italy & France: Almonds were cultivated in Mediterranean orchards and imported inland. French and Italian manuscripts from the 13th–14th centuries make frequent use of almond milk in sauces, custards, and pottages.
• England & Germany: By the late Middle Ages, almonds were arriving in northern ports like London, Lübeck, and Hamburg. They were expensive imports, sometimes listed alongside spices and sugar in customs rolls. Their cost gave them a dual role: practical (for fast days) but also a marker of wealth and status when used lavishly in feasts.
• Monastic & noble kitchens: Monasteries, bound by fasting rules, relied heavily on almond milk. Nobles embraced it for both practical and prestigious reasons, often specifying “thick” almond milk in their cookery books.

In this way, the humble almond traveled thousands of miles — from Asian orchards to English feasting halls — and almond milk became one of the most common “dairy substitutes” in medieval Europe.

Why Almond Milk Was Essential

• Religious fasting: Animal milk was prohibited on fast days. Almond milk allowed cooks to create “dairy-like” dishes during Lent and other observances.
• Shelf life: Fresh cow’s milk spoiled quickly. Almonds, stored dry, could be turned into fresh milk on demand.
• Status & luxury: Almonds were imported and costly, signaling refinement at noble tables.
• Versatility: Used in both savory and sweet contexts — soups, sauces, blancmange, custards, even beverages.

Almonds & Humoral Theory

In Galenic medicine, almonds were considered “hot and moist.” Almond milk, tempered with water, was thought gentler on the stomach than cow’s milk and was prescribed for the sick or those with delicate digestion. This idea echoes modern perceptions of almond milk as “lighter” and easier to digest.

How It Was Made

Medieval almond milk was made almost exactly as we do today:

1. Soak whole almonds, then grind them to a paste with a mortar and pestle.
2. Mix with warm water, wine, or broth depending on the recipe.
3. Strain through cloth to produce a smooth liquid.

The ratio determined the thickness. Recipes often call for “thick” almond milk when a rich base was needed, or a thinner version for soups and sauces. Sweetening with sugar, honey, or rosewater was common, while savory versions might use broth or even wine.

Uses in Medieval Cookery

• Savory: In sauces like Rapeye, in fish pottages, or as the base for meatless soups.
• Sweet: In blancmange, rice puddings, and custards.
• Feasts: Almond milk was prepared in large quantities ahead of service — much like we buy cartons today.

Then & Now

The parallels are striking:

• Medieval: fasting, shelf-stable, luxury, versatile.
• Modern: vegan/dairy-free, shelf-stable cartons, premium organic blends, versatile in cooking.

What was once a Lenten necessity has become a café staple.

Medieval Rapeye (Harleian MS. 279) — Apple, Date & Almond Pudding Recipe

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) — .Liiij. Rapeye — Date & Apple Pudding

Rapeye (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430) — Apple, Date & Almond “Pudding”

Originally published 3/26/2017 / Updated 10/1/2025

What is “Rapeye”?

The name can sound jarring to modern ears, but in Middle English it had an entirely different meaning. You’ll find it spelled rapeye, rapy, rape, or rapé across manuscripts like Harleian MS. 279, Forme of Cury, Liber cure cocorum, and A Noble Boke off Cookry. The most likely origin is the Old French rapé (“grated” or “rasped”), from the verb raper (“to grate, scrape”). This makes sense: most recipes called for grated or pounded dried fruit, thickened with rice flour or bread.

In practice, Rapeye could mean either a sauce or a fruit paste/pudding. Some versions are clearly sauces for meat or fish; others, like this one, stand as thick fruit dishes in their own right. The Forme of Cury has a “Rape” made of figs and raisins strained with wine; the Liber cure cocorum “Rape” is a raisin sauce sharpened with vinegar. Our apple–date Rapeye is more of a spoon dish or pudding, but the common thread is fruit grated or mashed, spiced, sweetened, and thickened until “chargeaunt” (stout or substantial).

Parallels exist in other European traditions: Latin glossaries sometimes link rapa (turnip) to grated preparations; Italian rappigliare means “to curdle or thicken.” While etymologies vary, the consensus is that Rapeye signified a grated fruit preparation that could flex between sauce, sweetmeat, or pudding depending on context.

Rapeye shows up multiple times in fifteenth-century English cookbooks and seems to be a flexible category—sometimes a sauce, sometimes a fruit paste, sometimes (like this one) a spoonable “pudding.” In Harleian MS. 279 the fourth Rapeye (.Liiij.) combines almond milk with minced dates and raw apples, thickened with rice flour and perfumed with ginger, cinnamon, maces, cloves, sugar, and a touch of saffron or sanders (sandalwood) for color. It’s comforting, gently spiced, and—per my taste testers—popular even with folks who “don’t like dates.”

Original Recipe & Translation

Middle English (Austin, UMich)

.Liiij. Rapeye.—Take almaundys, an draw a gode mylke þer-of, and take Datys an mynce hem smal, an put þer-on y-now; take Raw Appelys, an pare hem and stampe hem, an drawe hem vppe with wyne, or with draf of Almaundys, or boþe; þan caste pouder of Gyngere, Canel, Maces, Clowes, & caste þer-on Sugre y-now; þan take a quantyte of flowre of Rys, an þrowe þer-on, & make it chargeaunt, an coloure it wyth Safroun, an with Saunderys, an serue forth; an strawe Canel a-boue.

Modern-English 

Make a good almond milk. Mince dates finely and add plenty to the milk. Peel raw apples, pound them, and strain with wine or with the almond “draff” (the pressed solids), or both. Add ginger, cinnamon, mace, cloves, and enough sugar. Sprinkle in rice flour to thicken (make it chargeant), and color with saffron and sandalwood. Serve, strewing cinnamon on top.

Seasonal Note: With apples at their peak in autumn and the warming spices of ginger, cinnamon, mace, and cloves, this Rapeye fits naturally into a fall table. In the medieval calendar, it would have been equally at home during cooler seasons and fasting days when almond milk stood in for dairy. Today, it makes a wonderful harvest-time pudding.

Menu Placement

• Fish/fasting days (Lent-friendly): Made with almond milk (no dairy), fruit, rice flour, and spices—ideal as a pottage or spoon course.
• Entremet / Subtle “pudding”: Served warm and “standing thick,” dusted with cinnamon—works between savory courses or as a gentle sweet near the end.
• Breakfast tavern / camping: Holds well and reheats; can be made ahead and served warm or room temperature.

Humoral Notes

Medieval diners balanced dishes by qualities (hot/cold, dry/moist). Almonds were often classed as warming & drying; dates generally warming & moistening; apples tending cooling & drying. The spicing (ginger, cinnamon, mace, cloves) nudges the dish warmer; almond milk and gentle cooking temper dryness; rice flour adds drying/“binding.” Likely seen as moderately warm and tending moist—comfortable fare for cooler seasons.

See also: Rapeye of Fleysshe and Rapeye (.Liij.).

To Stew Shrimps – A 17th-Century Dish from Robert May’s Accomplisht Cook (1660)

To Stew Shrimps – A 17th-Century Dish from The Accomplisht Cook (c. 1660)

To Stew Shrimps being taken out of their shells – The Accomplisht Cook (c. 1660)

Source: The Accomplisht Cook, c. 1660 (Robert May). 

Originally published 10/29/2017. Updated 9/19/2025.

Historical & Culinary Context

This shrimp dish comes from Robert May’s The Accomplisht Cook, one of the most influential English cookbooks of the seventeenth century. First published in 1660, May’s work reflects both medieval traditions and the growing influence of Continental cuisine, especially French and Italian. His recipes were intended for professional cooks serving aristocratic and gentry households, showcasing both practicality and elegance.

Stewed shellfish such as shrimp, cockles, and prawns appear often in May’s book. They were common at English tables, especially in the second course of a banquet or feast, where lighter, more refined dishes were expected after heavier meats. The use of capers, wine, and butter in this recipe signals a clear French influence, blending sharp and savory flavors into a delicate sauce.

🍽️ Menu Placement

Dishes like To Stew Shrimps would likely appear in the second course of a formal meal, accompanying poultry, lighter meats, and vegetable preparations. Served on toast, it could also function as a transitional dish between heavier roasts and sweet entremets.

Humoral Theory

According to Galenic humoral theory still in use during May’s time, shellfish such as shrimp were considered cold and moist. To balance this, cooks paired them with warming, dry ingredients like mace, garlic, pepper, and toasted bread. The addition of vinegar and wine also sharpened and “opened” the dish, believed to aid digestion of the otherwise heavy shellfish.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Shrimp: Fresh or raw “peel-and-eat” shrimp work well. Pre-shelled shrimp save effort when cooking for a crowd.
• Wine: May’s recipe calls for claret, a light red wine. A dry white wine works beautifully in the modern kitchen.
• Capers: Add sharpness. Substitute chopped green olives if unavailable.
• Mace: The lacy outer covering of nutmeg. Substitute nutmeg in smaller quantity if mace is unavailable.
• Bread: Stale white bread was traditional. Any crusty white loaf or baguette makes a good toast base.

🥕 Dietary Notes

• Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and bread rounds.
• Dairy-Free: Replace butter with olive oil or dairy-free margarine.
• Allergens: Contains shellfish, eggs, and gluten unless substitutions are made.

Original Recipe (1660)

Wash them well with vinegar, broil or broth them before you take them out of the shells, then put them in a dish with a little claret, vinegar, a handful of capers, mace, pepper, a little grated bread, minced tyme, salt, and the yolks of two or three hard eggs minced, stew all together till you think them enough; then put in a good piece of butter, shake them well together, heat the dish, rub it with a clove of garlick, and put two or three toasts of white bread in the bottom, laying the meat on them. Craw-fish, prawns, or shrimps, are excellent good the same way being taken out of their shells, and make variety of garnish with the shells.

Egges yn Brewte (Poached Eggs in Spiced Milk with Cheese) — Gentyll Manly Cokere, MS Pepys 1047 (c. 1490)

Delicate poached eggs in a ginger–saffron milk broth with melting cheese, served on toasted sops.

Originally published 10/20/2017 - updated 9/17/2025

In Middle English, brewte/brewet means a seasoned liquid—broth or thin sauce—used to cradle simple foods. This version from the Pepys manuscript gently poaches eggs and “tempers” the pan with sweet milk, ginger, pepper, and saffron, finishing with shaved cheese. Serve over sops (toasted bread) to catch every drop. It’s fast, elegant, and right at home in our Curia Regis brunch set.

🍳 Did you know? Manuscripts vary. Pepys 1047 specifies milk and cheese; related “brewte” dishes elsewhere take a light meat or almond stock brightened with verjuice or vinegar. Both approaches are period—choose what fits your table.

Source: Gentyll Manly Cokere, MS Pepys 1047 (c. 1490).

Original Text (c. 1490)

Egges yn Brewte. Take water and seethe it. In the same water breke thy egges and cast there-in gynger, peper, and saffron; then temper it up with swete mylke and boyle it. And then carve chese and caste thereto smale cut; and when it is ynogh, serve it forth.

Gloss: Temper with sweet milk = enrich the cooking liquid with dairy; sops = toast laid in the dish to soak the sauce.

Modern Recipe — Poached Eggs in Saffron Milk with Cheese (serves 6–8)

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.

From Sauce to Aspic – The 500-Year Journey of Galentyne → Galantine

From hot medieval sauce to elegant cold aspic — the shifting identity of galentyne/galantine.

What’s in a name? Few dishes illustrate the transformations of European cuisine as vividly as galentyne. In the 14th century, it meant a spiced, bread-thickened sauce for meats or fish. By the 19th century, galantine had become a boned, stuffed, aspic-set cold dish — a centerpiece of French haute cuisine. Here we trace that remarkable journey across 500 years, with original recipes and modern adaptations.

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Medieval Origins (14th–15th c.)

Harleian MS. 279 (England, c.1430): Fyletes in Galentyne is one of the best known. Pork is roasted, cut up, and stewed with onions, pepper, ginger, bread, and vinegar, finished with blood or sanders for color.

“Take fayre porke of the fore quarter, and rost hit tyl hit be almost ynogh; … and colour hit with blode, or elles with sandres, and then lat hit boyle up wel, and serve it forth.”

See the full recipe in our updated Fyletes in Galentyne post.

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

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.

Fava fresche con brodo di carne – Fresh Fava Beans with Meat Broth

Fava fresche con brodo di carne – Fresh Fava Beans with Meat Broth (Redon, 1998)

“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese — used here as period context for a Renaissance table.

Context & Notes

Fava fresche con brodo di carne is a rustic Renaissance preparation: fresh spring fava beans briefly simmered in meat broth, enriched with a little cured pork, and finished with parsley and mint. The technique keeps the beans tender while letting a few split to lightly thicken the broth.

Seasonality & status: Fava beans were among the first fresh foods after Lent and signaled the turn from winter storage fare to spring produce. Courtly kitchens “elevated” this staple through refined broth, measured cooking, and aromatic herbs—much as spices elevate simple noodles in De lasanis.

Broth choice: Chicken broth reads lighter and more restorative for warmer weather; beef broth is heartier and “strengthening.” Either appears in period practice depending on the season and desired effect.

Humoral Notes (with pork nuance)

Fava beans: generally cold & moist.
Pork: fresh pork was classed as cold & moist and heavy; salted/cured pork (pancetta, salt belly) was thought to gain warming/drying qualities from salt and smoke—still rich, but more balancing when used sparingly.
Herbs: parsley and mint are warming/aromatic correctives.
Broth: chicken leans lighter; beef leans more warming/fortifying.

Thus this dish pairs a cold/moist base (beans) with modest warming elements (cured pork, hot broth, herbs) to arrive at a comfortable middle course—similar to how spices balanced the cheese-and-pasta profile in De lasanis.

Side-by-Side: Original (Redon, 1998) & Modern Notes

Original (Redon, 1998)

Ingredients: 2 cups beef or chicken broth (or mix), 4½ lb fresh fava beans, 4 oz salt pork belly or pancetta, 1 Tbsp chopped parsley & mint; salt.

Method: Shell beans; blanch briefly (5 seconds), refresh, peel. Dice pork. Simmer broth, beans, and pork ~10 minutes until beans begin to break. Add herbs; return to a brief boil. Salt to taste and serve.

Modern Adaptation – What’s Different?

• Yield clarity: 4½ lb in-pod ≈ ~1 lb shelled beans.
• Texture cue: “Begin to break” = lightly thickened broth, not mashed.
• Herb timing: Herbs added at the end to keep flavors vivid.
• Pork form matters: Pancetta/salt pork (cured) used in small amount for savor and humoral balance.
• Broth intent: Chicken for lighter tables; beef for heartier service.

Scappi’s Minestra di Piselli & Fave fresche (1570, Libro III, #249)

Per far minestra di Piselli & Fave fresche:

Piglinosi i piselli o baccelli, sgraninosi, & ponganosi in un uaso con oglio d’oliue, sale, & pepe, & faccianosi soffriggere pian piano, aggiungendovi tanta acqua tinta di zafferano, che stiano coperti di due dita, & come saranno poco men che cotti, pestisene una parte nel mortaro, e stemperisi con il medesimo brodo, & mettasi nel uaso con una branchata d’herbuccie battute, e faccianosi levare il bollo, e servanosi caldi.

 Translation (modern English):

“Take peas or broad beans, shell them, and put them in a pot with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let them sauté gently, adding in enough water, colored with saffron, to cover them by about two fingers. When they are a little less than cooked, pound part of them in a mortar and dilute that with the same broth; return it to the pot with a handful of chopped herbs, bring it all to a boil, and serve it hot.”

🍲 Modern Recipe

Serves: 4 • Active: 20 min • Total: ~30 min

Ingredients

• 2 cups (480 ml) beef or chicken broth (or 50/50 mix)
• 4½ lb (about 2 kg) fresh fava beans in pod (≈ 1 lb / 450 g shelled)
• 4 oz (115 g) salt pork belly or pancetta, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• Kosher salt, to taste

Method

1. Prep beans: Shell. Blanch 5 seconds in boiling water, refresh in cold water, slip off the outer skins.
2. Simmer: In a saucepan, combine broth, diced pork, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce to a lively simmer, and cook about 10 minutes, until beans just begin to soften and a few split to lightly thicken the broth.
3. Finish: Stir in parsley and mint; return to a brief boil (30–60 seconds). Season with salt and serve hot.

🔍 Scappi’s Renaissance Version (1570)

In Opera (Libro III, #249), Scappi prepares fresh peas or broad beans by gently sautéing them in olive oil with salt and pepper, adding saffron-tinted water to cover, then pounding a portion to thicken before finishing with chopped herbs and a brief boil.

“Take peas or broad beans, shell them, and put them in a pot with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Sauté gently, add enough saffron-colored water to cover by two fingers. When just underdone, pound part of them with the same broth, return to the pot with a handful of chopped herbs, bring to a boil, and serve hot.”

Why it matters: Scappi’s technique—partial purée, saffron infusion, hot herb finish—shows the same courtly refinement and humoral balance as our version: a cold/moist base (beans) corrected by warming elements (olive oil/saffron or, in Redon’s adaptation, cured pork and broth).

🌱 Fava Beans in Renaissance Feasts: Beyond the Soup Pot

1. Seasonal & Symbolic Role

• Springtime signal: Fresh favas (fave novelle) were among the first green vegetables of the year after the long winter and Lenten fasting. Their arrival marked renewal, fertility, and abundance — an edible herald of spring.
• Festal symbolism: In Italy, beans had associations with fertility and rebirth. They were often planted around feast days (especially St. Joseph’s Day in March), and dishes of beans could appear at communal meals tied to seasonal celebrations.

2. Culinary Uses in Feasts

• Pottages & broths: Most common at court — boiled with herbs, broth, pork, or oil (as in Redon/Scappi’s versions). They provided a filling, comforting “wet dish” for the second course.
• Purees: Scappi frequently thickened broths or created side dishes by pounding a portion of the beans. This gave variety in texture and aligned with elite tastes for smooth, refined preparations.
• Side accompaniments: Favas could be served with meat, often pork or mutton, as a cheap protein extender and humoral counterbalance.
• Lenten adaptations: Without meat, they might be prepared with oil, saffron, and herbs — still satisfying but acceptable during fast days.

3. Humoral & Medical Considerations

• Humoral qualities: Cold & moist. Physicians warned they were heavy to digest and could cause flatulence if eaten in excess.
• Correctives: Cooking with salt, pork, oil, or warming herbs like mint and parsley was thought to “lighten” them, making them safer for the stomach.
• Dietary prescriptions: Favas were often recommended for the working poor for strength but taken in moderation by elites. In courtly kitchens, refinement (skinning, pounding, spicing) made them suitable for noble digestion.

4. Cultural & Social Dimensions

• Peasant vs. elite divide: Beans were a staple of peasant diets, but when transformed with broth, pork, saffron, or fine herbs, they crossed into noble cuisine. This dual identity made them ideal for “bridging” courses in feasts.
• Religious associations: Favas had an odd role in funerary traditions in some parts of Europe (linked with the dead and All Souls’ Day). In Italy, fava-based sweets (fave dei morti) are still tied to this tradition — showing the bean’s symbolic reach beyond daily food.
• Feast planning logic: For a steward, fava dishes were economical, seasonal, and versatile. They stretched meat supplies, added color and variety to courses, and showed seasonal awareness — all important in demonstrating a host’s refinement.

🍽 Menu Placement (Feast Planning)

• Dish Type: Pottage (a “wet” course served in or with broth)
• Course: Second course (Pottage course). Because beans digest heavy in some frameworks, serve moderate portions or as a remove between roasts.
• Service tips: Offer trenchers or bread to soak up the savory broth.

🥕 Dietary Suggestions

• Gluten-free.
• Pork-free: Swap in smoked turkey or omit meat and add 1–2 Tbsp olive oil for body.
• Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth; finish with a knob of butter or extra-virgin olive oil.

📚 Sources

• Redon, 1998 (adaptation as provided).
• Period dietetic summaries consulted for general fresh vs. cured meat distinctions and bean qualities.

🏷 Labels

• Browse by Dish Type: Pottage
• Browse by Ingredient: Legumes, Pork, Herbs
• Browse by Use: Feast Planning, Period Techniques, Humoral Theory
• Browse by Era: Renaissance, Italian

📖 This recipe is part of the Ceilidh 2001 – Fourteenth-Century Italian Feast .
Explore all dishes from this reconstructed 14th-century Italian banquet.

De Lasanis – Medieval Lasagna with Cheese, Pepper & Spices

De Lasanis – Fermented-Dough Noodles with Cheese & Pepper

“The Feast in the House of Levi” (detail), Paolo Veronese. Used here as period context for Renaissance pasta and cheese dishes.

Source: The Medieval Kitchen, Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, and Silvano Serventi (1998)

De lasanis is one of the earliest references to pasta dishes resembling modern day cacio e pepe. The resemblance is striking — a simple but elegant combination of starch, cheese, and spice that became a cornerstone of Italian cookery. Redon's addition of yeast imparts a tang and complexity most modern cooks miss when substituting dried lasagna noodles. If you can, I recommend making your own—it’s surprisingly easy and richly rewarding.