Baronial 12th Night (To Make Candied Orange Peel, Le Menagier de Paris, 1393 and To candy any roote, fruite or flower - English Housewife, 1615)

To Make Candied Orange Peel, Le Menagier de Paris, 1393

To Make Candied Orange Peel, divide the peel of one orange into five quarters and scrape with a knife to remove the white part inside, then put them to soak in good sweet water for nine days, and change the water every day; then cook them in good water just till boiling, and when this happens, spread them on a cloth and let them get thoroughly dry, then put them in a pot with enough honey to cover them, and boil on a low fire and skim, and when you believe the honey is cooked, (to test if it is cooked, have some water in a bowl, and let drip into this one drop of the honey, and if it spreads, it is not cooked; and if the drop of honey holds together in the water without spreading out, it is cooked;) and then you must remove your orange peel, and make one layer with it, and sprinkle with ginger powder, then another layer, and sprinkle etc., and so on; and leave it a month or more, then eat.

Candied Orange Peel (easy method)

Orange peel
2 c. sugar
1 c. water
Additional sugar for dredging peels

To begin, cut your peel into quarter inch strips. Put into a pot and bring to a boil about 15 minutes. Drain, rinse and repeat. At this point you can choose to drain, rinse and repeat the boiling process a third time or, move forward with candying. Since I like a touch of bitter with my candied peels I only do this twice.

Allow peels to drain while you make your syrup. Mix together sugar and water and cook over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase your heat until the syrup comes to a boil. Add your peels, lower to simmer and cook until the peels become translucent (between 30 and 45 minutes).

Place your additional sugar into a ziploc bag, using a fork or slotted spoon remove the peels a few at a time, drain the syrup from them and place them into the ziploc bag (sounds more complicated than it is). Put the drained peels into the sugar, shake until well coated then place the sugared peels onto a wire rack to dry. Drying can take 1-2 days. Store peels in an airtight container. If you wish to recreate the flavor of the peels, substitute honey for sugar, and add ginger to the sugar you coat your peels with.

To candy any roote, fruite or flower - English Housewife, 1615

Dissolue Sugar, or sugar candy in Rose-water, boile it to an height, put in your rootes, fruits or flowers, the sirrop being cold, then rest a little, after take them out and boyle the sirrop againe, then put in more roots, &c. then boile the sirrop the third time to an hardnesse, put∣ting in more sugar but not Rose-water, put in the roots, &c. the sirrop being cold and let them stand till they candie.

Candied Fruit (quince, plums and pears)

I chose to make the candied fruit from quince, pears and plums for this event. The process is simple, and does not require days on end. Simply peel, core and slice your fruit into slices and add them to your syrup using the same portions as you would use for the candied orange peels, and cook till fruit is transparent. Cooking times and drying times will vary.

Baronial 12th Night (Coriander Flavored Marzipan -A Daily Exercise for Ladies and Gentlewomen, 1621)

Coriander Flavored Marzipan -A Daily Exercise for Ladies and Gentlewomen, 1621

To Make Callishones - Take halfe a pound of Marchpane paste, a thimble-full of coriander seeds beaten to a powder, with a graine of Muske, beat all to a perfect paste, print it and drie it.

Recipe

10 ounces almond paste

1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

up to 1/2 cup confectioner sugar

1 tsp. rosewater

This works best if the almond paste is cold, so I put mine in the refrigerator overnight. I grated it into a bowl and added 1/2 tsp. ground coriander to the grated paste. I then added the remainder of the coriander to the sugar, and put a small handful of it onto a piece of wax paper. I took 1/3 of my almond paste and pressed it on both sides into the sugar/coriander mixture. I rolled it out to approximately 1/4" thick and cut it out with cookie cutters. I got about 80 pieces of candy from this.

To finish, I mixed gold luster dust with ground coriander and painted the edges of the callishones with rosewater before running the edges through the coriander/luster dust mix, before setting it out to dry.

To make the almond paste I used a mix of equal parts almond flour to confectioner sugar and then add 1-2 tsp. almond extract, a tsp. of orange flower or rose-water plus an egg white. I know, I should be worried about salmonella, but these were super fresh eggs purchased at the market that morning.

Kitchen Adventures – Baronial 12th Night (Marchpane A Book of Cookrye, 1591)

Marchpane, Gingerbread, Coriander Flavored Marzipan (Callishones) decorated

with White Coriander Comfits

How to make a good Marchpane. - First take a pound of long smal almonds and blanch them in cold water, and dry them as drye as you can, then grinde them small, and put no licour to them but as you must needs to keepe them from oyling, and that licour that you put in must be rosewater, in manner as you shall think good, but wet your Pestel therin, when ye have beaten them fine, take halfe a pound of Sugar and more, and see that it be beaten small in pouder, it must be fine sugar, then put it to your Almonds and beate them altogither, when they be beaten, take your wafers and cut them compasse round, and of the bignes you will have your Marchpaine, and then as soone as you can after the tempering of your stuffe, let it be put in your paste, and strike it abroad with a flat stick as even as you can, and pinch the very stuffe as it were an edge set upon, and then put a paper under it, and set it upon a faire boord, and lay lattin Basin over it the bottome upwarde, and then lay burning coles upon the bottom of the basin. To see how it baketh, if it happen to bren too fast in some place, folde papers as broad as the place is & lay it upon that place, and thus with attending ye shal bake it a little more then a quarter of an houre, and when it is wel baked, put on your gold and biskets, and stick in Comfits, and so you shall make a good Marchpaine. Or ever that you bake it you must cast on it fine Sugar and Rosewater that will make it look like Ice.

How to make a good Marchpane. - First take a pound of long small almonds and blanch them in cold water, and dry them as dry as you can, then grind them small, and put no liquor to them but as you must needs to keep them from getting oily, and that liquor that you put in must be rosewater, in manner as you shall think good, but wet your pestle therein. When ye have beaten them fine, take half a pound of sugar and more, and see that it be beaten small in powder, it must be fine sugar. Then put it to your Almonds and beat them all together, when they be beaten, take your wafers and cut them round with a compass, the size of your marchpane. As soon as you can after the tempering of your (marchpane) stuff, let it be put in your paste, and strike it abroad with a flat stick as even as you can, and pinch the very stuff as it were an edge set upon, and then put a paper under it, and set it upon a fair board, and lay lattin Basin over it the bottom upwards. Lay burning coals over the basin. To see how it bakes, if it happen to brown too fast in some places, fold papers as broad as the place is & lay it upon that place. And thus with attending you shall bake it a little more than a quarter of an hour, and when it is well baked, put on your gold and biskets, and stick in comfits, and so you shall make a good marchpane. Or ever that you bake it you must cast on it fine sugar and rosewater that will make it look like Ice.

Marchpane

2cups almond flour
1cup confectioners' sugar
1 - 2 tbsp. Rosewater or water, or juice of choice

To Make the Icine

Confectioner sugar
Rose water

I made the Marchpanes over three separate days, and each day, the amount of liquid needed to make the dough varied between 1 and 2 tbsp. To begin, you will want to sift the almond flour and the sugar together, and then you add enough liquid that a stiff dough is formed. I used a spring form tart pan to press the dough into. I then removed the dough from the bottom pan and placed it onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Place the dough into the oven set to your lowest setting. The goal is to dry and bake the dough but not brown it (as you can see I had some difficulty on a few of these keeping them from browning...they were delicious despite being brown). This took about 15 minutes in my oven. I chose not to decorate the marchpanes, but the time to add decorations is when they come out of the oven and before you ice them.

To make the icing, add rosewater to confectioner sugar and pour over your marchpane. Allow icing to dry before serving. Note--these store well.

Kitchen Adventures – 12th Night Feast (Gyngerbrede Harl. MS 279, 1430 - Gingerbread)

Marchpane, Gingerbread, Coriander Flavored Marzipan (Callishones) decorated
with White Coriander Comfits

iiij - Gyngerbrede. Take a quart of hony, and sethe it, and skeme it clene; take Safroun, pouder Pepir, and throw ther-on; take gratyd Brede, and make it so chargeaunt (Note: stiff) that it wol be y-lechyd; then take pouder Canelle, and straw ther-on y-now; then make yt square, lyke as thou wolt leche yt; take when thou lechyst hyt, an caste Box leves a-bouyn, y-stykyd ther-on, on clowys. And 3if thou wolt haue it Red, coloure it with Saunderys y-now.

4. Gingerbread - Take a quart of honey and cook it, and skim it clean; take saffron, powder pepper and throw there-on; take grated bread, and make it so stiff that it will be sliced; then take powder cinnamon, and strew there-on enough; then make it square, like as you will slice it; take when you slice it, and cast box-leaves above, stick there-on cloves. And if you will have it red, color it with saunders enough.

Gingerbread

1 pound honey (I use raw honey)
1 pound bread crumbs
2 tsp. pepper ** see below
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Opt. 1 tbsp. ginger, 1 tsp. grains of paradise, ½ tsp. white pepper

Bring honey to boil and skim off the scum that rises.\, once the honey is cleaned remove from heat. Add spices to bread crumbs and mix well (you don't want clumps of spice), mix honey and spiced bread crumbs together, shape, and allow to cool. Once mixture is cool it can be sliced. I prefer to shape the gingerbread into bite sized balls.

**I like to use this mix for pepper which is my version of powder forte)

1 tbsp. mixed peppers (black, long pepper, grains of paradise and cubebs)
1/2 tsp. each nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger
1/4 tsp. clove

Baronial 12th Night (To make white leach of creame - A Closet for Ladies and Gentlewomen (1602) and Jellied Ypocras)

To make white leach of creame - A Closet for Ladies and Gentlewomen (1602) - To make white leach of creame. TAke a pint of sweete creame, and sixe spoone-fuls of Rose water, and two graines of Muske, two drops of oyle of Mace, or one piece of large Mace, and so let it boyle with foure ounces of Isin-glasse: then let it run downe through a gelly bagge, when it is cold, slice it like brawne, and so serue it out: this is the best way to make leach.

A White Leach

1 pint half and half
3/8 of a cup rosewater
1 drop musk flavoring
2 tsp. ground mace
2 packages unflavored gelatine

Bloom the gelatine in the rosewater. Put half and half and mace into a pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for approximately five minutes, stirring constantly so that half and half does not burn. Add gelatin and stir until it is fully dissolved. Strain mixture into your mold or on a cookie sheet and place in refridgerator to cool for several hours.

To serve, cut into small squares or unmold.


Jellied Ypocras

I cannot take credit for the Jellied Ypocras. The recipe was came from Eulalia Hath A Blogge; Eulalia Piebakere's SCA projects and adventures in medieval reenactment.

Here is my recipe based on her interpretation:

Jellied Ypocras

3 cups red wine (I used Welch's Sangria flavored juice instead)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
5 cloves
5 peppercorns
1 large piece of mace
½ nutmeg
½ stick of cinnamon
4 packets unflavored gelatine

Pour the wine into a pot and add sugar and spices, bring to a boil. Bloom the gelatine in the water. Boil the wine and sugar for five minutes. Strain the wine into a bowl and add the gelatine until completely dissolved. Place and fridge and leave until the jelly has set completely.

To serve, cut into small squares or diamonds and pile lightly onto a serving dish.

Baronial 12th Night (Spiced apples and pears Chiquart's 'On Cookery’, 1420)

Baronial 12th Night – Spiced Apples and Pears (Chiquart’s On Cookery, 1420)

Apples and pears, gently stewed with sugar and spice, were a familiar comfort in late medieval kitchens. This recipe is based on a technique from Chiquart’s Du fait de cuisine (1420), one of the most detailed early 15th-century cookbooks. While Chiquart’s original method called for baking pears in a sealed clay pot among the coals, this modern version keeps the spirit of the dish while adapting it for the home kitchen.

“Again, pears cooked without coals or water...” To instruct the person who will be cooking them, he should get a good new earthenware pot, then get the number of pears he will be wanting to cook and put them into that pot; when they are in it, stop it up with clean little sticks of wood in such a way that when the pot is upside down on the hot coals it does not touch them at all; then turn it upside down on the hot coals and keep it covered over with coals and leave it to cook for an hour or more. When they are cooked, put them out into fine silver dishes; then they are borne to the sick person.
– Chiquart, Du fait de cuisine, 1420

About Medieval Apples and Pears

Apples and pears were staple fruits in medieval Europe, though the varieties differed from what we commonly find today. Period apples were often smaller, more tart, and sometimes used primarily for cooking or cider rather than fresh eating. Pears ranged from firm and cooking-friendly to soft and juicy. Popular varieties in the 14th–15th centuries included costard apples and warden pears.

Modern substitutions:

• For apples: Try Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Jonathan for tartness, or Honeycrisp or Gala for sweetness.
• For pears: Use Bosc or Anjou for a firm texture that holds up well to stewing.

Spiced Apples and Pears – Modern Redaction

• 2 lbs apples and pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp anise seeds (optional)
• ¼ cup water

Instructions: Mix fruit slices with sugar and spices and place into a baking dish. Add water and cover lightly. Bake at 400°F for 40–45 minutes, or until tender. Alternatively, place ingredients into a crockpot and cook on low overnight for a more intensified flavor.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

This dish would have been served warm to the ill, the elderly, or simply those desiring something soft and comforting. In a feast setting, it pairs beautifully with crème bastarde, warm bread, or even cheese. It also makes a lovely medieval breakfast or dessert.

Breakfast in the Middle Ages: Stewed fruits were often served warm in the morning — easy to digest, lightly sweetened, and seasonally appropriate.

🍽 Explore More Medieval Breakfast Recipes:

• Rastons – Egg-enriched bread for soaking in broth
• Soupes Dorye – Toasted bread in spiced almond milk
• Lyode Soppes – Early custard-style bread pudding
• Soupes Jamberlayne – Bread soaked in mulled wine
• Egges yn Brewte – Poached eggs in spiced broth
• Eyron en Poche – Poached eggs with herbs in sauce
• Pressmetzen zu Ostern – Spiced Lenten breakfast bread
• Spiced Apples and Pears – Stewed fruit with wine and spice
• Fennel and Bacon Bread – Rustic loaf with herbs and meat
• Frumenty and Venyson – Cracked wheat porridge with game

☕ Looking for even more morning inspiration?
Don’t miss the original article: Breakfast: Five Medieval Banquet Dishes »

Labels: Medieval Recipes, Chiquart, Spiced Fruit, 15th Century, SCA Feast, Apple Recipes, Pear Recipes, Medieval Breakfast Stewed apples and pears with cinnamon and anise, inspired by Chiquart's 1420 cookery manuscript. Perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Baronial 12th Night (Cheese & Nuts)

Cheese & Nuts 

While researching dietary theory, specifically 15th century England, and brainstorming ways that the theory could be applied to modern day feasts specifically for SCA events, I learned that it was customary to serve later in the meal ripened or hardened cheeses (especially after meat) and nuts (after fish). Since I had served both at this event, I put together a "dessert" plate of cheeses, dried fruits and nuts.

For the nuts I used a mixture of walnut, almond, hazel and pistachio nuts. The cheeses included mild cheddar in slices, white cheddar curds, gouda, blue cheese and brie. I also added dried fruit to the tray including raisins and currants mixed together, dried cherries, dried apricots, dates and figs.

Baronial 12th Night (Roasted Chestnuts, Turnips and Sage Le Menagier de Paris, 1393)

Roasted Chestnuts, Turnips and Sage Le Menagier de Paris, 1393 - - Venison of Deer or Other Beast, If you wish to salt it in summer, it is appropriate to salt it in a wash-tub or bath, ground coarse salt, and after dry it in the sun. Haunch, that is the rump, which is salted, should be cooked first in water and wine for the first boiling to draw out the salt: and then throw out the water and wine, and after put to partly cook in a bouillon of meat and turnips, and serve in slices with some of the liquid in a dish and venison.

Item, if you have small young turnips, you should cook it in water and without wine for the first boiling, then throw out the water, and then partly cook in water and wine and with sweet chestnuts, or if you have no chestnuts, some sage: then serve as above.

Roasted Chestnuts, Turnips and Sage

2 pounds turnips, peeled and quartered
Vegetable broth
1 cup white wine (opt. I used only vegetable broth)
1/4 pound shelled chestnuts
½ tsp. dried sage or 1 sprig fresh sage
salt to taste

Parboil turnips in 4 cups boiling, salted water for five minutes. Drain and recover with remaining cup of water and wine. Add shelled chestnuts and sage and a little more salt and bring back to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes. --Courtesy Pleyn Delit: Medieval Cookery for Modern Cooks, By Constance B. Hieatt, Brenda Hosington, Sharon Butler

Baronial 12th Night (Pickled Barberries (Blueberries/Lingonberries) The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, 1682)

                                      

Pickled Barberries (Blueberries) The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, 1682

The copy of this book I have is a copy of the 1682 edition of Rabisha's book. The first edition of this book was printed in 1661. Many individuals have expressed concern on why I would choose to use books that are published after our time period. The answer is simple, despite being published late, many of the methods described were used in our time period, common foods and methodologies were not written down, and it is only later that you find them. To quote Mr. Rabisha, who says it quite eloquently:

"..It hath been the practice of most of the ingenuous Men of all Arts and Science, to hold forth to posterity what light or knowledge they understood to be obscure in their said Art: And the wisest of Philosphers, learned and pious Men of old, have highly extolled these principles, who went not out like the snuff of a Candle, but have left thier Volumes to after-ages, to be their School-master in what they have a mind to practice; which calls back time and gives life to the dead." 

So it is my belief that common items were not written down and that it was not until cooking was given "to the masses" that you begin to see everyday items placed into books so that the art would not be lost. I have no way to prove this theory, however, with careful research, many of the items referenced in this particular book can be found in older manuscripts.

I have access to dried barberries through Amazon. However a friend gifted me with five pounds of the most beautiful wild blueberries, which I used for this pickle. It is delicious and I did take liberties with the spicing for it.

To Pickle Barberries Red (or blueberries blue) When your Barbaries are picked from the leaves in clusters, about Michaelmas, or when they are ripe, let your water boyl, an give them a half a dozen walms; let your pickle be white-wine and Vinegar, not to sharp, so put them up for your use.

Pickled Blueberries

1 cup vinegar (I used white wine)
1/2 cup wine (I used a white moscato)
3 sticks whole cinnamon
1 tsp. coriander
3-4 whole cloves
8 cups blueberries, cleaned, rinsed and drained
2 cups sugar

Make your pickle by heating vinegar, wine, and spices together until it begins to simmer, lower heat and cook for approximately five minutes. Add blueberries and continue to cook approximately ten more minutes. SHAKE the pan--do not stir to keep your blueberries as whole as possible. Remove pan from heat, allow to cool about ten more minutes.

Strain the blueberries over a bowl so that you can preserve your syrup and place into clean sterilized jars. Return the syrup to the pan, add the sugar and bring to a boil, continuing to boil until sugar has dissolved. Be sure to skim off anything that rises to the top so that your syrup is clear. Fill the jars with the syrup. You can continue the canning the process at this point, or store in your fridge. Berries are best when they have been allowed to sit for a few weeks.

Kitchen Adventures – Baronial 12th Night (Guissell- Bread Dumplings Harl. MS 4016, 1450)

Spatchcocked roast chicken served with "farce" balls and giussel along with pickled blueberries (pickled barberries)

Harleian MS. 4016, ab. 1450 A.D. Guisseƚƚ. [supplied by ed.] *. [Taken from Douce MS. ] [folio 15.] Take faire capon̄ brotℏ, or of beef, And sette hit ouer the fire, and caste þerto myced sauge, parcelly and saffron̄, And lete boile; And streyn̄ the white and þe yolke of egges thorgℏ a streynour, and caste there-to faire grated brede, and medle hit togidre with thi honde, And caste the stuff to the brotℏ into þe pan̄; And stirre it faire and softe til hit come togidre, and crudded; And þen̄ serue it forth hote.

Guissell. (Note: Taken from Douce MS.) Take faire capon broth or of beef, and set it over the fire and cast thereto minced sage, parsley and saffron, and let it boil; and strain the white and the yolk of eggs through a strainer, and cast thereto grated bread and meddle it all together with your hand, and caste the stuff to the broth into the pan; and stir it fare and soft till it come together, and curded; and then serve it forth hot.

Guissell- bread dumplings Harl. MS 4016, 1450

2 cups bread crumbs (1/2 cup sage and onion stuffing mix and 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 eggs
1 small onion minced and parboiled
4 cups broth
1 tsp. sage
1 tbsp. parsley
Pinch of saffron

Served as side dish

Put your breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, (which was added for modern taste) into a bowl, create a well and add in your eggs one at a time until it starts to form lumps. Add your onions, and then enough water to form a smooth stiff "dough". If serving your dumplings dry (not in a flavored broth) add sage, parsley and omit the saffron.

Shape your dough into balls (I used a tablespoon) and drop them into boiling broth and remove with a slotted spoon when they begin to float. Serve.

Served as pottage

If you are not serving the dumplings dry, but are serving them in a flavorful broth, heat the broth, sage, parsley and saffron till it comes to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Shape your dough into balls, or add the dough in small batches until the dumplings float. Serve with broth.

Kitchen Adventures – Baronial 12th Night (Pickle for the Mallard - Onion Relish Harl. MS 279, 1430)

Capon Farced, Let Lorey and Pickle for the Mallard

PikkyH ipotir le Mallard. ^ Take oynons, and hewe hem smaH, and fry hem in fressh grace, and caste hem into a potte, And fressh broth of beef, Wyne, & powder of poper, canel, and dropping of the mallard/ And lete hem boile togidur awhile ; And take hit fro ]>e ijre, and caste thereto mustard a litul, And ponder of ginger. And lete hit boile no more, and salt hit, And seme it forthe with j^e Mallard.

36. Pickle for the Mallard. Take onions, and hew them small, and fry them in fresh grease, and cast them into a pot, and fresh broth of beef, wine & powder of pepper, cinnamon, and drippings of the mallard/ And let them boil together awhile; And take it from the fire, and cast thereto mustard a little, and powder of ginger, and let it boil no more, and salt it and serve it forth with the Mallard.

Pickle for the Mallard – Onion Relish Harl. MS 279, 1430

2 medium onions sliced
1 tbsp. oil or lard
1 cup beef broth (you should be able to sub chicken or 50/50 beef/ chicken mix)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. melted duck fat (I used chicken fat that I had saved after skimming off fat from chicken stock)
1/2 tsp. dry mustard (I used a tsp. of the lombard mustard)
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt

In large skillet over medium heat, fry the onions in oil until they are transparent, add the broth, wine, pepper, cinnamon, duck fat, and let the mixture boil until the flavors are mixed, about 10 minutes. Add mustard, ginger, and salt. Stir. Reduce heat. Serve hot with duck (capon, chicken, or goose).