Kitchen Adventures – Stewed Chicken in Sauce (Harleain MS 279 (ab. 1430) Henne in Bokenade)

Hen in Bukenade

The people of the middle ages enjoyed a much wider variety of foods then we do today.  Some of the items that they enjoyed were particularly exotic, for example, peacocks, that would be cooked and then re-dressed in their own skin.  Other food sources that they enjoyed are more familiar for example, chicken and chicken eggs.

Domestication of chickens has a very long history. Bones possibly belonging to chickens have been dated to 5400 B.C. in China and there is some speculation that the chicken may have been the very first domesticated animal.  Chickens were traded from China to the Indus Valley and around the Arab peninsula. It is also believed that their ancestors, the red jungle fowl migrated the same path.  An interesting fact of note, there are more chickens then any other domesticated bird or animal in the world today.Chickens also are the most common and wide spread too!

It was the Romans that brought the chicken to England. Chickens were bred for two purposes; meat and eggs, and cockfighting. The oldest recognized breed of chicken is the Dorking. They were bred for meat and eggs and are believed to have originated in Italy. Columella described this bird in his Rei Rusticae Libri as "square-framed, large and broad breasted with big heads and small upright cobs...the rest of the breed being five clawed".

Another breed of chicken that may have been known in period is the Old English Game.  It is believed that they were used for the purpose of cockfighting in period.  They are small birds weighing in at about four pounds and are not very good egg layers.  This breed of chicken was specifically bred for cockfighting by nobility.

Roman cooks discovered when they castrated a rooster, they would fatten on their own. Romans are responsible for  "Capons".  Farmers were also developing ways to fatten chickens; bread soaked in wine, cumin seeds, barley even lizard fat were used!

There are several pottages which include chicken, eggs or both found in 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" Thomas Austin. The first of the recipes that I interpreted was "Henne in Bokenade" which produces chunks of chicken in a very flavorful broth, thickened with eggs.  I had to fight the taste testers! It was that good.  It is also a very versatile dish as the instructions include veal and goat in addition to chicken.

.xxxvj. Vele, kede, or henne in Bokenade. — Take Tele, Kyde, or Henne, an boyle hem in fayre Water, or ellys in freysshe brothe, an smyte hem in pecys, an pyke hem clene ; an )7an draw ]>e same brothe J^orwe a straynoure, an caste J'er-to Percely, Sawge, Tsope, Maces, Clowys, an let boyle tyl J-e flesshe be y-now; j^an sette it from j^e fyre, & a-lye it vp vritk raw jolkys of eyroun, & caste J^er-to ponder Gyngere, Teriows, Safroun, & Salt, & Jeanne seme it forth for a gode mete.

For more information on this, or similar recipes, please vist Dan Myers' "Medieval Cookery".

xxxvj - Vele, kede, or henne in Bokenade. Take Vele, Kyde, or Henne, an boyle hem in fayre Water, or ellys in freysshe brothe, an smyte hem in pecys, an pyke hem clene; an than draw the same brothe thorwe a straynoure, an caste ther-to Percely, Sawge, Ysope, Maces, Clowys, an let boyle tyl the flesshe be y-now; than sette it from the fyre, and a-lye it vp with raw 3olkys of eyroun, and caste ther-to pouder Gyngere, Veriows, Safroun, and Salt, and thanne serue it forth for a gode mete.
36. Veal, Kid, or Hen in Bukenade -Take Veal, Kid, or Hen, and boil them in fair water, or else in fresh broth, and smite them in pieces, and pick them clean; and then draw the same broth through a strainer, and cast there-to parsley, sage, hyssop, mace, cloves, and let boil till the flesh be enough; then set it from the fire, and allay it up with raw yolks of egg, and caste there-to powder ginger, verjuice, saffron and salt, and then send it forth for a good meat.

Interpreted Recipe                                            Serves 1 as a main dish, 2 as a side if they are friendly!

1 bone in, skin on chicken breast
1 C. water + 1 chicken bouillon cube -or-  alternatively 1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp. parsley
1/8 tsp. each sage, hyssop, mace
2 cloves
1 whole egg or 2 egg yolks
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. ginger
pinch of saffron
salt to taste (note:if you use a bouillon cube, you probably won't need salt)

Cook the chicken breast in the broth, or the water with bouillon cube until completely cooked.  Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool.  Strain the broth through a strainer and add parsley, sage, hyssop, mace and cloves. Heat on low heat.  Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and cut into bite sized pieces.  When the broth has cooked five minutes, remove the cloves. Temper the egg or the egg yolks with the broth.  Add the tempered eggs to the broth along with the vinegar, saffron, ginger and salt and stir constantly until the broth has thickened. If the heat is too high the eggs may curdle.  Strain the broth into a dish, and add the chicken.  Serve.

As I said, this dish caused a bit of an uproar amongst the taste tenders. After a heated game of rock, paper, scissors, the victor got to eat the spoils.  This is a very comforting and filling dish, which could be made as saucy or as brothy as the cook desires.  This dish is on my "must serve at a future feast" list. It would also be nice for a luncheon or lunch tavern.

Kitchen Adventures – Soupes Dorroy- Onion Soup II (Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430))

Soupes Dorroy

Onions are one of the oldest cultivated plants, along with leeks and garlic. Evidence of cultivation is almost 5000 years old. They are a member of the Lily family, genus Allium, and it includes garlic, leek, chives, onions and shallot, as well as many wild species. Like the brassica's, alliums are very diverse with over 500 species.

It is believed that onions originated in central Asia. Evidence exists of onions being cultivated in Chinese gardens 5000 years ago. They were known in Egypt, where they were an object of worship. Onions symbolized eternity, and paintings of onions can be found in tombs and the inner walls of the pyramids. What is known is that onions are easy to store, can grow in almost any kind of soil, are easily stored and transported.

It was the Romans that introduced onions to Europe. Onions were used as medicine as well as for food. Pliny the Elder wrote that onions could cure vision, induce sleep, dog bites, lumbago, and dysentery, heal mouth sores and cure toothaches. The belief that onions had curative powers continued into the Middle ages where it was believed that they could cure hair loss, snakebites and alleviate headaches! Columbus may be responsible for introducing onions to the new world during his expedition to North America in 1492.

Onions do produce sulfur-containing compounds and scientific studies show evidence that onions have both microbial and antifungal properties. The compound responsible for producing tears, allyl sulphate, may also help in balancing blood sugar levels. Anyone who has cut a warm onion knows...they bring tears!

Two recipes caught my eye when researching pottages, Soupes Dorroy, and Oyle Soppys. Both recipes start with onions, but each produces a very different dish. The recipes for both of these items can be found at "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" Thomas Austin

.xxx. Soupes dorroy.—Shere Oynonys, an frye hem in oyle; þanne take Wyne, an boyle with Oynonys, toste whyte Brede an do on a dysshe, an caste þer-on gode Almaunde Mylke, & temper it wyth wyne: þanne do þe dorry a-bowte, an messe it forth.

30. Soups Dorroy - Slice onions, and fry them in oil; thnn take Wine, an boil with onions, toast white bread an do on a dish, an cast there-on good almond milk and temper it with wine: than do the onions about, an mess it forth.

Interpreted Recipe

1 C. sliced onions
1 Tbsp. oil (I used olive oil)
1 C. white wine
1C. almond milk
Pinch of sugar &saffron
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 slice bread, cut into a round and toasted

Heat oil and add the onions. Fry over medium heat until the onions have become golden and tender. Once the onions have become golden, add the wine. Let the onions simmer in the wine until the wine has reduced by half. Place the toasted bread into a bowl. Warm the almond milk and pour it over the bread. Cover with the onions and serve.

Of the two recipes that I created, this was my favorite and one that I would not hesitate to serve at home again. I do caution that it must be served almost as soon as it is put together because when the acidic wine mixes with the almond milk, it will curdle.

My taste testers did not find the curdled almond milk off-putting. The onions when cooked with the wine take on a very fruity flavor, and the almond milk adds creaminess in the background that tempers the sweet fruity taste of the onions. One of my taste testers said that this dish reminded him of a pie...and it did.

I would serve this dish again at a feast, or for an everyday meal. It's quick to put together, economical and very tasty.

Kitchen Adventures – Harleian MS 279 Joutes (~1430) Braised Spring Greens with Bacon

Lady picking cabbages early 15th century.

The recipe for Joutes takes into account the many, many different kinds of greens that were known to be eaten in period. I have labeled this recipe as "Braised Spring Greens with Bacon" because the greens that are called for all bloom very early in spring. I imagine that while we may wrinkle our nose at similar dishes, this dish was very welcome after a long winter. I have included this recipe and its interpretation here, but I will not be cooking it until early spring. I will add an updated picture when I do. I will be including as part of my greens, my favorite weed "Dent-de-lion" aka Dandelion..

Recipe retreived from "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" Thomas Austin

.iij. Joutes.—Take Borage, Vyolet, Malwys, Percely, Yong Wortys, Bete, Auence, Longebeff, wyth Orage an oþer, pyke hem clene, and caste hem on a vessel, and boyle hem a goode whyle; þan take hem and presse hem on a fayre bord, an hew hem ryght smal, an put whyte brede þer-to, an grynd wyth-al; an þan caste hem in-to a fayre potte, an gode freshe brothe y-now þer-to þorw a straynowr, & caste [supplied by ed.] þer-to .ij. or .iij. Marybonys, or ellys fayre fresche brothe of beff, and let hem sethe to-gederys a whyle:an þan caste þer-to Safron, and let hem sethe to-gederys a whyle, an þan caste þer-to safron and salt; and serue it forth in a dysshe, an bakon y-boylyd in a-noþer dysshe, as men seruyth furmenty wyth venyson

For more information on this recipe, or similar recipes, please visit "Medieval Cookery" hosted by Dan Myers by clicking the link below.

iij - Joutes. Take Borage, Vyolet, Malwys, Percely, Yong Wortys, Bete, Auence, Longebeff, wyth Orage an other, pyke hem clene, and caste hem on a vessel, and boyle hem a goode whyle; than take hem and presse hem on a fayre bord, an hew hem ryght smal, an put whyte brede ther-to, an grynd wyth-al; an than caste hem in-to a fayre potte, an gode freshe brothe y-now ther-to thorw a straynowr, and caste ther-to .ij. or .iij. Marybonys, or ellys fayre fresche brothe of beff, and let hem sethe to-gederys a whyle: an than caste ther-to Safron, and let hem sethe to-gederys a whyle, an than caste ther-to safron and salt; and serue it forth in a dysshe, anbakon y-boylyd in a-nother dysshe, as men seruyth furmenty wyth venyson.

3. Joutes -- Take Borage, Violet, Mallow, Parsley, Young Wortys, Beets, Avens, Hawkweed, with Orach and other, pick them clean, and cast them on a vessel, and boil them a good while; then take them and press them on a fair board, and hew them right small, an put white bread there-to, an grind with-all; an than caste them into a fair pot, an good fresh broth of beef, and let them seethe together a while; an than caste there-to saffron, and let them seethe together a while, an than caste there-to saffron and salt; and serve it forth in a dish, an bacon boiled in another dish, as men serve furmenty with venison.

Interpreted Recipe Serves 6-8 people as a side dish

At least 1 cup each of whatever green I can find to include violets, dandelion, parsley, beet greens -OR- if making this dish outside of springtime at least 1 to 2 pounds of mixed greens, including spinach, chard, kale, collards and or mustard greens and a handful of herbs such as parsley, thyme, leeks or marjoram (see below for the reason why I would add greens not mentioned in the recipe)

Water to boil the herbs in
1/3 cup grated breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups fresh beef broth
Pinch of Saffron
1 tsp. salt
1/4 pound slab bacon boiled in half cup water until cooked through (approximately 10 minutes)

Optional: flowers from the greens you have used as garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, add your greens and cook until they have wilted and become tender. This should take approximately 5 minutes. Drain your greens and set aside.

Note: The recipe says to press your greens onto a fair board and hew them small. You will want to wrap your greens in a towel and press down upon them to remove as much of the liquid as possible. You will be surprised at how much liquid these will hold. The dryer your greens are before the next step, the better.

Bring your broth to a boil and add saffron. Meanwhile, roughly chop the herbs (if you haven't already). Add the greens to your broth. Boil until very tender, approximately 15 minutes. Once the greens have reached the desired doneness add the breadcrumbs. The bread will thicken the broth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Once the broth has thickened, place your greens in a dish, along with some of the broth, garnish with the bacon and flowers.

Note: As an alternative, you could fry and dice regular bacon with the leeks and add to the greens.

I find this recipe to be a surprising example of the ingenuity that was used in cooking. Essentially, find, forage, or grow whatever tasty green you can, and braise it in beef broth--enough. Add bread to thicken, saffron for color, salt for flavor, and serve with boiled bacon. This recipe makes use of "pot herbs", or, any leafy green grown for the purpose of usage in cooking. One item of note, eventually, the word "joute" would come to refer to Chard sometime around the 12th century. The "Fromond List" published approximately 1525, and originally titled "Herbys necessary for a gardyn' contains a list of Herbs for pottages. This list includes the following:

Agrimony
Alexanders
Avens
Basil
Beet
Betony
Borage
Cabbage
Caraway
Chervil
Chives
Clary
Colewort
Columbine
Coriander
Daisy
Dandelion
Dill
Dittander
Fennel
Good King Henry
Hartstongue
Langdebeef
Leek
Lettuce
Lupin
Mallow
Pot Marigold
Marjoram
Mint
Nepp
Red Nettle
Christi Oculus
Orach
Parsley
Patience
Pepperwort
Radish
Rape
Safflower
Sage
Spinach
Milk Thistle
Thyme
Valerian
Violet
Wood Sorrel
Onions
Sowthistle

If you wish to know more about the many kinds of vegetables that were enjoyed by folks in the middle ages, please see this article written by Jadwiga Zajaczkowa/Jennifer Heise: Medieval Sallets and Green Pottages

Similar recipes can be found in the following cookbooks located at the various links included in the recipe name.

Forme of Cury (England, 1390)

Eowtes Of Flessh. VI. Take Borage, cool. langdebef. persel. betes. orage. auance. violet. saueray. and fenkel. and whane þey buth sode; presse hem wel smale. cast hem in gode broth an seeþ hem. and serue hem forth.

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

For Ioutes. Take most of cole, borage, persyl, Of plumtre leves, þou take þer tyl, Redde nettel crop and malues grene, Rede brere croppes, and avans goode, A lytel nept violet by þo rode, And lest of prymrol levus þou take, Sethe hom in water for goddes sake. Þenne take hom up, presse oute þou shalle Þe water, and hakke þese erbs alle And grynd hom in a morter schene With grotene. and sethe hom thyk by dene In fresshe brothe, as I þe kenne. Take sklyset, enbawdet þenne Besyde on platere þou shalt hit lay To be cut and eten with ioutes in fay.

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak smale joutes tak dyners and sethe them in clene water and hewe them smalle and bet them in a mortair but put out the water and tak of the stalkes then put them in a pot to swete brothe and alay the pot withe bred and sett the pot on the fyer and let it boille and salt it and serue it.