Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .xviij. Pertrich stewyde. - Partridge Stewed

 Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .xviij. Pertrich stewyde. - Partridge Stewed

This is the second of two recipes I interpreted 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 . My mistake was making them on the same day. Of the two, this was the least preferred and I had to agree with my taste testers. It was good, and if I had prepared it on another day would have been well received but compared to the Hen in Cyuey it was "just another dish of stewed fowl of some kind in a broth." On the plus side, made with boneless skinless chicken thighs (because boiled chicken skin is not pretty to look at), it was a very pretty dish, and not that fussy to put together.  On looks and ease of preparation alone, you should try this dish.  

I would suggest that you thicken the broth a little bit with either rice flour or bread crumbs to make it into more a thicker gravy and claim cooks prerogative. A thicker broth might have made the difference between "just another dish of stewed fowl in some kind of broth" and a knock it out of the park dish.  

The people of the medieval period enjoyed a greater variety of food then we do today.   As discussed in my previous blog post, smale byrdys y-stwyde, a wide range of domestic and wild fowl made its way into medieval dishes. 

Partridges are medium sized (10-12 ounces) game birds that were widely distributed throughout Europe, Africa and Asia.  Medieval Physicians recommended partridges as one of the healthiest of games birds, being of moderate heat and moisture and generating good blood. Consumption of partridges is at least as old as Apicius who has several recipes in his book "De Re Coquinaria". The two most common partridge species is the red-legged partridge and the gray-legged partridge.  

An interesting tidbit, the "red-legged" partridge originates in Spain, and nests in tree's. This may be the bird referenced in the popular Christmas Carol "The Twelve Day's of Christmas".  The song that we know dates back to 1909 and there is some evidence to suggest that it was of a much older origin.  The partridge may be symbolic of two becoming one, based on evidence that in the winter months, partridges tend to leave their flocks to break into monogomous pairs. However, there is also a school of thought that believes that the song may be misinterpreted from the French.  The lyrics might have originally been "a partridge, une perdrix", perdrix being French for Partridge. 

According to Greek Legend, the first partridge appears when the Goddess Athena turned Daedalus' nephew Perdix into a partridge after Daedalus' throws him in a fit of jealous rage from the Acropolis. Pliny the Elder (1st century) writes in his Natural History, Book 10, 51, "Partridges protect their nests with thorns and twigs so that they are safe from animals. After the eggs are laid the partridge moves them somewhere else, so that the laying place does not become known, and covers them with soft dust. The hens hide their eggs even from their mates, because the males break the eggs so that the females remain available to them. The cocks fight duels with each other over their desire for the hens; it is said that the loser in the fight has to submit sexually to the winner. The hens can become pregnant by merely standing facing the cock, and if they open their beak and put out their tongue at that time, they are sexually excited. Even the air blown from a cock flying overhead, or the sound of a cock crowing, is enough to cause pregnancy. If a fowler approaches the nest, the hen will lure him away by running away while pretending to be injured. If the hen has no eggs to protect, she does not run but lies on her back in a furrow and holds a clod of earth in her claws to cover herself."

.xviij. Pertrich stewyde.—Take fayre mary,*. [Marrow. No. 28, in Douce MS., has myȝty brothe. ] brothe of Beef or of Motoun, an whan it is wyl sothyn, take þe brothe owt of þe potte, an strayne it thorw a straynour, an put it on an erþen potte; þan take a gode quantyte of wyne, as þow it were half, an put þer-to; þan take þe pertryche, an stuffe hym wyth hole pepir, an merw,*. [Marrow. ] an than sewe þe ventys of þe pertriche, an take clowys an maces, & hole pepir, an caste it in-to þe potte, an let it boyle to-gederys; an whan þe pertryche is boylid y-now, take þe potte of þe fyre, an whan thou schalt serue hym forth, caste in-to þe potte powder gyngere, salt, safron, an serue forth.

xviij - Pertrich stewyde. Take fayre mary, (Note: Marrow. No. 28, in Douce MS., has my3ty brothe) brothe of Beef or of Motoun, an whan it is wyl sothyn, take the brothe owt of the potte, an strayne it thorw a straynour, an put it on an erthen potte; than take a gode quantyte of wyne, as thow it were half, an put ther-to; than take the pertryche, an stuffe hym wyth hole pepir, an merw, (Note: Marrow) an than sewe the ventys of the pertriche, an take clowys an maces, and hole pepir, an caste it in-to the potte, an let it boyle to-gederys; an whan the pertryche is boylid y-now, take the potte of the fyre, an whan thou schalt serue hym forth, caste in-to the potte powder gyngere, salt, safron, an serue forth.

18. Partridge Stewed - Take fair marrow, broth of beef or of mutton, and when it is well cooked, take the broth out of the pot, and strain it through a strainer, and put it on an earthen pot; then take a good quantity of wine, as though it were half, and put there-to; then take the partridge, and stuff him with whole pepper, and marrow, and then sew the vents of the partridge, and take cloves and maces, and whole pepper, and caste it into the pot, and let it boil together; and when the partridge is boiled enough, take the pot off the fire, and when you shall serve him forth, caste into the pot, powder ginger, salt, saffron, and serve forth.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                             Serves 1 as main, 2 as Side

1 skin on, bone in chicken thigh
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup wine
1/4 tsp. crushed pepper (because whole peppers are not pleasant to bite into)
Skewers or Twine
3-4 whole cloves
1/8 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. whole pepper
1/4 tsp. ginger
Pinch of saffron
Salt to taste

Please note, that partridge is a very lean game bird while chicken is not.  If you are lucky enough to get partridge (which is prohibitively expensive in my area) you will want to include marrow in your recipe. I removed the skin, the excess fat and the bone from the chicken thigh, cracked the bone and placed it in the beef broth and wine and simmered it to create a fattier broth.  While the broth, wine, skin, fat and bones were cooking, I peppered the inside of the thigh. I used a mix of peppers including black pepper, cubebs and long pepper, and liberally sprinkled it on.  I then rolled the thigh up, and skewered it (you can see the "heart like" shape in the photo above).  At this point I strained the broth, and then added the thigh and broth back into the pot, added cloves and whole pepper, and cooked until the thigh was cooked through. If the broth does not cover the thigh, you will want to flip it over at some point to cook the other side.

Before serving add a pinch of saffron and ginger to the broth, cook a few more minutes to extract the color and flavor of the saffron, taste for salt (modern diners will thank you).

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 A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To stewe a pertuche or a wod cok and draw them and wesshe them clene and chope them with hole clowes and peper and couche them in an erthen pot put ther to dates mynced gret raisins of corans wyne and swet brothe salt it and cover the pot and set it on the fyer when it is enoughe sesson it with pouder of guinger and venygar and colour it with saffron and serue it.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .xlij. Conyng, Mawlard, in gely or in cyuey & .lxxiij. Conyngys in cyveye & .lxiij. Harys in Cyueye.

xlij. Conyng, Mawlard, in gely or in cyuey - Hen in Onion Sauce

Updated 5/21/2021 to inlcude similar recipes:  .lxxiij. Conyngys in cyveye & .lxiij. Harys in Cyueye.

Many moons ago, when I was first active in the SCA, I came across an excellent recipe in "The Ordinance of Pottage" for a dish called "Hare in Cyve" which I highly recommend.  It was very well received and became one of my "go to" feast dishes.  Hey, we all have them, right?  So when I found this recipe 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 it was very exciting for me and I knew I had to make it.

Conyng is a reference to a young rabbit.  Hare refers to any member of the leporidae family, which are similar to rabbits, but have longer ears. Mawlard refers to a duck.  

A cyuey refers to a spicy sauce that has been thickened and includes onions among other spices.  This is delicious and I am so glad to find that it can extend to duck and hen (chicken) as well as rabbit.  I urge you to try it!

.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.

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 the potte, and caste ther-to fayre Freysshe brothe, an half Wyne, Maces, Clowes, Powder pepir, Canelle; than take fayre Brede, an wyth the same brothe stepe, an draw it thorw a straynoure wyth vynegre; an whan it is wyl y-boylid, caste the lycoure ther to, and powderGyngere, and Salt, and sesyn it vp an serue forth [correction; sic = f].

42.  Rabbit, Duck, in Jelly or in Civey - Take rabbit, hen, or duck, and roast them all most enough, or else chop them, and fry them in fair fresh grease; and fry minced onions, and cast all into the pot, and cast there-to fair fresh broth, and half wine, maces, cloves, powder pepper, cinnamon; then take fair bread, and with the same broth soak, and draw it through a strainer with vinegar; and when it is well boiled, cast the liquor there to, and powder ginger, and salt, and season it up and serve forth.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                                         Serves 1 as main, 2 or more as side

1/4 pound chicken, rabbit, or duck cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces (I used chicken thighs)
1 tbsp. oil, butter, lard
1/4 small onion minced
1/4 cup white wine
3/4 cup broth (I used chicken)
2-3 whole cloves
1/8 tsp. each pepper, cinnamon and mace
2-3 tbsp. bread crumbs
1 tbsp. vinegar (I used red wine)
1/4 tsp. ginger
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pot (it's one less dish!) and add onions and meat of choice.  Lower heat and let the meat and onions cook until onions are transparent.  Do not brown the meat.  Add broth, wine, mace, clove, pepper and cinnamon to the pot and continue cooking until meat is tender.  While meat is cooking, mix together bread crumbs and vinegar until it forms a paste. Add the bread to the meat and thicken to your desired taste.  Before serving add ginger and taste for salt, add salt if needed.

This is an excellent dish that can be made ahead of time and reheated day of. It would be great for a luncheon dish as well.  When I have served Hieatt's dish in the past, I served it over noodles and over rice.  I prefer the lozenges (noodles) to the rice, but either will serve to catch the delicious gravy! If nothing else use sops! The gravy makes the dish.  You could also choose to make it less thick and serve it as more of a stew, or even soupy.  It is quite forgiving in that regard.

The taste testers enjoyed this dish.  One comment was "I would lick the bowl but I'm trying to be polite!" ~laughs~.  Of the two dishes I cooked today, this was the preferred dish.  Threats were made (in jest) to get the last bite and it has been agreed that this is a dish I should make more often...just because it's that good.

.lxiij. Harys in Cyueye.—Take Harys, & Fle hem, & make hem clene, an hacke hem in gobettys, & sethe hem in Water & Salt a lytylle; þan take Pepyr, an Safroun, an Brede, y-grounde y-fere, & temper it wyth Ale; þan take Oynonys & Percely, y-mynced smal to-gederys, & sethe hem be hem self, & afterward take & do þer-to a porcyon of Vynegre, & dresse in.

63. Hares in Cyveye - take hares, and flay them, and make them clean, and hack them in gobbets (pieces), and seethe (boil) them in water & salt a little; then take pepper, and saffron, and bread, ground together, and temper it with ale; then take onions and parsley minced small together, and boil them by themselves, and afterword take and do there-to a portion of vineger, and dress him. 

.lxxiij. Conyngys in cyveye.—Take Conyngys, an fle hem, & seþe hem, & make lyke þou woldyst make a sewe, saue alle-to-choppe hem, & caste Safroun & lyer þer-to, & Wyne.

73. Coney in Onion Sauce - Take coneys, an flay them, and seeth (boil) them, and make like you would make a sauce, save all to chop them, and cast saffron and layer (liver?) there-to, and wine.  

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Forme of Cury (England, 1390)

Connynges In Cynee. XXV. Take Connynges and smyte hem on peces. and seeþ hem in gode broth, mynce Oynouns and seeþ hem in grece and in gode broth do þerto. drawe a lyre of brede. blode. vynegur and broth do þerto with powdour fort.
An Anonymous Tuscan Cookery Book (Italy, ~1400 - Ariane Helou, trans.)

Civero of hare and other meats. Cut apart a whole hare, and, when it has been washed a little, cook it in water; then take the cooked liver and lungs, grind them well in a mortar, and when said hare is cooked, take spices, pepper and onions, and fry them in lard with said lungs and toasted bread: and when all these things have boiled together, serve it to the table. Note that you must mince and grind the cooked liver and lungs in a mortar with spices and toasted bread, and dilute it with good wine and a bit of vinegar. And then it has been cooked and the hare fried with onion, pour said sauce over the hare, and let it cool to room temperature, and serve. And you can do the same with pernici, that is partridges.
Ancient Cookery [Arundel 334] (England, 1425)

Conynges in cyne. Take conynges and parboyle hom, and sinyte hom on gobettes and sethe hom; and take onyons and mynce hom, and frye hom in grees, and do therto; and take bred steped in brothe and blode, and drawe up a lyoure (mixture) wyth brothe and vynegur, and do therin; and pouder of pepur and of clowes, and serve hit forthe.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .xxxvij. Autre Vele en bokenade.-Another Veal in Bokenade (stewed)

xxxvij. Autre Vele en bokenade.-Another Veal in Bokenade (stewed)

It's a gray day today, cloudy with a promise of rain. The kind of day that makes you want to curl up with a good book and some comfort food and stay indoors. So I went in search of a recipe that would fall into the category of "yummy comfort food" 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 and found another recipe for another bokenade.  My previously published version for Henne in Bokenade netted rave reviews from the taste testers, so I was eager to give this version an attempt and we were not disappointed.  

The taste testers and I each enjoyed this dish. It is a bit reminiscent of .vj. Beef y-Stywyd evoking the warmed spice flavors of Cincinnati style chili, without the acidic bite of vinegar.  This is a milder version and has made it onto the ever growing list of things that must be served at an event. Although, with events few and far between, and competition growing more and more fierce (it's been about two years since my last feast and a year since my last luncheon), I believe I am going to resort to  Plan B--holding dinner parties at the house--oh! The horrors!

.xxxvij. Autre Vele en bokenade.—Take Vele, an Make it clene, and hakke it to gobettys, an sethe it; an take fat brothe, an temper vp þine Almaundys þat þou hast y-grounde, an lye it with Flowre of Rys, and do þer-to gode powder of Gyngere, & Galyngale, Canel, Maces, Quybybis, and Oynonys y-mynsyd, & Roysonys of coraunce, & coloure yt wyth Safroun, and put þer-to þin Vele, & serue forth.

xxxvij - Autre Vele en bokenade. Take Vele, an Make it clene, and hakke it to gobettys, an sethe it; an take fat brothe, an temper vp thine Almaundys that thou hast y-grounde, an lye it with Flowre of Rys, and do ther-to gode powder of Gyngere, and Galyngale, Canel, Maces, Quybybis, and Oynonys y-mynsyd, and Roysonys of coraunce, and coloure yt wyth Safroun, and put ther-to thin Vele, and serue forth [correction; sic = f].

Interpreted Recipes

1/4 pound veal-or lacking veal stew beef
1 cup beef broth or stock
1/4 cup almond flour
2 tbsp. rice four
1/4 tsp. each ginger and galingale
1/8 tsp. each cinnamon, mace and cubebs
1/4 cup onion sliced
1 tbsp. currants
pinch of saffron

Because veal is very expensive and my budget this week is tight, I purchased stew beef instead of veal, so the flavor of this dish might have been a bit richer then it would have been if I were using veal.  I made almond milk by adding the almond flour to the beef broth and pureeing in a blender.  I placed the beef, almond milk, ginger, galingale, cinnamon, mace, cubebs, onion and currents into a pan on the stove and cooked until the meat was tender and the onions had become transparent.  I did add a beef bouillon cube for salt and additional flavor during this process. At this point, add  saffron and rice flour and cook until you have reached your desired thickness.

This was a beautifully easy and quick recipe to throw together, and I suspect it could be made in a crockpot. It absolutely fit the bill of "comfort food" and I would serve this with rice as a side. I also found that the rice flour wasn't absolutely necessary. If you cannot find rice flour, don't fret--it is easily made in your blender.  This process also works for millet, wheat, oats, quinoa, nuts and legumes.   You can use a coffee grinder, but there is no need. Just remember that your homemade flours might be a bit more "gritty" then flour you can buy, so you will want to strain your broth if you use it.

To make homemade rice flour, add your rice to your blender and blend until it becomes a powder.  For harder grains you may want to pulse a few times to start the process.  Use a small amount of your rice--I do mine in quarter to half cup batches. Store in an air tight container.

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Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7] (England, 1390)

.Cxvj. Veel in buknade. Tak fayr veel & kyt in smale pecys & boyle hit tendur in fyne broth other in water, thenne tak white brede other wastel & drawe ther of a white lyour with fyne broth, & do the lyour to the veel & do safroun ther to, thanne take persel & bray hyt in a morter, & the juys ther of do therto & thanne this is half yelow & half grene, thanne take a porcioun of wyne & poudour marchaunt & do ther to and let hit boile wel, & do ther to a littul od vyneger & serve hit forth.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (England, 1460)

Veel in bucnade. Chop vele in pecys do hit in a pot do ther to onyons cut grete & herbes & good pouderez clovys macyz sygure safron & salt & boyle hit with a lytyll swete broth than put ther to good cow mylke boyle hit up with yolkes of eyron lete hit be rennyng & serve hit forth & make hit with cowe mylke in this maner a fore sayd & thu mayste make hit with almond mylke in the same maner and when hit ys boyled sesyn hit up withe poudyr of gynger & vergeys.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .lj. Cawdelle de Almaunde - Almond Caudle

lj. Cawdelle de Almaunde - Almond Caudle

I cannot believe that this recipe has been kept hidden away and secret and has not been used more often at events in the past.  Cawdelle de Almaunde, from  Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin, is a thick, rich beer soup, or, more recently, if you choose not to follow the instructions, a warmed drink mainly used in the Middle Ages for invalids.  Whatever you call it, you should try it--just make sure you use an ale (or beer) that you enjoy drinking.

One of the taste testers declared it "not to their taste", because it wasn't the "beer" flavor they were expecting.  That makes sense, because you are tempering the beer with almond milk, giving it a creamy taste.  After a few moments of discussion, we had decided that if you were to make this and serve it as instructed "al hotte in maner of potage", that you should accompany it by a good fatty cheese, hard cured meat, like a really good salami, mustardy pickles and a robust grainy bread. The flavor of the ale that I used was very hearty and malty with hints of cinnamon, ginger and orange peel. The sugar enhanced the spice and the malty flavors.  Perhaps lighter flavored ale would be better used for lighter accompaniments such as salad, or eggs?

.lj. Cawdelle de Almaunde.—Take Raw Almaundys, & grynde hem, an temper hem vp with gode ale, and a lytil Water, and draw it þorw a straynoure in-to a fayre potte, & late it boyle a whyle: & caste þer-to Safroun, Sugre, and Salt, & þan serue it forth al hotte in maner of potage.

lj - Cawdelle de Almaunde. Take Raw Almaundys, and grynde hem, an temper hem vp with gode ale, and a lytil Water, and draw it thorw a straynoure in-to a fayre potte, and late it boyle a whyle: and caste ther-to Safroun, Sugre, and Salt, and than serue it forth al hotte in maner of potage.

51. Caudle of Almond - Take raw almonds, and grind them, and temper them up with good ale, and a little water, and draw it through a strainer into a fair pot, and let it boil a while: and cast there-to saffron, sugar, and salt, and then serve it forth all hot in manner of potage.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                               Serves 2 as main, 3-4 as Side

1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup ale
1/4 cup water
1-2 tbsp. sugar or to taste
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch of saffron (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender (give thanks to the kitchen Gods for modern technology) and blend.  Strain through a strainer and into your pot.  Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer until reduced by 1/4.  Serve.

Honestly--couldn't be simpler, and very, very tasty.

Similar Recipes

Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7] (England, 1390)

.lxxxvj. Caudel of almaund mylke. Tak almaundes blaunched and drawe hem up with wyne, do therto poudour ginger, & suger & colour hit with safroun, boyle hyt & serve hit forth.

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

Caudel dalmone. Take almondes unblanchyd and hom þou bray. Drawe hom up with wyn, I dar wele say. Þer to do pouder of good gyngere And sugur, and boyle alle þese in fere, And coloure hit with safron and salt hit wele, And serve hit forthe Sir at þo mele.

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak cawdelle dalmond tak unblanched almondes and bray them and draw them with wyne put ther to pouder of guinger and sugur and boile all to gedur and colore it with saffron and salt it and serue it.