How to pickle Cowcumbers, The whole body of cookery dissected; Rabisha, 1661

How to pickle Cowcumbers, The whole body of cookery dissected; Rabisha, 1661

This is a recipe that is too good to pass up!  I learned quite a bit while working on this recipe and I am too excited to wait for the final product not to share. 

The author begins his book in a most humble fashion: 

Impartial Reader,

MAny reasons have at last induced me to present the world with this small Tract of my many years study and practice in the Art and Mysterie of Cookery.

....he goes on to explain his reasons and the one that has stuck with me throughout the years is this: 

Secondly, It hath been the practice of most of the ingenuous men of all Arts and Sciences, 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 their Volumes to after-ages, to be their School-master in what they have a mind to practise, which calls back time, and gives life to the dead.

And another statement which struck me further into the letter of introduction: 

Yet there is an evil amongst most men, when they have learned themselves by other mens light, they would extinguish that light, that none might follow them; and so men monopolize all knowledge therein to themselves, and condemn all those that are a guide and light to the ignorant; there is none other but such will condemn me in what I have done.

I have a confession to make, when attempting to work out vague instructions in earlier books, I often find myself referring to books that are printed just out of period to try to develop an idea of what the flavorings may have been in our period. I have found that the instructions are a little bit more complete and this recipe for a pickled cucumber is no exception. The instructions on the preparation of your cucumbers, and the quantity of the seasonings is very complete.  What was surprising was the method used in creating your pickled cucumber.  The pickles are first brined and then some of the water is removed and replaced with white wine vinegar.  The result is a taste explosion in your mouth; floral from the cucumber, sharp from the vinegar and then the spices; first dill, pepper, and mace, and lastly bay and clove. It is delicious and a must try for anyone who enjoys pickles.  

You are first instructed to take your smallest cucumbers "after Bartholmew-tyde".  Bartholmew-tyde is August 24th and celebrates the festival of St Bartholomew - patron saint of tanners, plasterers, tailors, leatherworkers, bookbinders, farmers, housepainters, butchers, and glove makers. He is one of the 12 Apostles, and was either decapitated or skinned alive, the stories very.  The recipe gives us an idea of when to prepare the pickle.  Curious, I researched when cucumbers were in season, specifically in England.  I discovered that they are available March through October, but they are at their best in the months of April through September.  In preparing pickled cucumbers after the middle August, cucumbers were being pickled when they were at their best, and before the season ended. 

It is also interesting to note that the seasonings that are used in the preparation of this recipe; salt, bay leaves, dill leaves, pepper, mace, and cloves, are antibacterial. Cucumbers are layered in a pot or firkin with layers of Bay leaves and dill before a cooled solution of water infused with enough salt to bear an egg and dill as an option are poured over them.  

What this recipe seems to lack is an acid.  Further research pointed me to something I had discarded in my original attempt at this recipe because I did not understand the purpose of the instructions. Specifically, you are advised to "dip a cloth in beer, and rub them (cucumbers) clean from the dirt". Alcohol, in this case beer, acts as a preservative for the vegetables -- but only if -- the acidity of the alcohol is at least 5%.  At less than 5% acidity the opportunity for sugars in the alcohol and bacteria to interact is higher which could lead to illness.   

Pickling is a method of preserving fruits and vegetables by adding acid which transforms the flavor. There are two ways acid can be added to vegetables.  The first and the one most people would think of when you say pickle is the introduction of a vinegar based brine.  

The second, and the method, which is used here, is fermentation over a period of time in a water and salt solution during which time beneficial bacterial transforms natural sugars into lactic acid. It is commonly known as lacto-fermentation.  One of the more common misconceptions about lacto-fermentation is the idea that you need to introduce a dairy based whey (yogurt or whey from cheesemaking) to the vegetables to achieve the pickle.  The "lacto" in the term lacto-fermentation refers to lactobacillus, the bacteria which creates lactic acid as a byproduct. It lives everywhere and is commonly found on vegetables and fruit--no dairy needed.

How to pickle Cowcumbers

TAke your smallest Cowcumbers, or Gerkines, after Bartholmew-tyde, dip a cloth in beer, and rub them clean from the dirt, then put a laying of Bay and Dill leafes in the bottom of your Firkin or Pot, and a quantity of whole Pepper, two or three blades of Mace, and as many Cloves; then place a laying of Cowcumbers thereon; so continue with your said in gredients till your Pot or Firkin be full; then make a Liquor with fair water, and good store of Dill to make it strong, with so much salt as will bear an egg; you may infuse the Dill, or you may boyl it, but let it be cold, then put it into your Cowcumbers; let this pickle continue to them almost a fortnight, then pour part away, and fill it up with white wine Vinegar, so shall your Cowcumbers be green and crisp, and not too sour.

The whole body of cookery dissected, taught, and fully manifested, methodically, artificially, and according to the best tradition of the English, French, Italian, Dutch, &c., or, A sympathie of all varieties in naturall compounds in that mysterie wherein is contained certain bills of fare for the seasons of the year, for feasts and common diets : whereunto is annexed a second part of rare receipts of cookery, with certain useful traditions : with a book of preserving, conserving and candying, after the most exquisite and newest manner ...

Rabisha, William.London: Printed by R.W. for Giles Calvert ..., 1661.

Interpreted Recipe

1 pound small cucumbers

1/4 cup (or more) beer of choice (I suggest wheat beer, pale ale/IPA, stout or portar)

Handful of bay leaves (I bought the half ounce fresh herbs from the store)

Handful of fresh dill (see above)

1 1/2 tbsp. whole black pepper

1 1/2 tsp. ground mace

4-6 whole cloves
Heavily salted water (for each cup of water use 3 tbsp. of kosher salt-this will float an egg)

These directions are vague and for that I apologize.  I used a 32-ounce jar, the jar you use may be different in size, hence the "method" of the instructions instead of actual measures.  

Early in the day measure your water and add your salt.  If you wish to infuse the brine with dill, add the thickest parts of your dill stems, or dried dill. Bring the water to boil and allow to cool to room temperature. You may want to strain out the dill. I did not. 

While the brine is cooling prepare your jar and your cucumbers.  The jar needs to be super sterile, I washed my jar on the sterilize cycle in the dishwasher.  The cucumbers need to be cleaned off with your beer. Cut off the stem end of the cucumber and wipe the cucumber off with a towel dampened with beer.

Cover the bottom of the jar with bay leaves and fresh dill and then add your cucumbers. Continue to layer until your jar is full.  Add in the remaining spices and cover with the brine.  I used a coffee filter tied to the jar with some string instead of the lid.  Allow the jar to sit in a warm place for 12 to 14 days.  Pour off a measure of your water (I removed half the water and added the vinegar and found it too sharp the first time.  The second time, I removed a cup of water and added a cup of vinegar and I preferred that) and add your white vinegar.  Pickles will store beautifully in the refrigerator for approximately two months.  The longer they are stored, the better they will taste. 

Note: If the pickles feel bad (slimy or feel rotten), smell bad (rancid), become odd colored (grey, brown or black), develop a funky colored mold (anything other then white), tastes bad (if you are brave enough to taste something that smells foul and feels slimy), or makes your stomach upset after a taste test-- toss it and start over.  Do not take chances.  

White yeast known as Kahm yeast may develop on top of your pickle. It is fuzzy in appearance and may have an odor, but not a rancid one. It is harmless and will not affect taste, smell, or feel of your pickle, remove it and the item it may have attached to. If your pickle is complete, place it in the fridge, otherwise you may notice a return of the Kahm in a few days.

Harleain MS 279 (ab. 1430) - xlviij. Tayloures & Cxiiij. Tayleȝ - Rice Porridge with Currants & Dates or Figs, Dates and Raisins + Bonus Recipes for Poudre Douce (Sweet Powder)

Tayleȝ with Spiced Apples and Walnuts

I was very eager to try out this recipe 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" for Tayloures, which is another pottage based on the almond milk and rice flour base.  Previously published interpretations which contain this base include; Cxxxvj. A potage of Roysons (Rice Porridge with Apples and Raisins), .Ixxxv. Gaylede (Rice Porridge with Figs & Honey), .Cxxv. Vyolette - Violet. and .lxviij. Bruet of Almaynne in lente (Rice Porridge with Dates). 

The taste testers and I had an interesting conversation about where in a feast you would find dishes like these served.  The consensus is that for the modern day pallet you serve them at breakfast--barring that, they should most likely be served either as a sweet side dish as part of a course, or at the end of the meal for a warm pudding. I believe in period these dishes would have been served in first course for dietetic reasons.  

I have combined two similar sets of instructions into this post which was first published in 2017.  The second dish, Tayley (Taylez) differs from the first only in the fruits used, and the addition of vinegar and honey added to the dish.  I chose to make the sauce seperately, adding the dates and the raisins to it.  You will note that the sauce appears very dark.  I was gifted autumn honey from a friend, and this particular honey is very dark and flavorful. 

These two dishes do not disappoint. They differ differs from the other pottages with the use of the wine, the fruits used and the spicing. Some things to note; the interchange of bread with rice as a thickener in the first recipe, and the usage of honey versus sugar in the second.  This led to a discussion on the preogative of the cook; Is it ok to follow the example of these recipes and add additional spices or exchange out the thickeners used when reconstructing recipes in period?  We concluded that what we were using today was a set of instructions most likely written by someone watching the cook prepare the food, and listening to what the cook said, but who may have only seen it prepared the one time.  Therefore, it is likely that just as modern day cooks will substitute one item for another, the medieval cook most likely did the same. In a situation where using a wheat based thickener is not idea, the use of eggs or rice would be appropriate.  Likewise for the use of seasoning or other items.  We also noted that in this particular manuscript several sets of instructions (like these two) may differ by one or two items, for example the addition of wine, the protein used, or  in this case the fruit and spicing differ. 

The last bit of discussion we had, while finishing off our "brunch" was the feasibility of creating dishes like this for camping events, specifically for a camp breakfast. It was noted that with the exception of almond milk, all of the ingredients are dried and easily portable.  It would be quite feasible to make almond milk on site, eliminating the need to keep a dairy product that would easily spoil around.  Further, it was noted that the cereal itself continued to thicken as it cooled.  Had there been *any* left over, I would have liked to have know if it would be possible to cool it, slice it and fry it up similar to mush.  With the ingredients used, refridgeration would not be a requirement right away.  

What would you do with the almond meal once the milk was made? With a can of pie filling, or fresh fruit of your choice, you could make a quick crumbly topping for a camp pie.  Simply mix 1/4 cup of the (used) almond flour with 1 cup dry oats, a teaspoon or more of your spices, up to a1/4 cup honey and add the juice of half an orange. Yum! Breakfast and desert done with creative use of portable items that do not require a cooler ;-)

xlviij. Tayloures. — Take a gode mylke of Almaundys y-draw with Wyne an Water, an caste hym in-to a potte, and caste gret Roysouns of corauns, Also mencyd Datys, Clowes, Maces, Pouder Pepir, Canel, Safroun, & a gode dele Salt, & let boyle a whyle; þan take it and ly*. [Lye; allay.] it wyth Flowre of Rys, or ellys with Brede y-gratyd, & caste þer-to Sugre, & serue forth lyke Mortrewys, & caste pouder of Gyngere a-boue y-now.

48. Taylours - Take good milk of almonds drawn with wine and water, and caste them in a pot, and caste great raisins of corauns (currents). Also minced dates, cloves, maces, powder pepper, cinnamon, saffron and a good deal of salt, and let boil awhile; Than take it and lie it with flour of rice, or else with bread grated and caste there-to sugar, and serve forth like mortrews, and cast powder of ginger above enough.

Interpreted Recipe

3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup wine (I used red wine)
1 tbsp currants (or raisins)
2 dates chopped as small as currants (or raisins)
2 cloves
1/8 tsp. each mace, pepper, cinnamon (or to taste)
pinch of saffron
salt to taste
2-3 tbsp. rice flour or bread crumbs
1 tbsp or to taste sugar (or to taste)
Pinch of ginger

I used commercially prepared almond milk and added white wine to it because I wanted to keep the pottage as white as possible.  I much prefer the taste of homemade almond milk to the commercially prepared almond, and a easy recipe using almond flour can be found here: Quick Homemade Almond Milk. I heated the almond milk with the currants and the raisins and added the spices, a pinch of saffron and sugar to it.  Once it had obtained the color I wanted, I added the rice flour and stirred till it was thick.  Before serving I sprinkled the dish with a pinch of ginger and a pinch of currants.

.Cxiiij. Tayleȝ.—Take a chargeaunt Mylke of Almaundys, an draw with wyne caste in to þe potte [deleted in MS]; take Fygys & Roysonys a gode porcyon, to make it chargeaunt, waysshe hem clene, & caste hem on a morter, grynd hem as small as þou myȝt, temper hem vppe with þin*. [Thine. ] Mylke, draw hem þorw a straynoure, also chargeauntly as þou myȝth; caste it in a clene potte, do it to þe fyre; take Datys y-taylid a-long, & do þer-to; take Flowre of Rys, & draw it þorw a straynoure, and caste þer-to, & lat it boyle tylle it be chargeaunt; sette it on þe fyre; take pouder Gyngere & Canelle, Galyngale; temper with Vynegre, & caste þer-to Sugre, or hony; caste þer-to, sesyn it vppe with Salt, & serue forth.

114. Tayles - Take thick milk of almonds, and draw with wine, caste in to the pot; take figs & raisins a good portion, to make it thick, wash them clean and caste them on a morter, grind them as small as you might, temper them up with your milk, draw them through a strainer, also thick as you might; cast it in a clean pot, do it to the fire; take dates, sliced long, and do there-to; take flour of rice, and draw it through a strainer, and caste there-to, and let it boil till it be thick; set it on the fire; take powder ginger and cinnamon, galingale; temper with vinegar, and caste there-to sugar or honey; cast there-to, season it up with salt, and serve forth. 

Interpreted Recipe

3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup wine 
2 figs

1 tbsp raisins
2 dates sliced long ways

2-3 tbsp. rice flour

1/2 to 1 tsp. powder douce 
1 tbsp. vinegar (I used Apple Cider)

2 tbsp. honey
salt to taste

Prepare as above.  You can serve the spiced syrup separate, or add it to the cereal mixture.  In the picture I made the wine and honey mixtures a syrup and poured over the top.  

Both of these dishes had very balanced flavors, while similar in ingredients and preperation each was different from the other.  

Similar Recipes

Le Viandier de Taillevent (France, ca. 1380 - James Prescott, trans.)

Lenten slices. Take peeled almonds, crush very well in a mortar, steep in water boiled and cooled to lukewarm, strain through cheesecloth, and boil your almondmilk on a few coals for an instant or two. Take some cooked hot water pastries a day or two old and cut them into bits as small as large dice. Take figs, dates and Digne raisins, and slice the figs and dates like the hot water pastries. Throw everything into it, leave it to thicken like Frumenty, and boil some sugar with it. To give it colour, have some saffron for colouring it like Frumenty. It should be gently salted.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (England, 1460)

Tayle. Take a lytyll milke of almonds drawyn up with wyn & do hit in a pott do ther to figes reysens & datys cut and sygure & good pondys boyle hit up colour hit with safron & messe hit forth.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163) (England, 1460)

Tayle. Take a lytyll milke of almonds drawyn up with wyn & do hit in a pott do ther to figes reysens & datys cut and sygure & good pondys boyle hit up colour hit with safron & messe hit forth.

Bonus Recipe (s) 

DUKE'S POWDER - POLVORA DE DUQUE - Libre del Coch, 1529 

Half an ounce of cinnamon, one eighth of cloves, and for the lords cast in nothing but cinnamon, and a pound of sugar; if you wish to make it sharp in flavor and [good] for afflictions of the stomach, cast in a little ginger.

And the weights of the spices in the apothecary shops are in this manner: one pound is twelve ounces, one ounce, eight drachms; one drachm, three scruples; another way that you can more clearly understand this: a drachm weighs three dineros, a scruple is the weight of one dinero, and a scruple is twenty grains of wheat.

ANOTHER POWDER OF THE DUKE -  DE ALTRA POLVORA DE DUCH 

The Libre del Coch has a second recipe for this spice mix, De altra polvora de duch, which contains 2 oz. ginger, 1/2 drachm galingale, 1 oz. cinnamon, 1 oz. long pepper, 1 oz. grains of paradise, 1 oz. nutmeg, 1/4 oz. fine sugar. 

The Libre de Sent Sovi gives yet another recipe: 1 pound sugar; 1/2 oz. cinnamon; 3/4 oz. ginger; 1/4 oz. total of cloves, nutmeg, galingale, and cardamon.

Duke's Powder

Cinnamon half an ounce --1 tbsp.
Cloves half a quarter (1/8th of an ounce) --3/4 tsp.
Sugar a pound -- (based on the 12 ounce pound) 1 1/2 cups
Ginger - a little --1 tbsp.

This mixture of spices, while not completely white, yields a very light tan powder. This is the mixture that I have used in my interpretation for Bolas and is pictured as the powder filling the dates.

Note: A dry ounce is equal to two tablespoons, or 1/8th of a cup.

Previously published: January 02, 2017

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) -.Cxliiij. Schyconys with þe bruesse - Chicken with the Broth Bonus Recipe: Strong Spice Powder

Schyconys with þe bruesse, Rys & Lange Wortes de pesoun

"I want no peasant in my kingdom to be so poor that he cannot have a poule au pot on Sundays." 

King Henry IV

Oftentimes when you are attempting to interpret older manuscripts you find yourself  going down a rabbit hole attempting to find the meaning of a word.  Bruesse is one such word. After extensive searching I was able to locate the many different ways this word has been spelled in the various manuscripts.  

Brewis, broys, brouwys, browis, brewes, brus, brewish, brewys, brues, brewes, bruesse, brows, breawis, brewis-from the ME Browes, browys, brewes and Old French brouets, meaning a pottage (soup) made with the broth of meat.  Formally defined as broth, liquor in which beef and vegetables have been boiled;sometimes also thickened with bread or meal.  The oldest usage of a form of this word can be traced back to the 13th century. (Murray)

My first thought when I ran across this set of instructions in the 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. 55Thomas Austin, was that it bore a very strong resemblence to a classic dish "Poule Au Pot" only lacking in the vegetables that you would normally see in that dish.  Additionally, the form of the receipt appeared to contain instructions for two separate dishes. 

The first dish was made with "a gode gobet of freysshe beef" and "a dosyn chykonys", the second "stuffe þin chekons" with "hard Eyroun, & take þe ȝolkys & choppe hem smal, & choppe þer-to Clowys, Maces, Hole Pepir, & Stuffe þin chekonys with-al; Also put hole gobettys & marye with ynne" and "Moutoun" if you do not have beef. 

BUT--I was wrong.  There is a third recipe contained in this receipt. "Also þen dresse hem as a pertryche, & fayre coloure hem, & ley vppe-on þis browes, & serue in with Bakoun." Fortunately, I had previously interpreted the recipe for "Petrich Stewyde" which is remarkably similar to this one. The difference being the addition of wine to a basic broth made of beef.  To dress the chicken, in the third interpretation, you would stuff the bird with marrow, clove, mace and pepper. It would then be served with the basic broth made from beef and  marrow, and served with bacon (Bakoun, Bacoun, n. bacon, VIII a 279, 304. [OFr. bacun.]).  

.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.

When it comes to partridges we are given this instruction on how to cook them: 

Pecokkes and Parteriches schalle be parboyled, and larded, and rosted and eten with pouder of gynger. (Warner) 

For more information on medieval bacon, I highly recommend Tomas de Courcy's very well researched and interpreted article "Medieval Bacon".  I have used his methods to make my own, and can attest it is delicious!

The instructions in the manuscript are written below:

.Cxliiij. Schyconys with þe bruesse.—Take halfe a dosyn Chykonys, & putte hem in-to a potte; þen putte þer-to a gode gobet of freysshe Beef, & lat hem boyle wyl; putte þer-to Percely, Sawge leuys, Sauerey, noȝt to smal hakkyd; putte þer-to Safroun y-now; þen kytte þin Brewes, & skalde hem with þe same broþe; Salt it wyl; & but þou haue Beef, take Motoun, but fyrste Stuffe þin chekons in þis wyse: take & seþe hard Eyroun, & take þe ȝolkys & choppe hem smal, & choppe þer-to Clowys, Maces, Hole Pepir, & Stuffe þin chekonys with-al; Also put hole gobettys & marye with ynne; Also þen dresse hem as a pertryche, & fayre coloure hem, & ley vppe-on þis browes, & serue in with Bakoun.

My interpretation of this receipt are below: 

Cxliiij - Schyconys with the bruesse. Take halfe a dosyn Chykonys, and putte hem in-to a potte; then putte ther-to a gode gobet of freysshe Beef, and lat hem boyle wyl; putte ther-to Percely, Sawge leuys, Sauerey, no3t to smal hakkyd; putte ther-to Safroun y-now; then kytte thin Brewes, and skalde hem with the same brothe; Salt it wyl; and but thou haue Beef, take Motoun, but fyrste Stuffe thin chekons in this wyse: take and sethe hard Eyroun, and take the 3olkys and choppe hem smal, and choppe ther-to Clowys, Maces, Hole Pepir, and Stuffe thin chekonys with-al; Also put hole gobettys and marye with ynne; Also then dresse hem as a pertryche, and fayre coloure hem, and ley vppe-on this browes, and serue in with Bakoun.

143 -  Chicken with the broth.  Take half a dozen chickens, and put them into a pot; then put there-to a good piece of fresh beef, and let them boil well; put there-to parsley, sage leaves, savory, not to small cut; put there-to saffron enough; then cut your broth (I wonder if this is supposed to be chickens and beef?), and scald them with the same broth; salt it well; and if you do not have beef, take mutton, but first stuff your chickens in this way: take and cook hard eggs, and take the yolks, and chop them small, and chop there-to cloves, mace, whole pepper, and stuff your chicken with-al; also put hole pieces and marrow within. Also, then dress them as a partridge, and fair color them, and lay upon this broth, and serve it with bacon. 

Interpreted Recipes                                               Serves 6-8 

Version 1:  Chicken cooked in Savory Beef Broth

1 chicken (4-5 pound) cut into parts, skin on, bone in

1 -2 beef marrow bone(s), split 

1 - 2 pound beef chuck

1 tsp each parsley, sage, savory (or one bouquet garni of fresh herbs)

Pinch Saffron

1 tsp salt

2-3 quarts beef broth

Version 2:

1- 2 pounds lamb for stew 

1 chicken (4-5 pound) skin on, bone in

2-3 hardboiled eggs, yolks removed and finely chopped

1-2 tsp. "strong spice" blend

1/2 - 1 tsp. ginger

1 -2 beef marrow bone(s), split (opt. salt pork or bacon)

2-3 quarts beef broth

Version 3: 

1 chicken (4-5 pound), cut into parts, skin on, bone in

6 ounces bacon or salt pork

1-2 tsp. Strong Spices

1/2 to 1 tsp. ginger

Pinch of saffron (opt)

2-3 quarts beef broth

Heat your broth in your pot.  

Version 1: Add chicken, beef and spices and cook till meat is tender.  

Version 2: Finely chop egg yolks and mix with strong spices. Add marrow (in lieu of marrow you could use salt pork or bacon which will change the flavor but give the necessary fat component) and stuff this mixture into the chicken.  Alternatively, you could put the yolk back into the egg white, and push the egg whites together to resemble a whole egg, and place the egg and marrow into the cavity of the chicken along with remaining dressing.  

Add whole chicken to a pot along with the lamb and cook until the meat is tender. 

Version 3: Add chicken pieces and bacon to a pot along with the spices and cook until the meat is tender. 

Note: I made the third version of this dish using a cornish game hen which I had cut in half instead of a chicken. The broth was seasoned with the strong spices and the salted pork. It is pictured with Rys (rice) and Lange Wortes de pesoun (braised greens with peas).  The sweetness of the Rys (Rice) was a perfect counterpoint to the broth.  I ladeled off some of the excess broth to the final cook on the peas.  Also pictured is Robert May's French Bread. 

To Serve: This is a very brothy dish and should be served in a first course  as a pottage or "meat cooked in broth".  I personally would cook this dish ahead of time, allow to cool overnight, remove excessive fat, and pick out the bones leaving the meat in chunks. Reheating the broth, I would pour the broth over sops of bread and arrange the meat in chunks on top. Serve with boiled turnips, cabbage, carrots, etc. to round out the meal.  

Alternatively, you could brown the meat and simmer it in the broth until it is cooked through, strain the broth and thicken it with a bit of bread (to appease modern palates) and serve the thickened broth on the side as a "dish with sauce" in the second course. 

Or, you could take a modern spin, and strain the broth, serving it as the pottage, with the boiled meats (picked clean) on the side along with a selection of boiled vegetables. 

Bonus Recipe 

Strong Spice Blend (Powder Forte) - The recipe I use has it's basis in Robert May's "The accomplisht cook or, The art & mystery of cookery (1684) " Bolonia Sausages recipe.  

....then add to it three ounces of whole pepper, two ounces of pepper more
grosly cracked or beaten, whole cloves an ounce, nutmegs an ounce
finely beaten, salt, spanish, or peter-salt, an ounce of
coriander-seed finely beaten, or carraway-seed, cinamon an ounce
fine beaten...

*Note: A dry ounce is approximately two tablespoons.  

6 tablespoons whole pepper

4 tablespoons cracked pepper

2 tbsp. whole cloves, nutmegs, coriander or caraway and cinnamon

Salt to taste

1/4th Recipe - A little more manageable

1 1/2 tbsp. whole black peppercorn

1 tbsp. cracked pepper

1 1/2  tsp. each clove, nutmeg, coriander (or fennel) and cinnamon
Salt to taste

Combine all spices together in a spice grinder and grind till fine.  If you do not have a spice grinder a morter and pestle will do and barring that, the trusty rolling pin and a plastic bag work (don't ask).  Store and use as needed

Sources Used

Medieval Cookery - Medieval Cookbook Search. (2020). Retrieved 31 October 2020, from http://www.medievalcookery.com/search/display.html?ancie:68:PRTRJ

Murray, J. A. H., Bradley, H., Craigie, W. A., Onions, C. T. (1888). A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles: Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by the Philological Society. United Kingdom: Clarendon Press.

Warner, R. (1791). Antiquitates Culinariæ: Or, Curious Tracts Relating to the Culinary Affairs of the Old English, with a Preliminary Discourse, Notes, and Illustrations. United Kingdom: R. Blamire.

Robert May's "To Make French Bread the Best Way"

 

Robert May's "To Make French Bread the Best Way"

I must smile whenever I reference "bread", because there is a great debate about what differentiates bread from pastry especially in period. I am also reminded of a rather tart blog post that referenced my interpretation of "rastons" calling me out publicly on the fact that I had "incorrectly" referred to rastons as a kind of bread.  Here we have the root of what I like to call “The Great Debate" which at its epicenter is this: all pastries are bread, but not all breads are pastries. The difference between a pastry and a bread (aside from purpose) is fat content. 

At a minimum pastry’s are made of flour, water, salt and fat in different proportions. The leavening agents for most pastries are steam and air except for brioche, danish and croissants which use yeast. The minimal ingredients for bread any bread are flour and liquid. The leavening agent being mostly yeast. 

Bread is defined as a food made from flour and water (also known as a paste). And there you have it, the answer to "The Great Debate".  All pastries are a kind of bread, but not all breads are pastry.  

To make French Bread the best way.

Take a gallon of fine flour, and a pint of good new ale barm or yeast, and put it to the flour, with the whites of six new laid eggs well beaten in a dish, and mixt with the barm in the middle of the flour, also three spoonfuls of fine salt; then warm some milk and fair water, and put to it, and make it up pretty stiff, being well wrought and worked up, cover it in a boul or tray with a warm cloth till your oven be hot; then make it up either in rouls, or fashion it in little wooden dishes and bake it, being baked in a quick oven, chip it hot. 

Interpreted Recipe 

1 cup lukewarm water

2 tbsp. dry yeast (or 2 cakes fresh)

1 cup lukewarm milk

1 tbsp. salt

1 egg

6 cups sifted unbleached flour

 Pour water and milk into a mixing bowl mix in the egg, 1 cup flour and then add the yeast.  Allow to sit until a sponge has formed.  Once the sponge has formed sprinkle in the remaining flour until it has all absorbed.  Turn the dough out onto a flat surface and knead it for approximately five minutes.  Put into a cleaned warmed bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size. 

When the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a floured work surface and knead into a ball. Divide the ball into 2, 4, 8 or more equal parts. Knead each into a small ball, and with the palm of your hand flatten the ball.  Cut around the circumference of the ball halfway between the top and bottom.  Place each roll approximately two inches apart on a floured cookie sheet and allow to rise until doubled in size.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.  

I take a couple of shortcuts when I make this bread and a few liberties.  I add an equal amount of honey or sugar (1 tbsp) to the original sponge and then add the salt in when I add the additional flour.  I find that the addition of the honey makes the bread sweet and a little more interesting in flavor.  You may notice that the bread is also darker than expected.  The honey was very dark, and 1/3 of my flour was whole wheat for this loaf.