Early English Meals and Manners Part 25

Than whan ye haue it so y-leid / on y lord{es} trenchour{e}, looke ye haue good mustarde {er}-to and good licour{e}; Fatt venesou{n} w{i}t{h} frumenty / hit is a gay plesewr{e} your{e} sou{er}ayne to s{er}ue with in sesou{n} to his honowr{e}: 384

[Sidenote: Touch _Venison_ only with your knife, pare it, cross it with 12 scores,]

Towche not e venisou{n} w{i}t{h} no bare hand but with{e} y knyfe; is wise shall{e} ye be doand{e}, with{e} e fore part of e knyfe looke ye be hit parand, xij. draught{es} w{i}t{h} e egge of e knyfe e venison crossand{e}. 388

[Sidenote: cut a piece out, and put it in the furmity soup.]

Than whan ye at venesou{n} so haue chekkid hit, [Fol. 176b.]

with e fore p{ar}te of your{e} knyfe / {a}t ye hit owt kytt, In e frume{n}ty potage honestly ye co{n}vey hit, in e same forme w{i}t{h} pesyn & baken whan sesou{n} {er}-to doth{e} sitt. 392

[Sidenote: Touch with your left hand, pare it clean, put away the sinews, &c.]

With{e} your{e} lift hand touche beeff / Chyne[77] / motou{n}, as is a-for{e} said, & pare hit clene or {a}t ye kerve / or hit to yo{ur} lord be layd; and as it is showed afor{e} / bewar{e} of vpbrayd{e}; all{e} fumosite, salt / senow / Raw / a-side be hit convayd{e}. 396

[Sidenote: _Partridges_, &c.: take up by the pinion, and mince them small in the sirrup.]

In siripp{e} / p{ar}trich{e} / stokdove / & chekyns, in s{er}uyng{e}, w{i}t{h} yo{ur} lifft hand take em by e pynon of e whyng{e}, & at same w{i}t{h} e fore p{ar}te of e knyfe be ye vp reryng{e}, Mynse hem small{e} in e sirupp{e}: of fumosite algate be ye feeryng{e}. 400

[Headnote: HOW TO CARVE LARGE ROAST BIRDS, SWAN, CAPON, &C.]

[Sidenote: Larger roast birds, as the _Osprey_, &c., raise up [?

cut off] the legs, then the wings,]

Good son, of all{e} fowles rosted y tell{e} yow as y Can, Every goos / teele / Mallard / Ospray / & also swanne, reyse vp o leggis of all{e} ese furst, y sey the than, afft{ur} at, e whyng{es} large & rownd / an dar{e} blame e no man; 404

[Sidenote: lay the body in the middle, with the wings and legs round it, in the same dish.]

Lay the body in mydd{es} of e disch{e} / or in a-nod{ur} charger{e}, of vche of ese w{i}t{h} whyng{es} in mydd{es}, e legg{es} so aftir ther{e}.

of all{e} ese in .vj. lees[78] / if at ye[A] will{e}, ye may vppe arer{e}, & ley em betwene e legg{es}, & e whyng{es} in e same plater{e}. 408

[Text note: _MS. may be_ yo.]

[Sidenote: _Capons:_ take off the wings and legs; pour on ale or wine, mince them into the flavoured sauce.]

Capon, & hen of hawt grees[79], us wold ey be dight:-- Furst, vn-lace e whynges, e legg{es} an in sight, Cast ale or wyne on em, as {er}-to belo{n}geth of ryght, & mynse em an in to e sawce w{i}t{h} powdurs kene of myght. 412

[Sidenote: Give your lord the left wing, and if he want it, the right one too.]

Take capou{n} or hen so enlased, & devide; take e lift whynge; in e sawce mynce hit euen beside, and yf your{e} sou{er}ayne ete sau{er}ly / & haue {er}to appetide, an mynce at our whyng{e} {er}-to to satisfye hym {a}t tyde. 416

[Sidenote: _Pheasants_, &c.: take off the wings, put them in the dish, then the legs.]

Feysaunt, p{ar}trich{e}, plou{er}, & lapewynk, y yow say, areyse[80] e whyng{es} furst / do as y yow pray; In e disch{e} forth{e}-with{e}, boe at ye ham lay, an aftur at / e leggus / w{i}t{h}out lengur delay. 420

[Sidenote: _Woodc.o.c.ks_, Heronshaws, Brew, &c. break the pinions, neck, and beak.]

wodc.o.k / Betowr{e}[81] / Egret[82] / Snyte[83] / and Curlew, heyrou{n}sew[84] / resteratiff ey ar / & so is the brewe;[85]

ese .vij. fowles / must be vnlaced, y tell{e} yow trew, breke e pynons / nek, & beek, us ye must em shew. 424

[Sidenote: Cut off the legs, then the wings, lay the body between them.]

Thus ye must em vnlace / & in thus manere: [Fol. 177.]

areyse e leggis / suffir{e} eir{e} feete still{e} to be on ther{e}, an e whyng{es} in e disch{e} / ye may not em forber{e}, e body an in e middes laid / like as y yow leer{e}. 428

[Headnote: HOW TO CARVE THE CRANE, FAWN, VENISON, &C.]

[Sidenote: _Crane_: take off the wings, but not the trompe in his breast.]

The Crane is a fowle / at strong{e} is w{i}t{h} to far{e}; e whyng{es} ye areyse / full{e} large evyn thar{e}; of hyr{e} trompe[86] in e brest / loke {a}t ye bewar{e}.

towche not hir trompe / eu{er}mor{e} at ye spar{e}. 432

[Sidenote: _Peac.o.c.ks_, &c.: carve like you do the Crane, keeping their feet on.]

Pec.o.k / Stork / Bustarde / & Shovellewr{e}, ye must vnlace em in e plite[87] / of e crane prest & pur{e}, so {a}t vche of em haue eyre feete aft{ur} my cur{e}, and eu{er} of a sharpe knyff wayte at ye be sur{e}. 436

[Sidenote: _Quails_, larks, pigeons: give your lord the legs first.]

Of quayle / sparow / larke / & litell{e} / m{er}tinet, pygeou{n} / swalow / thrusch{e} / osull{e} / ye not forgete, e legges to ley to yo{ur} sou{er}eyne ye ne lett, and afturward e whyngus if his l.u.s.t be to ete. 440

[Sidenote: _Fawn_: serve the kidney first, then a rib. Pick the fyxfax out of the neck.]

Off Fowen / kid / lambe, / e kydney furst it lay, an lifft vp the shuldur, do as y yow say, ?iff he will{e} {er}of ete / a rybbe to hym convay; but in e nek e fyxfax[88] at ow do away. 444 venesou{n} rost / in e disch{e} if your{e} sou{er}ayne hit chese,

[Sidenote: _Pig_: 1. shoulder, 2. rib. _Rabbit_: lay him on his back; pare off his skin;]

e shuldir of a pigge furst / an a rybbe, yf hit will{e} hym plese; e cony, ley hym on e bak in e disch, if he haue grece, while ye par awey e skyn on vche side / & an breke hym or y[e] sece 448

[Sidenote: break his haunch bone, cut him down each side of the back, lay him on his belly, separate the sides from the chine, put them together again,]

betwene e hyndur legg{is} breke e canell{e} boon,[89]

an w{i}t{h} your{e} knyfe areyse e sides along{e} e chyne Alone; so lay yo{ur} cony wombelong{e} vche side to e chyne / by craft as y co{n}ne, betwene e bulke, chyne, e sid{es} to-gedur{e} lat em be doon; 452

[Sidenote: cutting out the nape of the neck; give your lord the sides.]

The .ij. sides dep{ar}te from e chyne, us is my loor{e}, en ley bulke, chyne, & sides, to-gedir{e} / as ey wer{e} yor{e}.

Furst kit owte e nape in e nek / e shuldurs befor{e}; w{i}t{h} e sides serve your{e} sou{er}anyne / hit state to restor{e}. 456

[Sidenote: Sucking rabbits: cut in two, then the hind part in two; pare the skin off, serve the daintiest bit from the side.]

Rabett{es} sowkers,[90] e fur{er} p{ar}te from e hyndur, ye devide; an e hyndur part at tweyn ye kut at tyde, par{e} e skyn away / & let it not er{e} abide, an s{er}ue your{e} sou{er}ayne of e same / e deynteist of e side. 460

[Sidenote: Such is the way of carving gross meats.]

++The man{er} & forme of kervyng{e} of met{es} at byn groos, [Fol. 177b.]

afftur my symplenes y haue shewed, as y suppose: yet, good son, amonge o{er} estat{es} eu{er} as ow goose, as ye se / and by vse of your{e} self / ye may gete yow loos. 464

[Sidenote: Cut each piece into four slices (?) for your master to dip in his sauce.]

But fur{er}mor{e} enforme yow y must in metis kervyng{e}; Mynse ye must iiij lees[91] / to oon morsell{e} hangyng{e}, at your{e} mastir may take w{i}t{h} .ij. fyngurs in his sawce dippyng{e}, and so no napkyn / brest, ne borcloth{e}[92], in any wise enbrowyng{e}. 468