Early English Meals and Manners Part 26

[Headnote: HOW TO CARVE LARGE AND SMALL BIRDS.]

[Sidenote: Of large birds' wings, put only three bits at once in the sauce.]

Of gret fowle / in to e sawce mynse e whyng{e} this wise; pas not .iij. morcell{es} in e sawc{e} at onis, as y yow avise; To your{e} sou{er}ayne e gret fowles legge ley, as is e gise, and us mowe ye neu{er} mysse of all{e} co{n}nyng{e} s{er}uise. 472

[Sidenote: Of small birds' wings, sc.r.a.pe the flesh to the end of the bone, and put it on your lord's trencher.]

Of all{e} man{er} smale brydd{is}, e whyng{is} on e trencher leying{e}, w{i}t{h} e poynt of your{e} knyfe / e flesch{e} to e boon end ye bryng{e}, and so co{n}veye hit on e trencher{e}, {a}t wise yo{ur} sou{er}ayne plesyng{e}, and w{i}t{h} fair{e} salt & trenchour{e} / hym also oft renewyng{e}. 476

[Sidenote: _How to carve Baked Meats._]

Bake metes.[93]

[Sidenote: Open hot ones at the top of the crust, cold ones in the middle.]

Almaner{e} bakemet{es} at byn good and hoot, Open hem aboue e brym of e coffyn[94] cote, and all{e} at byn cold / & l.u.s.teth your{e} sou{er}eyn to note, alwey in e mydway open hem ye mote. 480

[Sidenote: Take Teal, &c., out of their pie, and mince their wings,]

Of capon, chiken, or teele, in coffyn bake, Owt of e pye furst at ye hem take, In a dische besyde / at ye e whyngus slake, thynk[95] y-mynsed in to e same w{i}t{h} yo{ur} knyfe ye slake, 484

[Sidenote: stir the gravy in; your lord may eat it with a spoon.]

And ster{e} well{e} e stuff {er}-in w{i}t{h} e poynt of yo{ur} knyfe; Mynse ye thynne e whyng{is}, be it in to veele or byffe; w{i}t{h} a spone lightely to ete yo{ur} sou{er}ayne may be leeff, So w{i}t{h} suche diet as is holsom he may length{e} his life. 488

[Sidenote: Cut Venison, &c., in the pasty. Custard: cut in squares with a knife.]

++Venesou{n} bake, of boor or othur venur{e}, [Fol. 178.]

Kut it in e pastey, & ley hit on his trenchur{e}.

Pygeon bake, e legg{is} leid to your{e} lord sur{e}, Custard,[96] chekkid buche,[97]

squar{e} w{i}t{h} e knyfe; {us} is e cur{e} 492

[Headnote: HOW TO CARVE DOWCETES AND PAYNE PUFF.]

[Sidenote: Dowcets: pare away the sides; serve in a sawcer.]

an e sou{er}ayne, w{i}t{h} his spone whan he l.u.s.teth{e} to ete.

of dowcet{es},[98] par{e} awey the sid{es} to e botom, & {a}t ye lete, In a sawcer{e} afor{e} your{e} sou{er}ayne semely ye hit sett whan hym liketh{e} to atast: looke ye not forgete. 496

[Sidenote: Payne-puff: pare the bottom, cut off the top. Fried things are indigestible.]

Payne Puff,[99] par{e} e botom ny?e e stuff, take hede, Kut of e toppe of a payne puff, do thus as y rede;

[Textnote: (? p{ar}neys)]

Also pety p{er}ueys[100] be fayr{e} and clene / so G.o.d be your{e} spede.

off Fryed met{es}[101] be war{e}, for ey ar Fumose in dede. 500

Fried metes.

[Sidenote: Poached-egg (?) fritters are best. Tansey is good hot.

Don't eat Leessez.]

++O Frutur{e} viant[102] / Frutur sawge,[102] byn good / bett{ur} is Frut{ur} powche;[102]

Appull{e} frutur{e}[103] / is good hoot / but e cold ye not towche.

Tansey[104] is good hoot / els cast it not in your{e} clowche.

all{e} man{er} of leesse?[105] / ye may forber{e} / herber{e} in yow none sowche. 504

_Len-voy_

[Sidenote: Cooks are always inventing new dishes that tempt people and endanger their lives:]

{ Cook{es} w{i}t{h} eir{e} newe co{n}ceyt{es}, choppyng{e} / stampyng{e}, & gryndyng{e}, { Many new curies / all{e} day ey ar co{n}tryvyng{e} & Fyndyng{e} { {a}t p{ro}voketh{e} e peple to p{er}ell{es} of pa.s.sage / rou? peyne soor{e} pyndyng{e}, { & rou? nice excesse of suche receyt{es} / of e life to make a endyng{e}. 508

[Sidenote: Syrups Comedies, Jellies, that stop the bowels.]

{ Some w{i}t{h} Sireppis[106] / Sawces / Sewes,[107] and soppes,[108]

{ Comedies / Cawdell{es}[109] cast in Cawdrons / ponnes, or pottes, { leesses / Ielies[110] / Fruturs / fried mete at stoppes { and distempereth{e} all{e} e body, bothe bak, bely, & roppes:[111] 512

[Sidenote: Some dishes are prepared with unclarified honey.

Cow-heels and Calves' feet are sometimes mixed with unsugared leches and Jellies.]

{ Some man{er} cury of Cooke{s} crafft Sotelly y haue espied, { how eir{e} dischmet{es} ar dressid w{i}t{h} hony not claryfied.

{ Cow heelis / and Calves fete / ar der{e} y-bou?t some tide { To medill{e} among{e} leeches[112] & Ielies / whan sug{er} shall{e} syt a-side. 516

[Headnote: POTAGES.]

Potages.[113]

[Sidenote: Furmity with venison, mortrewes,]

++Wortus w{i}t{h} an henne / Cony / beef, or els an haar{e}, [Fol. 178b.]

Frumenty[114] w{i}t{h} venesou{n} / pesyn w{i}t{h} bakon, long{e} wort{es} not spar{e}; Gr{ow}ell{e} of force[115] / Gravell{e} of beeff[116] / or motou{n}, haue ye no car{e}; Gely, mortrows[117] / creyme of almond{es}, e mylke[118] {er}-of is good fare. 520

[Sidenote: jussell, &c., are good. Other out-of-the-way soups set aside.]

Iussell{e}[119], tartlett[120], cabag{es}[121], & nombles[122] of vennur{e},[A]

all{e} ese potages ar good and sur{e} of o{er} sewes & potages {a}t ar not made by natur{e}, all{e} Suche siropis sett a side your{e} heer{e} to endur{e}. 524

[Text note: The long _r_ and curl for _e_ in the MS. look like f, as if for vennuf.]

[Sidenote: Such is a flesh feast in the English way.]

++Now, son, y haue yow shewid somewhat of myne avise, e service of a flesch{e} feest folowyng{e} englondis gise; Forgete ye not my loor{e} / but looke ye ber{e} good y?es vppon our co{n}nyng{e} kervers: now haue y told yow twise. 528