We have had some fun before with a marvelous book called The academy of armory, … (1588) by Randle Holme. Although heraldry and weaponry are the major subjects of the book, many other topics are covered too – including food and cookery (otherwise, of course, it would not have featured here.)
Luckily for us, the author includes a sample menu for a Christmas
feast – and a very grand feast it is indeed.
A Christmas Days Feast.
First Course
Oysters
A Collar of Brawn.
Stewed Broth of
Mutton and Marrowbones.
A Grand Sallet
A Potage of Capons.
A Breast of Veal in
stuffado
Boiled Partridges.
A Chine or Surloin
of Beef roasted.
Mince Pyes.
A Jegote of Mutton with
Anchovis Sauce
A made dish of Sweet
breads
A Swan roast
A Pastie of Venison
A Kid with a Pudding
in his Belly
A stake Pye.
A Haunch of Venison
roasted
A Turkey roast,
stuck with Cloves.
A made Dish of
Chickens in puff Paste.
2 Geese roast, one
larded.
3 Capons, one
larded.
A Custard.
The Second Course.
Oranges and Lemons.
A young Lamb or Kid.
4 Rabbits, two
larded.
A Pigg sauced with
Tongue.
Ducks, some larded.
A made Dish in puff
paste.
Bolonia Sausages.
Anchovis, Mushrooms,
Cavieare, Pickled Oysters, in a Dish.
Teales, some larded.
A Gammon of Westphalia Bacon.
Plovers, some
larded.
A Tart in puff
paste.
Preserved Fruit and
Pippins.
A Dish of Larks
Neats Tongues.
Sturgeon, and
Anchovis, and Jellies
As the recipe for the day I give you a little something from
a source I have not used nearly often enough. To give it its full title, it is:
Epulario, or, The Italian Banquet: Wherein
ins shewed the maner how to dresse and prepare all kinds of Flesh, Foules or
Fishes.
As also how to make Sauces, Tartes, Pies,
&c. After the manner of all Countries.
With an addition of many other profitable
and necessary things.
Translated out of Italian into English (1598)
The
recipe is essentially for a cherry-rose cheesecake. Sound good?
To make
Tartes of red Cherries.
Take
the reddest cherries that may bee gotten, take out the stones and stampe them
in a morter, then take red Roses chopped with a knife with a little new Cheese
and some old Cheese well stamped with Sinamon, Ginger, Pepper, and Sugar, and
all this mired together, adde thereunto some egs according to the quantity you
will make, and with a crust of paste bake it in a pan, and being baked straw it
with Sugar and Rosewater.
9 comments:
Now I am wondering at the combination, cherries roses, cheeses... how much, how much, and sugar IN the mix?
When I was growing up there was always an orange in our stocking. For some reason oranges said "Christmas" to my parents, who were both Depression babies.
Sorry...it kept asking me to type the two words, so I did!
Same when I was growing up!
Cape Coop - old recioe books were aides memoire for cooks who would have known the proportions.
Frustrating, dealing with very old cookery books!
Looking at the menu, I notice there are several entries where a particular type of bird is offered, some larded, some not. I wonder why? For that matter, I wonder why anyone would think a goose needed larding!
Sandra
Hi Sandra - I was a bit surprised by larding a goose too. I guess it all showed off the skills of the cook, which was important if one wanted to appear wealthy and important oneself.
Maybe our tradition of Sinterklaas (Saint Nickolas) can shed some light on the oranges.
The old man - virtually the same man as father christmas - came from Spain where he lived, he would come on a ship full of oranges and clementines to give to the children as sweeties. Traditionally we got chocolate and oranges and clementines rather than candy. As childrew we always thought that the abundance of clementines in the stores were there because Sinterklaas brought it with hime from spain.
Hi Regula, sorry for the late response, I have had a very hectic few weeks! Thanks for your information - local knowledge is always great!
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