The Art of Carving (1508)

The art of carving no longer has the status it once had. In previous times, carving the meat at a feast was a prestigious job, given only to the high-born favourites of the aristocratic holder of the feast. So important was the skill of carving, that there were specific terms for the act of carving every bird and fish. Larger beasts were considered much less elegant, and therefore suited to the lower orders: and anyway, because of their size the carcasses would be cut up in the kitchens - so no special term was needed. The carving terms were described in 1508 in Wynkyn de Worde’s Boke of Kervynge [Book of Carving]

Here begynneth the boke of kervynge.

Here begynneth the boke of kervynge and servynge / and all the feestes in the yere for the servyce of a prynce or ony other estate as ye shall fynde eche offyce the servyce accordynge in this boke folowynge.

Termes of a kerver.

Breke that dere

lesche the brawne

rere that goose

lyfte that swanne

sauce that capon

spoyle that henne

fruche that chekyn

unbrace that malarde

unlace that conye

dysmembre that heron

dysplaye that crane

dysfygure that pecocke

unioynt that bytture

untache that curlewe

alaye that fesande

wynge that partryche

wynge that quayle

mynce that plover

thye that pygyon

border that pasty

thye that woodcocke

thye all maner small byrdes

tymbre that fyre

tyere that egge

chynne that samon

strynge that lampraye

splatte that pyke

sauce that place

sauce that tenche

splaye that breme

syde that haddocke

tuske that berbell

culpon that troute

fyne that cheuen

traffene that ele

traunche that sturgyon

undertraunche that purpos

tayme that crabbe

barbe that lopster

Here endeth the

goodly termes.

If you had a roast heron handy, you could practice to dysmembre it, but I appreciate that that is highly unlikely. If you had a heron handy (and legally) this is how you would roast it, fifteenth century-style.

Heron rost.

Take an heron̛ & lete hym blode in the moutℏ as an crane, & scalde hym & draw hym att the vent as a crane; and cutt awey the boon of the necke, & folde the necke a-boute the spite [spit]  and putt the hede ynne att the golet as a crane; & breke awey the boon fro the kne to the fote, and lete the skyn be stille, and cutt the wyng att the Joynte next the body, and putt hem on a spite: and bynde hys legges to the spyte with the skynne of the legges, & lete rost, & reyse the legges and the wynges as of a crane, and sauce hym with vynegre, and mustard, and pouudre of gyngeuere, & sett hym fortℏ.

Douce MS. 55, about 1450