[Latin] May holy Mary, mother of Jusus Christ, assist the prince.
To you, the very high, very renowned, and very powerful prince and lord, Monseigneur Ayme, first duke of Savoy, honor and reverence, with the prompt desire to obey your commands, I offer my very humble and devoted respects. Formerly, my most dread lord, myself Chyquart, being no more than the least of your humble subjects, always your affectionate and devoted servant, you have many times required and commanded me that, as the memory of men is short-lived and feeble and there is no remembrance or certainty of things if they are not written down: [a Latin sentence, saying just about what he has just said in French]; and as you are desirous and intend at various times to hold festivals and official receptions, I should leave in writing some of the science of the art of cookery especially since, as you say and affirm, I am learned and competent in this science and art, for your consideration and pleasure, and as you know I have many times refused and spoken against it particularly, because in science as much as in life I have a low standing and know and have learned too little because through ignorance and negligence I have never sufficiently improved my understanding, and also because I have no books nor writings made concerning this nor memoirs, have told you that in such matters I do not at all have the strength or understanding; but you, most dread lord, in replying constantly and firmly have told me that in spite of whatever excuses I presented to you I would not be excused and that, if I put my full intentions into doing it, that God would give me the will and strength for good will; and that that which concerns and tends towards the usefulness, profit, and pleasure of many, and particularly of you as well as others, for my part I would like to execute and do, leaving out all pretext and excuse, what falls to me and live in great merit, praise, and honor. Finally, my most dread lord, by these and many other instances and reasons of yours being conquered, always fearful and trembling, but with the help of God and delight in your will, consenting to your desire and command, I very humbly gave my assent. And by these things animated and encouraged, not without great difficulty and great labor, this work was by my ability undertaken to be accomplished in the manner which follows.
And first, God permitting to be held a most honorable feast at which are kings, queens, dukes, duchesses, counts, countesses, princes, princesses, marquis, marquises, barons, baronesses and lords of lower estate, and nobles also a great number, there are needed, for the ordinary cookery and to make the feast honorably, to the honor of the lord who is giving the said feast, the things which follow.
And first: one hundred well-fattened cattle, one hundred and thirty sheep, also well fattened, one hundred and twenty pigs; and for each day during the feast, one hundred little piglets, both for roasting and for other needs, and sixty salted large well fattened pigs for larding and making soups.
And for this the butcher will be wise and well-advised if he is well supplied so that if it happens that the feast lasts longer than expected, one has promptly what is necessary; and also, if there are extras, do not butcher them so that nothing is wasted.
And there should be for each day of the feast two hundred kids and also lambs, one hundred calves, and two thousand head of poultry.
And you should have your poulterers, subtle, diligent, and wise, who have forty horses for going to various places to get venison, hares, conies, partridges, pheasants, small birds (those which they can get without number), river birds (those which one can obtain), pigeons, cranes, herons, and all wild birds -- what one can find of whatever wild birds. And they should turn their attention to this two months or six weeks before the feast, and they should all have come or sent what they could obtain by three or four days before the said feast so that the said meat can be hung and each dealt with as it ought to be.
And they should provide for each day of the said feast six thousand eggs.
Again, for the said feast there should be provided two charges of the major spices, that is white ginger, Mecca ginger, cinnamon, grains of paradise, and pepper.
The minor spices: of nutmeg six pounds, of cloves six pounds, of mace six pounds, and of galingale six pounds; again, 30 loaves of sugar, 25 pounds of saffron, 6 charges of almonds, one charge of rice, 30 pounds of amydon, 12 baskets of candied raisins, 12 baskets of good candied figs, 8 baskets of candied prunes, a quintal of dates, 40 pounds of pine nuts, 18 pounds of turnsole, 18 pounds of alkanet, 18 pounds of gold leaf, one pound of camphor, one hundred ells of good and fine tissue for straining; and these things are for nothing but the use of the kitchen. And again, there should be for the said feast two hundred boxes of sugar-spice pellets [dragié] of all sorts and colors to put on potages. And if the feast lasts longer one will thus be provided for the extra.
And for the profit of the lord who gives the feast, and in order to satisfy the need more promptly and quickly, one should grind to powder the aforesaid spices which are necessary for the said feast, and put each separately into large and good leather bags.
And in order to better prepare the said feast without reprehension or fault, the house-stewards, the kitchen masters, and the master cook should assemble and come together three or four months before the feast to put in order, visit, and find good and sufficient space to do the cooking, and this space should be so large and fine that large working sideboards can be set up in such fashion that between the serving sideboards and the others the kitchen masters can go with ease to pass out and receive the dishes.
And for this there should be provided large, fair, and proper cauldrons for cooking large meats, and other medium ones in great abundance for making potages and doing other things necessary for cookery, and great hanging pans for cooking fish and other necessary things, and large common pots in great abundance for making soups and other things, and a dozen fair large mortars; and check the space for making sauces; and there should be twenty large frying pans, a dozen large casks, fifty small casks, sixty cornues [bowls with handles], one hundred wooden bowls, a dozen grills, six large graters, one hundred wooden spoons, twenty-five slotted spoonsboth large and small, six hooks, twenty iron shovels, twenty rotisseries, with turning mechanisms and irons for holding the spits. And one should definitely not trust wooden spits, because they will rot and you could lose all your meat, but you should have one hundred and twenty iron spits which are strong and are thirteen feet in length; and there should be other spits, three dozen which are of the aforesaid length but not so thick, to roast poultry, little piglets, and river fowl: [Latin proverb]. And also, four dozen little spits to do endoring and act as skewers.
And there should be two casks of vinegar, one of white and one of claret, each of eight sommes [110 gallons], a good cask of fine verjuice of twenty sommes [275 gallons], and a cask of oil of ten sommes [137 1/2 gallons].
And there should be one thousand cartloads of good dry firewood and a great storehouse full of coal, and you should always be sure of having more in case of there not being enough.
And so that the workers are not idle, and so that they do not lack for anything, there should be delivered funds in great abundance to the said kitchen masters to get salt, pot-vegetables and other necessary things which might be needed, which do not occur to me at present.
And in order to do things properly and cleanly, and in order to serve and accomplish it more quickly, there should be provided such a large quantity of vessels of gold, of silver, of pewter, and of wood, that is four thousand or more, that when one has served the first course one should have enough for serving the second and still have some left over, and in the mean time one can wash and clean the vessels used during the said first course.
And as at such a feast there could be some very high, puissant, noble, venerable and honorable lords and ladies who do not eat meat, for these there must be fish, marine and fresh-water, fresh and salt, in such manner as one can get them.
And as the sea-bream is king of the other sea fish, listed first is the sea-bream, conger-eel, grey mullet, hake, sole, red mullet, dorade, plaice, turbot, sea-crayfish, tuna, sturgeon, salmon, herrings, sardines, sea-urchin, mussels, eels, boops, ray, cuttle-fish, arany marine, anchovies, eels, both fresh and salted.
Concerning fresh-water fish: big trout, big eels, lampreys, filleted char, fillets of big pike, fillets of big carp, big perch, ferrés, pallés, graylings, burbot, crayfish, and all other fish.
And because at this feast there are some lords or ladies as was said above who have their own master cooks whom they command to prepare and make ready certain things, for such there should be given and made available to the said master cook quickly, amply, in great abundance and promptly everything for which he asks and which he needs for the said lord or lady or both so that he can serve them to his taste.
And also there should be 120 quintals of best cheese; of good and fine white cloth six hundred ells to cover the sideboards, fish, meats, and roasts; and sixty ells of linen cloth to make the colors of the jellies; and of white broadcloth to make the colors like the color of hyppocras, to make a dozen colors.
And there should be two large two-handed knives for dismembering cattle, and a dozen dressing knives for dressing; and also, two dozen knives to chop for potages and stuffings, and to prepare poultry and fish;
also, half a dozen scrubbers to clean the sideboards and the cutting boards, and a hundred baskets for carrying meat to the casks, both raw and cooked, which one brings to and from the sideboards, and also for bringing coal, for roasts and wherever it is needed and also for carrying and collecting serving vessels.
And if it happens that the feast is held in winter you will need for the kitchen for each night sixty torches, twenty pounds of wax candles, sixty pounds of tallow candles for visiting the butchers' place, the pastry-cooks' place, the place for the fish, and all the doings of the kitchen.
And for the making of pastry there should be a large and fair building close to the kitchen which can be made for two large and fair ovens for making meat and fish pastries, tarts, flans and talmoses, ratons, and all other things which are necessary for doing cooking.
And for this the said workers should be provided with 30 sommes [about 412 gallons] of best wheat flour for the aforesaid needs, and should be sure of getting more if the feast lasts longer.
And because, by the pleasure of the blessed and holy Trinity, the which without fail gives us amply of all good things, we have good and fair and great provisions for making our feast grandly, it is necessary for us to have master cooks and workers to make dishes and subtleties for the said feast; and if it happens that one is not provided with the said cooks and workers, one should send a summons to places where one can find them so that the said feast can be handled grandly and honorably.
Now that we have our masters and workers, it remains to organize them, these to work on the meat and those for the fish; and they will be well advised to make the colors of the fish like the colors of the meat in each dish which is devised.
And let us take as first service the large meats, that is beef and mutton; and those who cut up the beef should cut fair and large royal pieces, and those who cut them for the mutton should cut them the length of the sheep without leaving anything except a little waste.
And to serve these said pieces of beef and mutton let them be put on a large gold platter without putting on anything else.
And another large platter should be served beside with the salt meats according to the season which it is, that is in winter chine of pork, andouille sausages, and salt pork chops. And for the said first course green porray, and it is not necessary to serve any other sauce except mustard.
And with this, there should be served a white bruet over capons together with the meat which one has therewith.
1. And for this, to give you to understand the potage called white bruet as it ought to be made, one should take one's fair capons, and clean well the meat which one should put in the dish--whether it be pork, kid or veal, or whatever meat is appropriate to it--and set it to cook well and cleanly in large cauldrons according to what one wants to make; and parboil a little lean pork in it which was first well washed and cleaned; and according to the quantity of the said potage which you would like to make, take a great quantity of almonds, and let them be blanched, washed, and well brayed, and in braying take some of the broth of the said capon to moisten them, and, when your capons are cooked and the meat that is with them, put the capons in one place and the meat in another and, according to the quantity of the said meat, take your broth and strain it into a fair and clean small cask or cornue in which it can fit; and then take good white wine and verjuice and put it in according to the quantity of broth which you have, and take white ginger and grains of paradise according to the quantity of broth, and let your almonds be strained through the strainer; and according to the quantity of the said broth, take the container--that is, fair and clean cauldron or pot--for boiling it, and, according to the quantity of the broth, put sugar to boil in it; and take heed that it is not too much or too little salted; and then afterward take your meat and arrange it in your serving dishes, and your broth on top.
2. Again, a bruet of Almayn: and to give understanding to him who will make it, according to the quantity which he should make, take these capons and dress them cleanly, and cut them in quarters; according to the quantity of the said potage which is given into his charge, let him take meat in proportion to the said poultry according as it is left over from the other potage, either pork or lamb, kid or veal, and such meat should be cut up in proportion to the quantity of the said poultry; and for this take onions according to the quantity of the meat which you are making and chop them very small, and take some bacon fat and melt it thoroughly; and put your meat either in cauldrons or in fair and clean pots, according to the quantity which you have, and then put your onions and the lard in with your meat and fry it all together; and, according to the quantity of your meat, take almonds and have them cleaned so that there are no shells and have them very well washed in good hot water, and then have them very well brayed without blanching and have them moistened with beef broth; and then take a fair cornue and strain them with the beef broth according to the quantity which you want to make, and take heed that it is not too salty; and then take good white wine and verjuice according to the quantity of the broth and put in, and white ginger, grain of paradise, pepper and not too much, nutmeg, and all minor spices such as cloves and mace, and saffron to give it color--and all these spices put in in moderation; and, these being ground, put them into your broth; and this broth in with your sautéed meat, and sugar therein in great quantity according to the quantity of the broth. And when all of this is together, taste it to see that there is nothing of which it has too much or too little so that you can correct it, and check the salt; and check that the meat is not overcooked, because the kid and veal are more tender than the poultry. And when your meat is cooked to the right point and one wants to arrange it for serving, put your meat separately and put it on serving dishes and then put the said broth on top.
3. And again, another potage, that is a bruet of Savoy: to give understanding to him who will be charged with making this bruet, to take his poultry and the meat according to the quantity of it which he is told that he should make, and make ready his poultry and set to cook cleanly; and meat according to the quantity of potage which he is told to make, and put to boil with the poultry; and then take a good piece of lean bacon in a good place and clean it well and properly, and then put it to cook with the aforesaid poultry and meat; and then take sage, parsley, hyssop, and marjoram, and let them be very well washed and cleaned, and make them into a bunch without chopping and all together, and then put them to boil with the said potage and with the meat; and according to the quantity of the said broth take a large quantity of parsely well cleaned and washed, and brayed well and thoroughly in a mortar; and, being well brayed, check that your meat is neither too much or too little cooked and salted; and then according to the quantity of broth have white ginger, grains of paradise, and a little pepper, and put bread without the crust to soak with the said broth so that there is enough to thicken it; and being properly soaked, let it be pounded and brayed with the said parsley and spices, and let it be drawn and strained with the said broth; and put in wine and verjuice according as it is necessary. And all of the things aforesaid should be put in to the point where there is neither too little nor too much. And then, this done, put it to boil in a large, fair, and clean pot. And if it happens that the potage is too green, put in a little saffron, and this will make the green bright. And when it is to be arranged for serving, put your meat on the serving dishes and the broth on top.
4. Again, a lamprey sauce for numbles of beef: that is, he who has the charge of making the said sauce should take his numbles of well fattened beef and should wash them well and put them on fair and clean spits; and then should take his bread and cut it into round slices and roast it on the grill so that it is well roasted, and have there a fair and large cornue where he puts the said roasted bread; and should have a barrel of very good red wine and, if there is not enough in one, have two, and put in with the bread; and taste if the beef broth is good and sweet, and put in as much as is necessary of the part without fat in with the bread,and put in red wine vinegar so moderately that there is not too much, since if it is necessary he can add more; and then take powdered cinnamon, white ginger, grains of paradise, pepper, nutmeg, galingale, cloves, mace, and all other spices, and mix them with the said bread and strain very well; and check that you have fair and clean cauldrons or pots according to the quantity of the sauce which you have made in which to put it to boil. And the said numbles, when they have roasted as they ought, take them and cut them into proper little pieces, and then put them to boil in the said sauce; and being boiled all together, it should be put all in fair serving dishes, that is two pieces in each dish, with the said sauce on top.
Afterward, also, well-made pastry of fattened beef: and the pastry cooks will be well advised to take the numbles of well fattened beef and to tell those who cut up the beef to keep all the marrow of the beef to put with the numbles for eating.
And for the commoners let them take the thighs of the beef,and let them take such a great deal of them that they will serve everyone, and if the master pastry cooks are wise and well advised they will use moderately their salt with their spices so that it is not too salty.
5. Again, for an entremet, heads of boars endored and armed and with banners and spitting fire, and for this it is necessary to give to understand to him and to those who have the charge of working on this matter; I would like to give him this understanding: when they have their boars' heads dressed, singed, and well washed and cleaned, let them open the mouths and put in each a stick to hold it open, and then put them in large fair and clean cauldrons to cook in water and wine and enough salt; and take the two front feet of the said boar and clean them well and properly and put them to cook with the said heads, and do not let them overcook. 6. And to begin the colorings a great many eggs are needed according to the quantity of heads which he has; and to give understanding to him who will make these things, there sholuld be a great quantity of best wheat flour, and a great deal of parsley which is well cleaned and prepared for braying; and the said eggs should be separated, and put the whites in one place, and the yolks in another, and let them be raw; and to make a green coloring take a great quantity of parsley, and let it be well cleaned, washed, and drained, and let it be well and strongly brayed and then mixed with the said egg whites and wheat flour together; and then when all of this is well mixed together, it should be cleanly and carefully strained into a large and fair bowl; and for the gold coloring mix the said wheat flour and the said egg yolks, and also eggs to thin the stuff; and powdered saffron in with, and this should be in measure so that it does not make it too reddish; and mix this well together and strain also as was said above of the other color into a fair and clean bowl. And then when the said boars' heads are cooked, and not so much that the meat comes off the bones, and the feet also, draw them from the said cauldrons and put them on fair boards to dry out; and, this done, take your heads and spit them carefully, and then take the two front feet of the boar and arm and endore each head in putting and attaching them well and adroitly to each side of the head at the base near the ears; and let be put and attached by good skewers and, this done, put them to roast until they are a little firm. And then take your green and yellow colorings, and put the green coloring on one part of each head and on the other part put the yellow coloring, and, this done, put them to dry well and carefully on each side so that they are thoroughly and properly dried; and take care that they are not given too much fire so that the colorings do not turn black. And then afterward remove and take them off the spit, and let them be put on good, white, and clean boards to dry out, and then afterward make sure that one has the painters to endore the heads with gold leaf.
And to give understanding to the master cook who has the charge concerning the said heads to make them give and cast out fire from the throat, take a double wicked candle and wrap it all around with cotton which should be soaked in fine ardent spirits and purified with a little camphor.
And so that things be done as honorably as can be done according to the honor of the lord and of the master workers, the master cook should ask for the heralds and ask them who is their lord who is at the said feast and what arms each one of them has, so that the said arms can be put on banners, to put on each head the banner of the lord before whom it will be set.
For the second course, all manner of roasts to serve honorably to the royal table as for kings, queens, dukes, duchesses, and such powerful, noble, and venerable lords as was said before.
And to serve more honorably there should be served large roasts put by themselves, that is: a whole kid, a whole piglet, a large loin of veal, a large loin of pork, and shoulders of mutton put on a great platter of gold.
And afterward, poultry put on a great platter of gold, that is: fat goslings, best capons, pheasants, partridges, conies, pigeons, and herons; and these are put one on another in such great abundance that the platter is well filled and heaped high. And one should pay attention to the sauce for the said roast: that is, for the goslings and the capon, jance; for the pheasants, partridges, piglets, and conies, cameline; and for the roast kid, green verjuice; for fat pork, sauce piquant; and for pigeons, crystallized salt.
Also, frumenty, venison, tarts, talmoses, cream flans, a cameline bruet, civet of hares, rosy bruet, a blancmange divided into four colors put in one serving dish; and for an entremet, a high castle wherein is in the middle the fountain of Love.
7. And to give understanding to him who will make the camelin bruet, he should take his poultry and his meat -- pork or kid or veal or lamb -- according to the quantity which he is told to make and put to cook well and properly in fair and clean cauldrons or pots, and also a good and large piece of large salt pork which has first been cleaned, washed, and broiled(?). And then arrange that you have a great quantity of almonds according to the quantity of the broth which you have been told to make, and clean them well from the shells and all other things that there may be, and wash them well and firmly in good hot water as was said above for the bruet of Almayn, and grind them well and carefully without blanching and sprinkle them with the broth of the said meat. And then one will be well advised to pay attention to your meat so that it is neither too little or too much cooked; then take your spices, that is: a great deal of cinnamon, white ginger, grains of paradise, pepper in such fashion that it is not too sharp, galingale, mace, cloves, and nutmeg; and when your meat is cooked draw it out and put it in fair and clean cornues, and then take your broth and strain it well and carefully into fair and clean cornues, and then add your said almonds and spices and, this done, put into your broth of wine and verjuice what is necessary to have a good taste, and always make sure that there is not too much or too little of salt or anything else; and then put it to boil in fair and clean cauldrons or pots in which it has room to boil, and put in a great quantity of sugar according to the broth which you have. And, this done, to arrange for serving take your meat and put it in fair serving dishes and the said broth on top.
8. And to make rosy bruet he who will be charged with making it should check that he has the quantity of meat in accordance with the quantity which one will want to make, and have the meat and put it to cook cleanly; and, according to the quantity of meat, have almonds well blanched and cleaned, and bray them well and strongly; and, the meat being cooked, put it in fair cornues, and strain the broth well and carefully into other fair cornues. And then take good white ginger, grains of paradise and a little pepper, and strain your almonds and spices with the said broth, and put in what is necessary of wine and verjuice; and, this done, put the said broth to boil in a clean cauldron or pot according to the quantity of broth which there is, and take heed that of all the things mentioned above there is neither too little or too much. And when your broth boils take a good and large, fair and very clean frying pan, and put very good fair and clear oil in and heat it very well; and, it being well heated and boiling, throw in good alkanet which should be well cleaned, and cook it and remove it well and properly, and then strain it well and cleanly through one side of a strainer into fair dishes, and then put it into your broth to the point at which the color of the said broth is closer to rosy than to red. And when it is proper to arrange it for serving, put the meat on fair serving dishes and then put your broth on top.
9. Again, for a blancmange divided into four colors all on one dish, that is or, azure, gules, and argent: and to give to understand this potage to him who will make it, he should take a great deal of almonds and have them blanched cleanly and have them very well brayed and moisten them with beef or mutton broth; and then take beef and mutton broth, as much of one as of the other, and check the salt, and strain it into a cornue or small cask according to the quantity which you want to make of the said parti-colored broth, and put into the said broth powdered white ginger; and then draw up your almonds with the said broth and make milk from them, and then divide the said milk among four fair and clean and clear pots, as much in one as in another, and then put them on a fire-grate (brazier?) of hot coals to heat. And then afterward take a great quantity of amydon and clean and wash it well and properly, and put some in a dish to thicken the pots, and with it broth from the pot you want to thicken, and strain through a good strainer; and then add it gradually to the said pot until you see that it is well and firmly thickened, so that when one puts one bit next to another on a dish the one does not at all mix with the other; and do thus with all the said four pots.
And to make the blancmange gold, moisten saffron with a little broth and then mix it gently into your pot while stirring and mixing firmly; and be careful of too much, and let it be well and strongly thickened.
And to make the blancmange gules, take a fair clean frying pan and put in good clear oil and put it to heat well and clarify it; and then put in alkanet in sufficiently great amount, and make sure that it is fair and clean, and make it boil well and not too much; and, this done, run the said oil through a corner of the strainer, and then put the said oil in the pot which you want to make gules and put it in carefully while stirring well and strongly, and be careful of too much.
And to make the potage azure, take a great deal of turnsole and put to soak in milk from the pot where one should make it, and then strain strongly through a good strainer; and then put it into the pot where the said broth is; and take your amydon and strain it very well with the said broth and mix the said amydon with the said broth until it is well and strongly thickened.
And to make the fourth blancmange the color of argent, take your amidon and moisten it with the broth from the pot for which it is intended, and let it be well and properly strained and put with the broth into the pot for which it is intended; and let it be well and strongly stirred, and thickened as was said of the others aforesaid.
10. For a lofty entremet, that is a castle, there should be made for its base a fair large litter to be carried by four men, and in the said litter must be four towers to be put in each quarter of the said litter, and each tower should be fortified and machicolated; and each tower has crossbowmen and archers to defend the said fortress, and also in each tower is a candle or wax torch to illuminate; and they bear branches of all trees bearing all manner of flowers and fruit, and on the said branches all manner of birds. And in the lower court will be at the foot of each tower: in one of the towers, a boar's head armed and endored spitting fire; elsewhere a great pike, and this pike is cooked in three ways: the part of the pike toward the tail is fried, the middle part is boiled, and the head part is roasted on the grill; and the said pike is sitting at the foot of the other tower looking out from the beast spitting fire. One should take note of the sauces of the said pike with which it should be eaten, that is: the fried with oranges, the boiled with a good green sauce which should be made sour with a little vinegar, and the roast of the said pike should be eaten with green verjuice made of sorrel. At the foot of the other tower an endored piglet looking out and spitting fire; and at the foot of the other tower a swan which has been skinned and reclothed, also spitting fire. And in the middle of the four towers in the lower court a fountain of Love, from which fountain there should flow by a spout rosewater and clear wine; and above the said fountain are cages with doves and all flying birds. And on the heights of the said castle are standards, banners, and pennons; and beside the said fountain is a peacock which has been skinned and reclothed. And for this, I Chiquart have said before, I would like to teach to the said master who is to make it the art of the said peacock, and this to do courtesy and honor to his lord and master, that is to take a large fat goose, and spit it well and put it to roast well and cleanly and gaily [quickly?], and to recloth it in the plumage of the peacock and put it in the place where the peacock should be set, next to the fountain of love, with the wings extended; and make the tail spread, and to hold the neck raised high, as if it were alive, put a stick of wood inside the said neck which will make it hold straight. And for this the said cook must not flay the said peacock, but take the pinions to put on the goose and take the skin of the rump of the peacock where the feathers are held all together; and when it goes onto the goose, to make good skewers to make the said goose spread its tail as properly as the peacock if it were alive.
And on the battlements of the lower court should be chickens skinned and reclothed and endored, and endored hedgehogs, and endored apples made of meat, Spanish pots made of meat all endored; molded figures, that is: hares, brachets, deer, boars, the hunters with their horns, partridge, crayfish, dolphin, peas all molded and beans made all of molded meat. The curtains of the said castle which go all around the castle, should be so large hanging to the ground that one cannot see the bearers of the said castle. And the said curtains from the ground to two feet up should be painted with waves of water and large sea flowers; and among the said waves should be painted all sorts of fish, and above the said waters and waves should be galleys and ships full of people armed in all ways so that it seems they come to attack the said fortress and castle of Love, which appears to be on a great rock in the sea, of which people some are archers, crossbowmen, others are furnished with lances, others with ladders to lean against the said fortress, these climbing and those descending and pushing the others off, these divided and other things, these hard pressed and those in retreat, these being killed by arrows and those by stones.
And within the curtains should be three or four young children playing very well, one a rebec, another a lute, psaltery, or harp, and others who have good voices to sing appropriate, sweet, and pleasant songs so that one is aware that these are sirens in the sea by their clear singing.
And the peacock which is mentioned above, which by the advice of me, Chyquart, is the result of artifice, take it and clean it very well and then dry it well and properly, and spit it and put it to roast; and when it is nearly roasted stud it with good whole cloves well and properly; and if the surface is spoiled put it to roast again. And then let your lord know about your trick with the peacock and he can then arrange for what he wants done.
11. And to give understanding to him who will make the sauce which goes with the peacock, of what and how it will be made: let him take the liver of the peacock and some capon liver and wash and clean them very well, and then put them on a spit and put them to roast over the coals; and let him take bread and roast it on the grill well and properly so that it is well browned, and then put it to soak with the best claret wine which he can obtain and a little vinegar; and then take the said livers and bray them very well in a mortar, and then afterward take your bread and bray it with them. And then take your spices, that is white ginger, cinnamon, grains of paradise, and a little of cloves and nutmeg, and put it all together, and moisten it with wine and a little vinegar; and be careful that there is not too much. Then put it to boil in a fair pot and put in sugar in proportion, and taste that it does not have too much of anything, neither salt, spices, vinegar nor sugar, so that it is sweet and sour. And then serve it where the peacock will be eaten.
For the supper: all manner of roasts, jelly, a tremollete of partridge, a chyvrolee, conies by themselves with sauce piquant.
For the said roasts, the sauces: that is for the kids, green verjuice; for partridge, pheasant, and veal, cameline sauce.
12. For the tremollete, to give understanding to him who will make it, take a great deal of gizzards and livers of poultry according to the quantity which there are, and prepare them very well and cleanly and put them in a pot, and beef or mutton broth to restore(?) them; and then spit them on little wooden spits and then put them to roast on fair coals. Then take bread according to the quantity of the sauce which you ought to make and slice it into fair slices and put them to roast on the grill; and then when your bread is well roasted take of beef or mutton broth the quantity which you want, and check the salt so that it is not too salty; and then take good wine and verjuice, and put this and the bread in with the broth in a fair cornue or bowl. And then afterward take your gizzards and livers and put them in a mortar and bray them very well and moisten them with the broth in which your bread is soaked; and then take out of the mortar your gizzards and livers and put them into the broth in which your bread is soaked. And then take spices: white ginger, cinnamon,grains of paradise, a little pepper -- and it should not be too much -- nutmeg, mace, and cloves, and check well that of these spices you put each in only in measure; and then put it to boil in a fair and clean pot, and then put in sugar and not so much that it takes away the taste of the verjuice because it should not be over-sweet. And then afterward bring to the sideboard your roast partridges in the quantity which you have, and then let the stewards come to devise how many one puts on each serving dish to serve kings, dukes, counts -- that is six partridges on one dish, on another five, on another four, and on another three; and on top, the said tremollete. And then afterward be well provided with two hundred best chickens and young poultry to serve in addition in default of partridges.
13. The chyvrolee of venison: to give understanding to him who will make it, let him take his deer and cut it up into fair pieces and wash it very well and put to cook in a fair cauldron full of clean water; and when it boils skim it cleanly and, as soon as you have skimmed it, take it out and put it into fair fresh water in a small cask and wash it very well immediately, and then put it to drain on fair boards or in fair small casks. And then afterward take a great deal of good lard and lard all your pieces well and properly with it; and then, when they are all larded, put them back to cook in a fair, clean, and large cauldron or pot according to the quantity of it which you have; and then take beef or mutton broth and put into the said cauldron or pot up to the middle of the said cauldron or pot, and then take very good wine and put therewith. And then take your spices, white ginger, grains of paradise, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, mace, and cloves, and put in your broth, and everything in good proportion; and then take sage, parsely, hyssop and marjoram and clean them well and properly, and make of them a good bunch and put to cook in your broth and see that it tastes well of verjuice and spices. And then take to your sideboard.
14. To make sauce piquant to put on conies, according to the quantity of it which one is making take onions and chop them fine, and take fair pork lard and melt it and sauté your onions, and so that they do not burn in sautéing put a little broth in; and then put in a great deal of white wine according to the quantity of sauce piquant which you want to make for the said conies; and take your spices, good ginger, grains of paradise, a little pepper which is not at all too much, and saffron to give it color; and season it with vinegar in such proportion that it is neither too much poignant nor too little; with salt also.
For the next day, the dinner: the great meats and the salt meat, in another dish a tyolli bruet, white leeks over marmots and salted geese, sops of hares therewith, jacobin sops of capons, a gravy of small birds and poultry; and for the major potage, turnips.
15. To give understanding to him who will make the tyolli bruet, let him take his meat in such quantity as the kitchen master orders you to make, the quantity of poultry which they give you to put in the said potage, and other meat, pork or kid or veal or lamb; and according to the quantity which they give you take your almonds and have them picked over and the shells and other things cleaned away, and wash them very well in fair hot water; and put to cook your meat which you are given in fair and clean cauldrons or pots; and then bray your almonds well and sprinkle them with the said broth. And then when your meat is cooked take it out into fair cornues, your poultry in one place and the meat in another; and then strain your broth into fair cornues and also your brayed almonds into the said broth. And take your spices, that is good ginger, grains of paradise, pepper within reason, nutmeg, mace, cloves, and put into the said broth with the almonds, and do not put them in except according to the quantity of broth which you are making; and then take powdered saunders according to the quantity of broth to give it color, and put this in such that it has the color which it ought to have, and strain it with your almonds and spices, and take white wine and verjuice therewith and strain with your almonds and spices; and when this is strained put it to boil in a large, fair and clean pot and put in sugar according to the quantity of broth which you have, and make sure that it tastes well of all things and verjuice and salt. And when this comes to the sideboard, put your meat separately on fair serving dishes and the broth on top.
16. To make white leeks, he who is in charge of them should arrange that he has his leeks and slice them small and wash them very well and put them to boil. And take a good piece of salt chine of pork, and clean it very well and put it to boil therewith; and when they are well boiled take them out onto fair and clean tables, and let them save the broth in which they were boiled; and let there be a good mortar-full of blanched almonds, and then take the broth in which the said leeks have boiled and draw up the almonds with it, and if there is not enough of the said broth take beef or mutton broth -- and take care that it is not too salty; and then afterward put your bruet to boil in a fair and clean pot. And then take two fair and clean knives and chop your leeks, and then take them and bray them in a mortar; and, being brayed, put them into your broth, of almonds as much as water, to boil. And, the leeks being boiled, when it comes to the sideboard put your meat on fair serving dishes and then the said broth of the said leeks put on top.
17. At the beginning of the sops of hares it is necessary that the hares be skinned well and cleanly, and scorch(?) them over a fair clear fire, and then split them well and carefully, and take out the refuse; and be advised that for those which are whole one splits the gut and takes away the liver within, and removes from it the gall, and washes them well in very good claret wine; and those which are torn by dogs should be scorched and cleaned and washed in fair small casks in fair fresh water, and those which are not torn should be cut up in fair pieces and put in a fair and clean pot. And then take fair beef broth and also take some of the wine in which one has washed the said hares, and strain it through a fair strainer, and then pour it in with the said meat of hares, and fill your pot as much with broth as with good claret wine. And take a good piece of bacon from a good place and clean it and wash it very well and parboil it a little, and then throw it in; and according to the broth which there is put in whole sage well washed and verjuice, and salt in reason, the spices cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise, pepper, cloves. And let it boil until it is time to dress it; and, if it would cook too much, let it be drawn back while putting your meat out into fair and clean cornues. And you should have a great deal of fine white bread, and slice a full bowl of it to make sops of hares.
18. And to serve jacobin sops it is necessary that you have your fair capons and, according to the quantity of the feast, one or two hundred well fattened capons, and a great deal of other poultry to serve in default of the said capons; and they should be well and properly roasted. And when the well fattened cattle are to be dismembered take the marrow bones and wash them well and carefully, then put them in to boil in fair and clean cauldrons, and fair mutton therewith; and then afterward arrange that you have a quintal [about 110 pounds] of very good Crampone and Brye cheese and of the finest which can be found, and have the said cheese pared and cleaned well and properly, and then cut it very small. And let the said cook who is ordered to make the said jacobin sops take two or three hundred loaves of fine white bread and slice this bread in fair thin slices and roast them very well and cleanly without burning, and let them be browned, and then put them into fair and clean cornues -- and you should have two fair, clean, and white boards to slice your said roasted bread for the jacobin sops; and then you should have your serving dishes of gold and silver and pewter lined up, and allocate your bread among your dishes well and gently and the cheese on top. And take your capons and dismember them, that is take off the wings and legs and take off the rump; and then take the white meat of the said capon and slice it very small, and this white of the capon scatter on top of your jacobin sops; and then afterward take the limbs of the said capons, that is the wings, legs, and rump, and put on top of your jacobin sops in proper order. And take care that your broth of beef marrow and mutton is good and sweet, and strain this broth into a large, fair and clean pot; and you should have a good bunch of herbs of sage, parsley, marjoram, and hyssop, and let them be well cleaned and washed, and put into your broth. And arrange that close to the dressing, where you arrange the said jacobin sops for serving, you have a good fire of charcoal under your pots in which is your broth so that it always boils; and with the said broth cover your said jacobin sops.
19. And again a gravy of small birds and poultry: to give understanding to him who makes it, let him take about a thousand small birds and let these small birds be well plucked and carefully cleaned so that there remains neither feathers nor refuse; and take a hundred large poultry which are fair and clean, and let them be cut in half and cut into pieces, and one should make four pieces from each quarter, and wash them very well and cleanly with the small birds; and, being washed, put them to dry on fair, white, and clean boards. And take a great deal of lard and melt it in fair, large, and clean frying pans; and arrange that you have a fair and clean cauldron and put your small birds and poultry therein and strain your melted lard well and cleanly, then put it into the said cauldron over the said small birds and poultry. And take a great deal of bread according to the quantity of your meat and slice it into rounds and put it to roast on the grill until it is well browned; and have beef and mutton broth -- and let it not be too salty -- put in a fair and clean small cask, and put therein a great deal of clear wine; and when your bread is roasted put it to soak in the said cask of broth and clear wine. And take your spices: cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise, pepper; minor spices: nutmeg, cloves, mace, galingale, and all spices -- and let the said master be advised not to put to much in of anything, but have a temperate and sure hand in putting in that which it seems to him is necessary. And while he is straining his bread and his spices, let him have his meat sautéd over a fair clear fire; and let him have a man who stirs it constantly with a big slotted spoon so that it does not stick to the bottom and that it does not burn; and the said master in straining his bread and his spices should put while straining either a third or a half or what he has strained with his meat, so that the said meat will neither be spoiled nor burn, until he has strained all of it and put it into the said broth. And, being strained and set to boil, the said master should check and taste if it needs spices, vinegar, salt or something else and that it has too much of nothing; and do not wait until your meat is overcooked but draw it back over a few coals, at least until it is time to take it to the sideboard, and there, at the sideboard, it should be arranged in serving dishes well and properly.
For the supper: all manner of roasts, a buchat of conies, parma tarts, and the daudine of river birds, and a boiled-larded.
20. And to give understanding to the master who will make the said buchat of conies, he should take his conies and skin them and clean them very well and singe them cleanly, and clean them inside and take the livers of the said conies and put these livers by themselves and wash them and clean them very well, and then put them to dry on fair and clean boards; and he is well advised to remove well the bitter, that is the gall and everything else which is not clean, and let them be washed in beef broth or in fair boiling water; and also wash the said conies, then cut them up into fair pieces and put them in a cauldron which is fair and clean. Then take chines of pork and singe them very well, and then cut them into fair little pieces and take a great deal of them according to the quantity which you are told and put them to be washed in fair small casks, and let them be clean; then put them to drain on fair boards, and when they are drained put them in the cauldron with your cony meat. And then take beef and mutton broth and throw it in and put it to cook. And then take and make a good and big bunch of herbs, that is sage, parsley, hyssop and marjoram well cleaned and washed, then throw it in to cook. And then take the livers of the said conies which are cleaned, washed, and drained very well and properly, and spit them on thin spits, and then put them to roast over the coals; and when they are well roasted take them off the spit and put them in a mortar and bray them very well; and then take your bunch of herbs which has been put to boil with your cony meat, and take it apart and put the herbs to be brayed in a mortar and then add them to the brayed livers of the said conies. And then check that your meat is not overcooked but take it when it is getting firm; and in fair and clean cornues put the conies in one place and the pork meat in another, and then put the broth from which you have drawn the said meat in fair and clean cornues. Then take a great deal of bread and put to roast on the grill according to the quantity of the said broth; and then take your livers and herbs and bray and put into your broth and bread and your spices, ginger, grains of paradise, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and cloves -- and take care that you put in these minor spices in proper measure -- and put wine and verjuice therewith in good manner; and strain all together in fair and clean cornues. And then have your fair and clean cauldron or large pot, fair and clean and clear, and put it to boil. And then take a great deal of good bacon lard and chop it very small and melt in fair and large pans, and then strain it very well in large pans and then put it on the fire; and fry your conies by themselves and not too much, and then similarly fry a little your other meat and put it elsewhere. And when it is time to take to the sideboard take your meat and your bruet and then arrange your meat on fair dishes of gold, of silver, of pewter in order; and then your broth on top.
21. Again, parma tarts: for the said parma tarts which are ordered to be made, to give you understanding, take three or four large pigs and, if the feast should be larger than I think, let one take more, and from these pigs remove the heads and the hams, and put the fat apart to be melted; and take the said pigs and cut them into fair slices or pieces and wash them very well and put them to cook in fair and clean cauldrons, and put in salt in measure. And for the said parma tarts you will need three hundred pigeons, two hundred very young chickens -- and if it happens that the feast is given at a time when there are no very young chickens, have one hundred young capons -- six hundred small birds; and these pigeons, poultry, and small birds should be plucked and cleaned properly and cleanly; and take the pigeons and split them in half, and also split the poultry and cut it in quarters; and then take the pigeons, poultry, and small birds and put into fair small casks, wash properly and cleanly three or four times in fair and clean water, and then put them to boil in fair and clean cauldrons, and put in salt in measure; and check that it does not cook too much; and, being cooked subtly, draw out your meat into fair and clean cornues and put your small birds in one place and the other meat in another. And then take your pork fat and cut a great deal of it and put into fair and clean pans and melt well and, being well melted, strain it into other fair and clean pans; and then take your small birds and sauté them in your lard lightly and not too much, and also next the other meat. And of figs six pounds and six pounds of dates, of pine nuts six pounds, of prunes six pounds, of raisins eight pounds; and then take your figs, prunes, and dates and cut them fine -- as small as the smallest raisins -- and remove the stems from the raisins and clean them well. And then take your pine nuts and rub them very well, then winnow them on fair platters; then put them on a fair cloth and pick them over and clean them well and properly so that there remains nothing but the white nutmeat. And then put your figs, prunes, raisins, dates, and pine nuts into a fair, white and clean cornue, and let it be well covered with a fair, white and clean cloth so that nothing which is not clean falls therein. And then arrange that you have herbs, that is sage, parsley, hyssop and marjoram, of which have such a large amount of parsely that you have a great bowlfull drained and with the leaves stripped off the stems, and sage, hyssop, and marjoram added in measure; then put them in a fair and clean cornue, and wash them well and properly in three or four changes of fresh water, and then put them on fair and clean boards and chop them very small. And check to see if your pork is cooked and put it on fair tables, and you should have your fair, large and very flat boards; and you who are making this fair parma tart, together with the assistants which you have assigned to it, take care to remove the skin of the said pigs and let no bones remain, and chop your meat very small; and in chopping your said meat take herbs and put them in with your meat; and then have a large, fair, clean and clear basin [bacine] and put your said meat therein -- and to give understanding of what the basin is, I mean that this should be a fair and large pan of those in which one cooks big and large fish. And then arrange that you have a quintal of best Crampone or Brie cheese or the best cheese which can be found, and then take the said cheese and pare and clean it well and properly, and cut it small, then bray it in a mortar very well and strongly; then take six hundred eggs and moisten your cheese therewith in braying, and continually sprinkle with the said eggs so that they are well bound and moistened and according to the quantity of the parma tarts which you are ordered to make. And take the pan which I described to you above, and put therein lard which is refined in which one has sautéd the meat, and put it in according to the quantity of the stuff which you have, and let it be put over a fair clear fire; and have two good strong assistants stirring the filling strongly and firmly with a great slotted spoon with two hands, and then let it down over a fair fire of clear coals; and let your figs, prunes, dates, raisins, pine nuts, cut as is said above, be washed two or three times in fair, clean and clear water and then afterward washed in good white wine and then put to drain and dry on fair and clean boards; and then, being drained, throw it into your filling, and let it be very well stirred in; and then take your cheese which has been brayed and moistened with egg as is said above -- the quantity which you have made for the said filling -- and put into your filling while braying well and strongly; and take the said pan off the fire. And take your spices, white ginger, fine powder, grains of paradise, saffron to give color, and put in cloves in measure, put them therein and stir continually; and have a great deal of sugar beaten into powder and throw in a great deal according to the quantity of the filling, and stir continually. And arrange that you have fair and clean pans, or if you find fair and clean ceramic dishes take as many as you need to make your parma tarts in such great quantity that you will have some left over; and then when you have your fair and clean pans or ceramic dishes arrange that you have two or three thousand sugared wafers, and then take your pans or your ceramic dishes and take some of the lard in which you fried your small birds and poultry and put into your pans or ceramic dishes and then take your wafers and put in each dish on the bottom and around it a layer of the said wafers so that there are four or five one on another; and on the said wafers take of the said filling and make a layer, and then on top of the filling put the small birds here and there and not together; and put between two small birds a quarter of a pigeon and elsewhere a quarter chicken between two small birds, and do this in such manner that of small birds, quarter pigeons and quarter chickens there is made well and adroitly a layer set on top of the layer of the filling; and on top of this layer made of small birds, quarter pigeons, and quarter chickens is made another layer of the said filling, and on top of this layer made of filling put wafers in the fashion and manner which is said above as they were put on the bottom of the said pan or ceramic dish; and, this being done, they should be covered well and properly with the said wafers. Then take cold lard and put on top, and then put your tarts in the oven which has been well heated; and you will be well advised when they cook to have leaves of spinach and white chard well cleaned and washed so that, if the said wafers burn at all, you can put them on top. And then draw out your parma tarts and scrape them well and properly so that there remains nothing burned, and then put them on fair serving dishes; and, with them on the serving dishes, take your gold leaf and put it on your parma tarts in the manner of a chessboard, and powdered sugar on top. And when one serves it, let on each tart be put a little banner with the arms of each lord who is served these parma tarts.
Latin, roughly: The following is on sauces and on fish with sauces incumbentibus.
Latin, roughly: After the meat follows a treatise on fish with their sauces [and] fish incombentibus. And first:
And as by the grace of the blessed Holy Spirit here above is written the arrangement for serving well honorably and grandly meats, their appropriate sauces and also potages during the two days of the above-said feast.
Now it is necessary on each of the said two days to serve equally grandly, honestly, and honorably fish, both marine and fresh-water, as above is served meat, and to make dishes of fish similar to each dish as was above devised from meat.
And for the counter to the large meats devised for the said first dish, take large fish, salted grey mullet and large pieces of salted filleted pike -- this is the counter to the beef and the mutton -- and put this on one serving dish; and then put herrings on another fair serving dish by themselves, and on this nothing is needed but mustard; and also in another serving dish eggs cooked on [over?] the coals. And for this it is necessary that the kitchen masters should be very well furnished and provided with a great quantity of white peas to make potages for each day of the feast given to fish.
22. And the master cook should be advised of the number of people that he has to serve and according to the number let them take the quantity of peas and sort through them and clean and wash them well and properly, and put to cook in fair and clean cauldrons or large, fair and clean pots, and cook them; and, having been put to cook, draw your purée into fair pots or cornues and draw up such a large quantity of it that you can make the quantity of potages which you will be ordered to make.
23. And first, for your white bruet take almonds according to the quantity of the potage which you are told to make, and have them blanched and cleaned and brayed cleanly, and moisten them with the purée of white peas; and when they are well brayed draw them up with the said broth of peas and put it in according to the quantity of the said almonds; and put in good white wine and verjuice and white ginger and grains of paradise, and everything in measure, and salt, and check that you have not put in too much of anything; and put sugar in according to the quantity of the broth; and then take a fair, large, clear and clean pot and put to boil. And when this is at the sideboard put your fried fish on fair serving dishes and then throw the said bruet on top; and on the potages which you make from almonds from here on, when it is to be dressed do not forget the sugar-spice pellets [dragiees] which should be scattered on top.
And when you have ordered to be made your potages according to the quantity of the said potages, take your quantities of fish, both marine and fresh water, and order them to be fried by your diligent assistants; and let them fry them well and properly while the potages are being made.
24. For the counter to the lamprey sauce of meat take tripes of large fish and split, clean, and wash them well and properly and put to cook; and when they are well cooked draw them out onto fair and clean boards and slice them very small to make an arbaleste. And take onions according to the quantity which you are making of the said potage, and chop them very small. And take white bread according to the quantity of the potage which you have to make, and slice it into fair rounds and put them to roast on the grill until they are well browned, and then put them to soak in the purée of peas in a fair bowl or fair and clean cornue according to the quantity which you are ordered to make, and with clear red wine and also vinegar -- and be sure that you do not put in too much. And then take a great deal of cinnamon according to the quantity of the broth, ginger, grains of paradise, pepper -- and not too much, cloves, mace, galingale, and put in all these spices in proportion, and salt, and be careful of too much; and put in all of this in proper manner; and then put it to boil in a fair, large and clean pot. And then take fair oil which is clear and well refined, and then take your fish tripes and your onions and put them to fry, and remove them well and properly. And when it is to be dressed take your fried fish and put them on fair serving dishes and the tripes on top.
25. For a bruet of Almayn of fish: to make it take your almonds according to the quantity of the potage which you are ordered to make, and have them very well and cleanly picked over so that there remains neither shell nor refuse, and wash them in fair cornues three or four times in fair and clean lukewarm water, and then have them very well brayed and moisten them with the purée of white peas; and when they are very well brayed take some purée and white wine and verjuice according to the quantity of broth which is to be made, and your spices: good ginger, grains of paradise, and a little cloves, and a little cinnamon -- and do not put too much in; and to give it color a little saffron. And according to the quantity of it which you have take onions and peel and wash them and then chop them very fine. And when your almonds are passed through the strainer well and properly put them to boil in a fair, large, clear and clean pot and put in a great deal of sugar according to the quantity of the said broth, and also salt -- and be careful of too much. And then take fair, clean, and well refined oil and sauté your onions well and properly, and then put your onions to boil with your potage. And when it comes to the sideboard take your fried fish and put on fair serving dishes and the said broth on top, and do not forget the sugar-spice pellets which belong to it.
26. And to make pottage opposite the bruet of Savoy made above for a meat service: to make another of fish opposite that one, take your white bread and cut off the crust very well and take it according to the quantity of potage which you should make, and then put it to soak in the purée of peas and white wine and verjuice according to the quantity which you are making of the said potage. And arrange that you have a great deal of parsley, and sage, hyssop, and marjoram; and have a great quantity of the said parsley picked over, and put in the other three in moderation because they are strong; and put together, then wash them in three or four changes of water well and properly, and take and press them between your hands and drain off the water and wring them and put in a mortar and bray well and properly; and when they are very well brayed put them with your bread. And take your spices, ginger, grains of paradise and a little pepper--and not too much--and strain it very well into a fair cornue; and then put them to boil in a large, fair and clean pot according to the quantity which you have, and let it just come to a boil so that the color of the greens is not lost; and to make it nicely put in a little bit of saffron to make it bright green. And when it is brought to the sideboard take your fried fish and put on your serving dishes, and then put the said potage on top, and scatter pomegranate seeds on top.
And fish pastries.
At the second course: first all manner of sea fish put separately onto great dishes of gold, fresh-water fish -- large filleted pike, big filleted carp -- on another dish, and other fresh-water fish to complete well the dish; and also, rice and salt sea-bream in place of venison, and with this roast lampreys.
27. And to give understanding to him who will have the charge of preparing the lampreys, he should put them in a cornue or small cask according to the quantity which he has of them, and let them be in fair hot water; and clean the slime off them very well and scrape out the throat strongly with a good little knife so that there remain none of the little bones which are there, and split them below the throat, and take the bones out(?)--and take care that none remain; and then throw the said lampreys in fair fresh water and wash them very well and then put them on a fair table to drain. And then arrange that you have your fair and clean spits, and when you spit them arrange that you have the best claret wine which you can get, and arrange that you have fair and very clean pans and put under to catch the blood; and when the said lampreys are well and properly spitted wash them well and properly with the said good claret wine-- and retain it and then put it with the blood and do not throw it away; and when you set them at the fire to roast take fair silver dishes or fair and clean pans and divide the said wine and blood among the said silver dishes or pans, and put as much in one as in another, and then put them under the said lampreys, and they will receive the drippings from which the sauce will be made. And while the said lampreys are roasting take white bread according to the quantity of the lampreys which you have, and put them to roast very well on the grill; and when they are very well roasted put them into the dishes or pans which are under the said lampreys; and then afterward take the said dishes or pans and put everything which is in them all together into a large and fair bowl, and if you consider that it does not have enough broth add more of the said claret wine until you have the quantity which you need. And then take your spices: white ginger, a great deal of cinnamon according to the quantity of the lampreys which there are, grains of paradise, cloves, nutmeg, mace, galingale and pepper -- and not too much -- and strain all of this very well, and put in vinegar according to the quantity of the sauce -- and be careful of too much -- and salt; and when this is well and properly strained take the fair and clean pan for boiling it, and in boiling arrange that you have an assistant who stirs it continually with a fair spoon so that there is no danger from the fire. And when the said sauce is boiled put it back in the bowl or in a cornue in which it can be, and then dress it out where one serves the lampreys.
28. And again, flans of almond milk: according to the quantity of flans which you are making take the quantity of almonds, have them well and cleanly blanched and washed and then have them very well brayed; and take very clean fair water and let him strain his almond milk into a bowl or a cornue which is fair and clean according to the quantity of flans which he should make. And then take fair amidon and wash it in fair fresh water and put it in a fair bowl when it is washed; and then take your almond milk and put it into your moistened amidon, and put in a little saffron to give it color; and then strain it through a fair strainer into a fair and clean bowl, and put in a little salt and a great deal of sugar. And when this is made call your pastry-cook who is making the crusts and let him put them in the oven a little to harden; and then let the said pastry-cook have a fair spoon either of wood or of iron attached to a good stick to fill in the oven the little crusts of the said flans.
29. With this, fish tarts: and to give to understand to him who will do this work -- because not everyone is master of it -- he should take his fish, that is good slices of tuna, good large filleted carp, good large fresh eels, and of all this take according to the quantity of tarts which he is ordered to make; and take all this and cut it into fair pieces, and put to cook in a fair and clean cauldron according to the quantity which you have; and when it is cooked take it out onto fair tables which are fair and clean and pick over all your meat so that there are no scales nor bones, and then chop it very well. And arrange that you have good candied figs, prunes, dates, and slice this very finely into little dice; and take pine nuts and make them clean as they should be, and take candied raisins and clean them very well so that there remain no stems; and take of all this according to the quantity of the filling which you have made from the fish, and wash this stuff very well in white wine, and then mix it with your fish in a fair pan. Then take another pan which is fair and clean in which have some fair and clear oil refined, and when it is refined put this oil into your filling according to the quantity of it which there is, then put it on fair coals to heat and stir it constantly with a fair spoon; and then take fair fine powder and put it in in reason, and a great deal of sugar. And then tell your pastry-cook to make the tarts for you, either large or small, and let them be covered.
For marine fish: for the turbot should be given green sauce, salmon with cameline, ray with garlic cameline which is made with almonds and with its liver; sea-crayfish with vinegar, sturgeons with parsley, onions, and vinegar, fried sardines with mustard, fried sole with sorrel verjuice and oranges, eels roasted on the grill with verjuice, anchovies with parsley, onions, and vinegar and powder on top.
30. And for the fresh sea-bream: to give understanding to those who will prepare it take their sea-bream and make it into fair pieces, and then wash them very well and put them to cook in fair large cauldrons according to the quantity which you have, in half wine and half water, and with salt. And then take white bread and cut it into rounds and put on the grill, and then put it to soak in good claret wine and vinegar according to the quantity which you are making of the sauce. And take your spices: a great deal of good cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise, cloves, nutmeg, mace, galingale and a little pepper, and let it be well and cleanly strained into a fair clean pot, and put in salt according to the quantity of the sauce which you have; and then put it to boil, and have the stuff stirred by someone with a fair spoon so that it does not burn. And when your sea-bream is cooked draw it out onto a fair board and then skin it very well and then make it into fair slices; and when it comes to the sideboard put it onto fair serving dishes and the said sauce on top as it should be.
30a. And if your sea-bream is salted put it to cook in fair pieces, and when it is almost cooked draw it out and wash it in fair fresh water and put it onto fair and clean boards, and then slice it in fair slices, and then put it in fair broth half wine and half water; and, being cooked, put on fair serving dishes. And one serves it with rice in place of venison.
31. And opposite the cameline bruet of meat, a cameline bruet of fish: and to give you understanding of making it, take the quantity of almonds according to the quantity which you are charged with making, and have them very well cleaned and very well washed four or five times in fair lukewarm water, and have them very well brayed and have them moistened with the purée of peas. And when they are well brayed, according to the quantity which you have take the purée of peas, and take wine according to the quantity of broth, and verjuice; and then take your spices: a great deal of cinnamon so that it bears the color of cinnamon, and white ginger, grains of paradise, nutmeg, mace, cloves -- and put in these minor spices in reason -- and pass this through a fair strainer; and, being passed, put it to boil in a fair and clean and clear pot or cauldron in which it can boil, and put in a great deal of sugar according to the quantity which you have and salt -- and all these things in reason -- and then boil. And, being boiled, carry it to your sideboard, and take your fish and put on your fair serving dishes and the said broth on top; and do not forget the sugar-spice pellets which it is appropriate to scatter on top.
32. And opposite the rosy bruet of meat, make a rosy of fish: and to give to understand to him who will make it, let him take almonds in great quantity according to what he is charged with making, and have them blanched very well, washed and cleaned and very well brayed and moistened with white wine. And when they are well brayed take some of the puree of peas according to the quantity which you want to make and put in white wine and verjuice and spices and white ginger, grains of paradise, and a little pepper -- and not too much -- and strain this. And take the purée of peas according to the quantity of almonds which he has and then strain this into a fair cornue, and then put it to boil in a fair and clean pot or cauldron according to the quantity which he has, and put in a great deal of sugar and salt in moderation -- and take care that there is not too much or too little of anything -- and then put it to boil. And, this being done, take a good, large, fair, and very clean frying pan and put in very good fair and clear oil and heat very well; and being well heated and boiling, throw in good well cleaned alkanet and cook it and heat it well and strain it cleanly through one side of a strainer into fair dishes, and then put it into your broth in such good manner that the color of the said broth is closer to the color rose than to red. And then arrange your fish on fair serving dishes and the said broth on top; and also scatter the appropriate sugar-spice pellets on top.
33. And again, a blancmange divided into four colors all on one dish, that is or, azure, gules, and argent: and to give to understand this potage, he who will make it should take a great deal of almonds and have them blanched cleanly and washed and have them very well brayed and moistened with fair lukewarm water and put in a fair and clean cornue, and make this according to the quantity which you want to make of the said parti-colored blancmange; and put into the said broth which you are making powdered white ginger and grains of paradise; and then draw your almonds from the said lukewarm water and make milk of them, and then divide the said milk among four fair and clear and clean pots, and as much in one as in another, and also a great deal of sugar in each, and put in salt in reason; and then put on a gracious fire to heat.
And then take a great quantity of amydon and then clean and wash it very well and skillfully and then put some in a fair clean dish for each of the said four pots; and then take milk from the pot which you are thickening and strain it with a good strainer and then put it slowly into the said pot while stirring constantly until you see that it is well and firmly thickened so that when one puts one bit next to another on a dish the one does not mix with the other; and do so with all four bowls.
And to give understanding to him who will make these colors for making this blancmange divided into four colors: to make the first color, that is gold, take beaten saffron according to the quantity which you want to make and moisten it with milk from the pot which you have set up for making the gold blancmange; and then put it slowly while stirring with a good spoon into the said pot which you want to have the color of gold.
And for that of azure take your turnsole and put it to soak in milk which you want to make the color azure, and then strain into a fair and clean bowl strongly so that none of the color remains behind, and then put it into the pot which you have set aside for the said color azure; and moisten and strain your amydon in the bowl with the said broth in which you have strained your azure coloring, and then put it in the pot while mixing and stirring constantly with a good spoon until it is well thickened; and when it is well thickened take it off the fire.
To make that of gules take clear and well refined oil and put it in a fair pan to heat well and strongly; and then take your alkanet and throw it in and stir it with a fair slotted spoon and then strain it through a corner of a strainer into a fair dish; and take your amydon and strain it with the broth in which you must make your blancmange of gules; and then mix into your milk while stirring constantly in the pot in which you are making your blancmange of gules; and when it is well thickened take your coloring and put in the said coloring in proper manner so that it is the color gules.
For the argent part of the blancmange take your amydon and dissolve it in [almond] milk and strain it through a strainer and then thicken it strongly and firmly.
And, the four blancmanges thus made separately, to serve them put on each serving dish the said four blancmanges, that is that of or, then that of gules next to it, that of azure below, and afterward that of argent; and when it is thus divided and put on fair serving dishes as is devised, have your sugar-spice pellets and on each color of the said blancmange put the sugar-spice pellets which are appropriate to it.
For the fish supper: and first roasted young pike and palleys, and this is served with green sorrel verjuice and white soup of almonds; and with this the fish jelly, and white fish of the sea and of fresh water; and again, a brown sorengue of eels and a fair boiled-larded of tenches, and fried fish with fair sauce piquant.
34. And to give understanding to him who will make the sorengue let him take his eels and clean the slime off them very well in fair hot water and then throw them in fair fresh water and wash them very well in three or four changes of water; and then, have your sideboard fair and clean and put them on it and then dress and prepare them well and cleanly and remove the viscera and cut them into fair slices; and, in slicing them, put the slices in fair fresh water and wash them very well and then put them to drain on the fair and clean sideboard; and according to the quantity which you have take a fair and clean pot or cauldron for cooking it in. And then take onions according to the quantity of eels which you have and peel, wash, and chop them well and properly; and then take good, fair and clean oil in a fair pan and sauté your onions a little, and then throw your eels on top and fry all this together over fair coals. And take white bread according to the quantity of potage which you have to make and cut it into fair slices and put it to roast on the grill so that it is well browned, and put it to soak in the purée of peas and with the strongest claret wine you have, and flavor it with a little vinegar; and then take your spices according to the quantity of your broth: cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise, pepper, cloves, and strain this very well according to the quantity of your broth and throw in your eels; and salt and everything else in reason.
35. A fair boiled-larded of tenches: and to give understanding to him who will make it, let him have according to the quantity which is given him fair, large filleted tenches of which he can make three pieces in each part, and also let him have large salted eels; and when these eels are skinned take them by fair, long and large pieces to make lardoons for larding the pieces of the tenches. And take white bread and roast it and put it to soak in good claret wine; and take spices: ginger, grains of paradise, pepper, cloves, and a little saffron to give it color, and strain this and flavor with verjuice. And when you have put your pieces of larded tench in fair and clean pans or pots to cook them, throw in your broth and flavor it with salt and verjuice well and properly.
Again, marine or fresh water fish which are well and properly fried, and make a fair sauce piquant on top.
36. And to give understanding to him who will make the sauce piquant take onions and prepare them very well and cut them into fair slices and mince them very small; and then let him have his very well refined oil and then sauté the onions in it well and properly, and then drain off the oil, which should not remain at all. And then take a fair and clean pot and then take very good wine and put it in according to the quantity of fish which he is frying; and then take his spices: ginger, grains of paradise, saffron, pepper -- and put in all these things in measure according to the quantity of fish which is to be eaten with the said sauce piquant; and let it taste of vinegar well and gently, and of salt also.
For the next day, the dinner for those who do not eat meat: the salt meats of large eels, large salted trout, and pallees and herring; in another separate dish eggs on coals, white leeks, purée with sops, a georgé bruet of fried fish, a gravy of fish tripes arrayed on fried fish, and turnips.
37. And to give understanding to him who will make the georgé bruet, let him take the quantity of almonds according to the potage which he should make and have them blanched very well and washed well and skillfully and cleanly brayed, and the purée of white peas which should moisten them and let him flavor it with good wine and white verjuice. And let him take spices: white ginger, grains of paradise, a little cinnamon and not too much, nutmeg, cloves and a little pepper, and a little saffron to give color to the said bruet -- and let there not be too much of it -- and a great quantity of sugar according to the broth that there will be; and let it be properly flavored of everything, and of salt. And when this comes to the sideboard put it on top of the dishes of fried fish and do not forget the sugar-spice pellets which should be scattered on top.
38. To make the said gravy take bread and slice it into rounds and put to roast on the grill until it is well browned; and have a great deal of your purée of peas and good claret, and have either a large cask or a small cask or a cornue according to the quantity which you are making in which you put your bread to soak, and vinegar to make it acid -- and be careful of too much. And take your spices: a great deal of cinnamon, white and mecca ginger according to the quantity, grains of paradise, cloves, nutmeg, mace and galingale, and a little pepper -- and put this in in measure, and salt also. And take the fresh tripes of fish and split, clean, and wash them very well and properly and put to cook, and when they are cooked take them out and cut them into little dice; and have onions cut small, and arrange that you have good refined oil, and sauté the said onions and tripes well and properly all together, and then drain the oil from them; and then put the said tripes and onions into your aforesaid gravy. And then take your fish, marine as well as fresh-water, which you have ordered for this and distribute them among fair serving dishes on your sideboard and then put the said gravy on top.
For the supper for those who do not eat meat: white fish instead of roasts, a bruet of verjuice over fried fish, parma tarts, fried fish with sauce piquant on top, and a boiled larded of large tenches.
39. To give understanding to him who will make this bruet of verjuice, let him have good almonds well brayed, and let him have good white bread and remove the crust well and put to soak in good white wine and verjuice according to the quantity of potage which he is making; and then take his well-brayed almonds and his spices, good white ginger, grains of paradise and a little pepper -- and all of these things in reason -- and strain all this through a strainer and put to boil in a fair pot. And when it is time to dress it carry it to the sideboard and check the salt; and then arrange your fish on fair serving dishes and throw the broth on top.
40. Now I, Chiquart, would like to give to understand to him who will be ordered to make parma tarts of fish, let him take slices of tuna if he is in a place where he can get marine fish, and if not let him take as much of those of fresh water, that is large filleted carp, large eels and large filleted pike, and of this take such a great quantity as he is told to make the said tarts; and take candied raisins, prunes, figs, dates, pine nuts, and of each of these take what seems to him right to take according to the quantity of the said tarts; then, for the said tarts, let them be cut into pieces, cleaned and washed and put to cook well and cleanly; and, being well cooked, draw it out onto fair and clean tables or boards and let the bones be removed and take them out very well and properly so that no little bones remain, and chop them well and finely; and let the aforesaid raisins have the stems very well removed, let the pine nuts be cleaned very well, let the figs, prunes, and dates be cut into little dice; and, all these things thus dealt with, except for the meat, should be very well washed in white wine and drained, and then mix them with the aforesaid meat of the fish. And it is also necessary, according to the quantity of the said tarts which you have to make, that you have parsley, marjoram, and sage, and of each herb the quantity according to the strength of each, that is of parsley more and of the others less; and let them be well cleaned, washed, and very well chopped and then mix them with the aforesaid meat. And, this being done, have fair, clear, clean, and well refined oil and then have a fair, large and clean frying pan and let it be set over a fair clear fire and put all this into it, and have a good assistant with a fair, large and clean spoon who stirs very well and strongly in the said frying pan; and arrange that you have your almond milk well thickened and strained through a strainer, and a great deal of amydon according to the quantity of tarts which you have and put all in to thicken it; and then put your spices in with your meat while stirring the contents of the pan continually, that is white ginger, grains of paradise and a little pepper, and saffron which gives it color, and whole cloves and a great deal of sugar pounded into powder, and salt in reason. And arrange that your pastry-cooks have made well and properly the crusts of the said tarts, and, being made, take the aforesaid filling and put in each what should be put. And then arrange that you have a very great quantity of good and fair slices of good and fair eels which should be well and properly cooked in water and, being cooked, put them to fry in fair and clean oil; and, being fried, take them out; and then on each tart put three or four pieces, one here and another there, so that they are not together; and then cover the tarts and put in the oven and, being cooked, put them on your dishes and serve them.
And if it should happen that the aforesaid feast lasts more than the said two days one should take the meats, dishes, and entremets written here following.
And first a cocade pastry, the pilgrim capon, a cold sage, a calaminee, a calunefree of partridge, nurry pasty, rissoles, a parti-colored hot mengier, a mortress, shoulders of young mutton which are to be eaten with a sauce of the blood from the said shoulders, bourbulleys of wild boar, mortoexes, a vinaigrette, a jense, an oatmeal bruet of capons, endored kids' heads, chopped liver, a gratunee, another gratunee of Spain, shoulders of mutton stuffed and endored.
41. And to know what is and of what things is made and should be made the cocade pasty and how, take beef and the fair fat from beef kidneys and let this be chopped very small, and let him take care that when the beef is dismembered he has all of the marrow, and then put it in his pasty; and then let him take his spices well and properly, that is ginger, grains of paradise, saffron, and salt, and all these things in measure. And the pastry-cook will be well advised to make the crust of the said pasty so large, well and honestly in several compartments so large that in each can be put that which one devises for it: in the best should be lodged the beef pasty, in another compartment should be put a lamprey, and in another compartment should be put a young well-fattened gosling, and in another compartment should be put a salmon, and in another should be put a pigeon, and in another should be put pallees, in another small birds which should be stuffed with guein cheese and beef marrow, in another compartment large pieces of fair and large fresh eels and partridges, in another large pieces of fresh trout, and in another and last compartment -- if you do not want any more things -- fat capons.
42. Now it is necessary to know the sauces which are appropriate to be eaten with this pasty, that is the lamprey with lamprey sauce: and to give understanding to the sauce-maker who will make the said sauces, let him take his white bread according to the quantity which he is making and roast it well and properly, and let him have best vinegar in reason; and then let him take his spices: cinnamon, white ginger, grains of paradise, cloves and not too much, nutmeg, mace, galingale, and put in all these spices and strain them with his bread and put in a little salt, and put it to boil, and put in a little sugar. And when one carries the pasty one should serve it with the other sauces, for 43. the sauce for the gosling and the fat capon, the jance: and to give understanding to him who will make the said jance let him take his almonds according to the quantity of it which he wants to make, blanch them very well and cleanly and put them in a mortar to be brayed very well and cleanly; and according to the quantity of the said sauce let him peel garlic according as he has need, and let him not put in too much; and let him take good white wine and verjuice, white ginger, grains of paradise and strain it all together and put in salt, and not too much, and then put it to boil in a fair and clean pot; and then dress it to serve with the said pasty.
44. For the salmon and for the trout, the cameline: to give understanding to the sauce-maker who will make it, take his white bread according to the quantity of it which he is making and let him put it to roast on the grill, and let him have good claret wine of the best which he can have in which he should put his bread to soak and vinegar in good measure; and let him take his spices, that is cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise, cloves, a little pepper, mace, nutmeg and a little sugar, and this is mixed with is bread and a little salt; and then dress it as you will.
The pigeons with fine salt, the small birds bearing their own sauce, the eel with green sorrel verjuice.
And the master who will make the said pasty will be well advised to have his good spices, white ginger, grain of paradise and a little pepper, saffron to give it color, and temper it with salt to rub(?) all of the meat of the aforesaid pasty.
And the said master will also be well advised to have a small, fair and clean piece of good fat pork, and let it be parboiled, of which he should make long slices with which to stuff the said pasty, and put two of them alongside the gosling and also on the capon and on the pigeons.
45. And to give understanding to him who will make the pilgrim capon let him pluck his fat capons and prepare them very well and cleanly for spitting; and if it is in the season when one can get lampreys, for each capon which is ordered from you arrange that you have a lamprey, and if you are not in the season arrange that you have large fresh eels to make the staffs of the pilgrim capons; and when your capons are well spitted on fair and clean spits take your lampreys and clean the slime off them and clean them well and properly, and remove the tongue and wash well and cleanly. And then each capon should be belted and wrapped with its lamprey (if you could not get any do with large eels what you would have done with lampreys, and first let them be well cleaned and washed); and have them held all around the said capon with good, clean and pretty little skewers or ties and, being thus prepared, put them to the fire for roasting; and arrange that the space under is fair and clean and then put fair silver dishes to receive and gather the drippings which fall from the said capons and lampreys -- and if you do not have enough dishes put fair and clean pans. And while you are preparing your capons, lampreys or eels put to boil well and cleanly good pieces of beef, marrow bones and mutton, and put some of the said broth in the said silver dishes and pans which receive the drippings and blood of the lampreys out of which will be made the daudine. And when your capons are well cooked check that you have a container which is very clean, either cornue or other container, to make sure that when your capons are well cooked and you take them off the spit none of them loses its staff, that is its lamprey. And when your capons are taken off take a fair pot which is properly clean and take a fair strainer and strain into your fair pot what you have received in the said silver plates and pans from the said capons and lampreys; and if you see that there is not enough broth to make the said daudine, stretch it with your fair beef broth; and take white ginger and a little grains of paradise and flavor it with verjuice -- and let there not be too much of it -- and with salt also; and arrange that you have good parsley and have the leaves taken off the stems, and take your fair white bread and make your fair slices to roast, and arrange that you have very good Crampone or Brie cheese or the best you can get; and slice each of the slices of your roasted bread into three slices and then arrange them on your dishes with the cheese on top, and then put your broth on top. And when this comes to the sideboard so should one serve the said sops and on other dishes put the said pilgrim capons.
46. Now it remains to be known with what sauce one should eat the pilgrim capons: the pilgrim capons should be eaten with the jance, and to advise the sauce-maker who should make it take good almonds and blanch and clean them very well and bray them very well; and take the inside of white bread according to the quantity which he needs, and let him have the best white wine which he can get in which he should put his bread to soak, and with verjuice; and when his almonds are well brayed put in a little garlic to bray with them; and take white ginger and grains of paradise according to the quantity of sauce which he needs, and strain all this together and draw it up with the said white wine and a little verjuice and salt also, and put it to boil in a fair and clean pot.
And if the staffs are lampreys make lamprey sauce in the manner which is devised above under lamprey pasty.
And if they are eels, green garlic made with sorrel and verjuice.
47. The calunafree of partridge: he who will make it should take his partridges and clean them well and properly and restore(?) them and lard them very well and then spit and roast them very well and properly; and when they are roasted, take them off onto a fair and clean board, and then take them one after the other and cut them into fair members and leave the wings whole and cut the white meat very small as if one were carving it before the lord, and put this on fair silver dishes -- and if you do not have enough silver dishes put then in a fair and clean pan. And take a great deal of cameline sauce and put it so that it covers everything, and put on only enough mustard to give it taste, and put on verjuice to cover everything. And according as you have meat take onions and chop them very small and put them in, and sugar, and flavor it with salt in good manner; and then put it to boil. And then when it comes to the sideboard arrange it in good order on fair serving dishes.
48. To give understanding to him who will make the calaminee and the cold sage let him take his poultry according to the quantity which he is ordered to make of the said sauces, and take also milk piglets, and take this and prepare and clean well and properly; and cut the poultry into quarters and the piglets into fair little pieces, and wash this well and cleanly, and then put it to cook in a fair and clean cauldron, and salt according to the quantity which is ordered to be made. Take eggs in great abundance and put to cook in a fair cauldron and cook them so that they are hard; and then take white bread which has had the crust cut off and has been sliced and put in these two cornues according to the quantity which is needed for the said sauces; and then take the yolks of the eggs and put them to soak with the bread in the cornue in which you are making the calaminee. And then take your spices according to the quantity which you are making of the said sauce, that is white ginger, grains of paradise, pepper, saffron, and sugar, and verjuice according to the quantity of the sauce, and salt; and make the sauce properly thick, and strain this to be very thick so that it does not mix at all with the other.
49. And to give you to understand how you make the cold sage arrange that you have a great deal of parsley, a great deal of sage, and let them be well cleaned and washed and drained and brayed very well, and bray such a great quantity of it that it may be thoroughly green; and when they are well brayed mix them and put them with your bread [see recipe 48]. And then take your spices, that is white ginger, grains of paradise and pepper and strain all this, and season with vinegar and strain it to be very thick. And when your meat is well cooked take it out onto fair boards and fair and clean tables, and then separate the meat, that is the poultry in one place and the pieces of piglet in another, and such that when it comes to the sideboard you put in each dish four pieces of the said meat, that is a quarter of poultry and a little piece of the said pork on top in half of each dish, and as much in the other part; and in each dish on one part put calaminee and on the other part next to it put cold sage. And then take the egg whites and cut them into little dice, then scatter onto the said dishes onto the cold sage; and sugar-spice pellets on the calaminee.
50. Again, nurriz pasties: and to give understanding to him who will make it let him take his fair pork meat according to the quantity which he should make and then take the gizzards and livers of poultry in great quantity and clean them well and put them to cook; and take a fair and well cleaned piece of bacon lard in a good place(?) and put it to boil therewith; and then when his meat is cooked let him take it out onto fair and clean boards, and put the pork by itself and chop it very small; and let him take the gizzards and livers and his chopped meat and put it in and sauté this all together. And let him take his spices: white ginger, grains of paradise, saffron, a great quantity of sugar according to the quantity of the filling, and let him flavor it well with salt and the spices so that there is neither too little nor too much of anything; and eggs also according to the quantity of the filling. And then deliver it to the pastry-cook, and let him advise his pastry-cook that he should make his crusts very small and fairly high for frying, and arrange that you have a great deal of fresh pork fat with which your pans should be well filled to fry the pasties. And then arrange that you have a fair pot full of the best and finest wine which can be found, and put it to boil on a fair clear fire of coal and make it boil enough that it diminishes to half or a third; and take a loaf of sugar and break it up and put it in according to the quantity of the work, and if one loaf is not enough put in more or less of it; and take your spices: cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise, and put it in measure according to the quantity of the broth, and a little salt, and put whole cloves in, one ounce or two or more or less according to the quantity of the julliet or conserve which you have made. And when this comes to the sideboard put your pasties on fair dishes and the said julliet put on top.
51. Again, rissoles: and to give understanding to him who will make them, according to the quantity of them which he will make let him take a quantity of fresh pork and cut up into fair and clean pieces and put to cook, and salt therein; and when his meat is cooked let him draw it out onto fair and clean tables and remove the skin and all the bones, and then chop it very small. And arrange that you have figs, prunes, dates, pine nuts, and candied raisins; remove the stems from the raisins, and the shells from the pine nuts, and all other things which are not clean; and then wash all this very well one or two or three times in good white wine and then put them to drain on fair and clean boards; and then cut the figs and prunes and dates all into small dice and mix them with your filling. And then arrange that you have the best cheese which can be made, and then take a great quantity of parsley which should have the leaves taken off the stems, and wash it very well and chop it very well in with your cheese; and then mix this very well with your filling, and eggs also; and take your spices: white ginger, grains of paradise--and not too much, saffron, and a great deal of sugar according to the quantity which you are making. And then deliver your filling to your pastry-cook, and let him be prepared to make his fair leaves of pastry to make gold-colored crusts(?); and when they are made, let him bring them to you and you should have fair white pork lard to fry them; and when they are fried, you should have gold leaf: for each gold-colored crust(?) which there is, have one little leaf of gold to put on top. And when this comes to the sideboard arrange them on fair serving dishes and then throw sugar on top.
52. Again, a hot mengier : and to give understanding to him who will make the parti-colored hot mengier, which is also called mortress, let him take pork meat in great abundance according to the quantity which he is ordered to make and clean and wash it very well and put it to cook, and put in salt; and when it is cooked take it out onto fair and clean boards, and remove from it the skin and the bones and then chop it very small. And then take fair bread and put it to soak in your fair beef broth, and with this take spices and put in white ginger, grains of paradise, and pepper--and not too much, and saffron to give it color, and strain it and put in verjuice and put in white wine, and strain this all together and then put it to boil in a fair pot over fair clear coals. And then put the meat to be sautéd in a fair pan with good white lard and sauté it well and skillfully and, this being sautéed, put in a little of the said broth; and then take eggs according to the quantity of the pottage which there is and strain into it the yolks of the eggs to bind it and let them be strained through a strainer. And when this comes to be brought to the sideboard for serving let him make sure that he has a great dish full of powdered cinnamon and beaten sugar in great abundance therewith; and when this comes to the sideboard put your faugrenon in your dish, and with the said powder cover half of the said potage and leave the other half uncovered and thus it will be parti-colored.
53. Again, to eat shoulders of young mutton with the blood of the shoulder: to give understanding to him who will make it let him take the shoulders in front and wash them and spit them on well-cleaned spits; and he will be well advised if in the morning when the cattle are dismembered he saves the marrow bones for putting to boil in a fair, large, and clean pot; and when his shoulders are set at the fire and drained of the water which was on them, let them arrange that they have fair silver dishes -- or fair and clean pans in default of the said dishes -- and put them underneath, and put a little beef broth therein so that they catch the blood of the shoulders; and when they are cooked take your dishes and put that which is within together and strain it through a fair strainer. And then take your spices: cinnamon according to the quantity of it which one is making, ginger, grains of paradise and cloves, and take wine and a little vinegar to give it taste, and sugar, and salt in reason, and boil all this together. And then put your shoulders on fair dishes and the said sauce on top.
54. Bourbelleys of wild boar: I give understanding to him who is charged with making it, that if it happens that the boars are young, and let him take his bourbulleys and boil very well on a clear fire and then wash it very well and scrape it cleanly; then let him take his fair spit and spit it between skin and meat well and skillfully, and so that when it is half roasted he will be able to remove the skin; and, it being removed, let him lard the said boar very well and then put it back to roast until it is almost cooked, then remove it; and then he should arrange that he has good whole cloves and should stud it with the said cloves very well, and then put it back to cook until it is cooked over a pretty and fair clear fire. And such a bourbulleys of the said young boar should never be divided but be put whole between two gold platters and then be carried before the lord.
54a. And if it happens that the bourboulleis is large, that is the boars, and if it is in the month of October or November and they are in season, let the hunters send the said bourboulleis to the master cook whole without removing anything and let the said master cook cut the bourboulleys lengthwise into two parts and then remove the skin from it well and skillfully; and, this being done, let him wash them well and properly in fair clean water and then put them to boil in fair beef or mutton broth -- and if there is neither beef nor mutton broth let him make his broth of half wine and water, and sufficient salt, and let him put the bourbolleys in well and properly; and when it is boiled enough draw it out and rinse it in fair and fresh water and then put it to drain on fair boards; and when it is drained lard it well and properly and then spit them on fair and clean spits and put them to roast; and when it is close to being roasted take it off and arrange that there are good whole cloves and stud them very well; and, being studded, return them to the fire until they are sufficiently roasted as they should be; and, being roasted, take them and put all whole on fair serving dishes and let them be served to the lords.
55. And to give understanding to him who will make the sauce which belongs with it, he should take his white bread and cut it into fair slices and put them to roast on the grill until they are browned -- and keep them well from burning; and then let him have the best clear wine which can be gotten in which to put the said bread to soak, and let him take a little beef or mutton broth without the fat and put in some in measure according to the quantity of it which he wants to make, and also vinegar in measure. And then let him take his spices: white ginger, grains of paradise, cloves -- and not too much, and a little pepper, a great deal of cinnamon, a little mace, and two or three nutmegs according to the quantity which he needs, and put in with the bread, and also salt in reason; and then pass all this through a fair and clean strainer. And then put this sauce, thus made, to boil and keep it well from burning; and, being boiled as it should be, put it into fair and clean bowls. And let it be served with the bourbulleys of wild boar.
56. To give understanding to him who will make the mortoexes let him take the livers of kids and of veal and wash and clean them very well and put them to cook cleanly in fair water and, being sufficiently cooked, let him take them out onto fair and clean boards and drain them well and then chop them very small; and, being well chopped, put in herbs, that is sage and hyssop -- and these in measure -- and marjoram also and parsley also a great deal which should previously be picked over, cleaned, and washed, and chop them very well in with the liver, and also very good cheese and not too much, and also salt and spices: white ginger, grains of paradise, pepper and not too much, and saffron to give it color; and then take eggs and put them in. And mix all this together and then, when it boils, make the mortoexes : arrange that you have the cauls of kids and veal -- and if there are not enough take the cauls of sheep -- and be careful that they are fair and clean, then spread them on fair and clean boards and when they are spread take eggs and rub them on top; and, this being done, take the filling and put some on top and make your mortoeses just like raviolis; wrap them in the cauls and then put them to cook on the grill. And if he want to make them parti-colored, that is green and yellow, for the green according to the quantity which he wants to make let him take a great deal of parsley and take the leaves and clean and wash them very well, and then put them in a mortar and bray them very well and strongly, and then put in flour and eggs according to the quantity of it which he wants to make and then strain this very well and skillfully; and, this being done, take his mortoexes which he wants to make green and plunge them into the said green coloring and then return them to dry out on the grill; and, being sufficiently dried and made ready, let one serve the said mortoeses when it is time to serve them.
57. Again, a vinaigrette: and to give understanding to him who will make the vinaigrette let him take pork livers and wash them and then put them on the grill over fair coals until they are cooked enough; and when they are cooked let him put them on fair boards and then slice them into little dice; and then let him take a great deal of onions and peel them and wash them and slice them very small and sauté all of this together in good and fair lard. And for the potage of the said vinaigrette let him take very good claret wine of the best which he can get according to the quantity of the said potage and put in what is needed of beef or mutton broth; and then let him take fair white bread and slice it into fair slices and put it to roast on the grill until it is well browned, and then put it to soak in the said wine and broth; and when it is soaked take spices: white ginger, grains of paradise, pepper--and not too much, a great deal of cinnamon as is necessary, and also salt, then pass and strain all of this through a strainer cleanly and properly, and then put it to boil; and, being boiled, throw in the said sautéed meat. And then serve it when it should be served.
57a. And if it happens that it is not the season in which one can get pork livers, take fair numbles of beef and legs of mutton and wash them, and then spit them and have them roasted very well and properly; and, being well roasted, take them off onto fair and clean boards and then slice them into little dice as is said above of the pork livers; and onions also as is said above, and sauté all together and, being sautéed enough, put them in the potage devised above.
58. A jance: and to give understanding to him who will make the said jance let him take a great quantity of fair and good fine white bread according to what he wants to make and make it into crumbs well and properly on a fair cloth; then let him take a fair, clear, and clean pot and pour in fat broth of beef and mutton, and let him check that it is not too salty; and then let him take eggs and mix them with the said bread and then put this gently into the said broth while stirring constantly with a fair wooden spoon; and also let him put in his spices, that is white ginger, grains of paradise, and a little pepper, and saffron to give it color, and let him flavor it with verjuice; and let him put all this to boil together and then dress it for serving.
59. An oatmeal bruet of capons: and to give understanding to him who will make the oatmeal bruet of capons, let him take his fat first-year capons and pluck them cleanly and wash them well and properly, and then put them to cook and meat therewith, that which it needs, that is in the season of winter good fresh chines of pork and pigs' feet, and if it is summer good kid and veal and salt pork as is needed, which should be very well cleaned, washed, and parboiled a little beforehand. And those who are making it would be well advised, the day before he makes the said oatmeal bruet, to arrange that he has good whole oats and pick over and clean them very well and grain by grain so that there remains nothing but the pure grain, and then wash it very well in three or four changes of lukewarm water and then put it to boil in fair water in a fair and clear and clean pot; and let him do this according to the quantity which he is ordered to make. And when it is half cooked draw it out and remove it and take it out of the pot and the water in which it has boiled, and put it back to boil in fair, clear, and clean water and put it back to cook for an hour or so. And when it is boiled enough let him put it to rest until the next day. And according to the quantity of the bruet which he has been ordered to make let him arrange that he has almonds and blanch, clean, and wash them very well, then bray them in a mortar and moisten them with the capon broth and draw them up with it, and according to the quantity of the said potage which he wants to make let him put in some of the said broth, and let him flavor it with verjuice and white wine; and according to the quantity of the said bruet which he is making let him put in spices, that is white ginger and grains of paradise, and strain all this with the almonds; and, all this being strained together, let him arrange that he has according to the quantity of the broth a clear, fair, and very clean pot and put them in, and then put them to boil over a fair and clear fire, and put in a great deal of sugar according to the quantity of the said broth, and salt in measure and a little beaten saffron to give it a little color. And then take the said oatmeal which he has resting, and separate the water from it with a good strainer, and check and see that there is nothing in it that should not be there; and, this being done, put it into the said broth above made and devised. And, this being done, take out onto fair and clean boards the said capons and meat, and then arrange the said capons and meat on fair serving dishes and then put the said oatmeal bruet on top.
60. Endored heads of kids put next to chopped liver: and to give understanding to him who will prepare the said kids heads, let him take the said heads and clean the eyes and ears well and properly, and slice under the skin of the neck a little and not too much so that they do not open, and clean and wash them well and properly; and then put in each head a skewer going through so that they do not open and so that the brains do not come out, and then put them to cook well and properly in a pot or cauldron in which they have room to cook, and put in salt. And when they are cooked take them out onto fair and clean boards to drain and, being well dried, remove the skewers which had been put in them and then cut each head in half. And then let him arrange that he has the cauls of the said kids--and if there are not enough of those of kids let him arrange that he has cauls of veal, and in default of those of veal those of mutton--and check that they are good and well cleaned; and then spread them on fair and clean boards and, being spread, let him arrange that he has fresh eggs and some of the said fresh eggs on top of each caul; and, this being done, take each half head and wrap it in the said caul of kid or veal or mutton, and then put it on the grill.
61. For the chopped liver: he who has the charge of the chopped liver should take kids' livers--and if there are not enough of those of kids use those of veal--and clean and wash them very well, then put them to cook well and properly; and, being cooked, let him take them out onto fair and clean boards and, being drained, chop them very fine and, being well chopped, let him arrange that he has fair lard well and properly melted in fair and clean frying pans, then put the said chopped liver in to fry and sauté it well and properly. And then arrange that he has a great deal of eggs and break them into fair dishes and beat them all together; and put in spices, that is white ginger, grains of paradise, saffron, and salt in good proportion, then put all of this gently into the said frying pans with the said liver which is being fried while continually stirring and mixing with a good spoon in the pans until it is well cooked and dried out and beginning to brown. And then when this comes to the sideboard arrange the aforesaid heads on fair serving dishes, and on each dish next to the heads put and arrange the aforesaid chopped liver.
62. A gratunée: and to give understanding to him who will make it, if it happens that one is in the season in which one finds new peas, let him take green new peas according to the quantity whic he is ordered to make, and let them be very well shelled, cleaned, and picked over so that nothing remains but the peas themselves; and then let them be very well washed and put to cook in fair water in fair and clean pots, and with the said peas a piece of salt pork which has previously been very well drained, washed, and parboiled a little. And when the said peas are well and properly cooked without breaking and let them be whole, draw them out onto fair and clean boards to drain; and then take the said piece of salt pork which was cooked with the said peas and slice it and cut it into little dice. And then arrange that he has his chickens which should be very well plucked, cleaned, and washed and then cut in half; and according to the quantity of chickens arrange that he has the meat of kids which should be cut into little pieces in proportion or close to the halves of the said chickens, and all this, that is the chickens and the kids, should be put to cook together in a fair and clean pot or cauldron in which there is room for it to cook, and with this a piece of salt pork which should be well cleaned, washed, and parboiled a little just as was said of the other piece of pork; and also put in salt in measure, and have it cooked well and properly. And according to the quantity which he ought to make of the said gratunée he should arrange that he has milk and should strain it into a clear, fair and clean pot and put it to boil; and then take a great deal of egg yolks and pass them through a good strainer, and of white ginger and grains of paradise what is necessary, and a little saffron only to keep the color of the egg yolks; and this should be put into the said milk as soon as it boils while mixing and stirring continually with a good and clean spoon, and put it in continually until the said milk is well thickened. And then draw out the said chickens and meat onto fair and clean boards to drain, and then take a great deal of good lard and put it to melt in fair pans and, being melted and purified, put the chicken and meat to fry very well and properly and, being well fried, take them out onto fair and clean boards or cornues, that is the chickens in one place and the meat in another; and then strain and purify the said lard very well, then put it back in the pans. And then take good fresh eggs and put them to cook all whole in fair water until they are hard and they can be peeled whole; and when they are peeled cut each egg in half and, being all cut thus, put them in the said lard to sauté until they are browned and then remove them. And then afterward take the green peas and the piece of salt pork cut into little dice as is said above, and sauté them all together in the aforesaid lard; and, being well and properly fried, throw them into the said thickened milk, and check that the salt and everything else it has is in proper proportion. And, this being done, put the said half chickens on fair serving dishes and also the meat, and the said sauce on top, and also the half eggs as is said above of fried fish, and arrange on top of each dish, one here and the other there, and one can serve it.
63. Again, a gratunée of Spain: and to give understanding to him who will have the charge of making it, because it is made in the season when new peas, fish, and kid cannot be found, let him arrange to have young capons and have them plucked, eviscerated, and cleaned well and properly; and let him have good chines of fresh pork, the ears and feet also which should be very well skinned, cleaned, and washed; and then all of this should be put to cook in a fair, clear, and clean pot or cauldron, and salt and a piece of salt pork taken from a good place which should be well cleaned, washed, and parboiled a little. And then arrange that he has a great deal of almonds which he should blanch, clean, and wash very well and properly and bray in a mortar well and strongly and moisten them with the broth from the said young capons and the other meat that is with them, and then let him pass and strain them into a fair and clean cornue, and the spices therewith, that is good white ginger, grains of paradise, and a little cloves, and saffron to give it color, and then let him put in the said broth according to the quantity of it which he wants to make, and give it flavor with good wine and white verjuice; and put to boil. And check that the aforesaid meat does not overcook and, being cooked well and properly, draw it out onto fair and clean boards on which it can drain and dry out well; and, being well drained, let him take his young capons and cut them in quarters and the other aforesaid meats in small pieces in proportion to the said quarters; and then arrange that he has very good lard well made and prepared and let him fry all of the aforesaid meat well and properly and, being sufficiently fried, put the quarters of the young capons in one place and the other meat in another on fair and clean boards or in cornues. And then take the aforesaid piece of salt pork and slice it into pretty slices and then put them to fry in the lard in which the aforesaid meat was fried--which lard should be first very well purified from the black bits left from the aforesaid meat; and, being well fried, remove it onto fair dishes. And then check the broth well so that there is neither too much nor too little of anything and put in a great deal of sugar according to the quantity of broth which there is; and then arrange and put the young capon quarters on fair serving dishes and the aforesaid meat therewith, and throw the broth on top; and also arrange on top the slices of fried salt pork, two or three on each dish. And then when it is time to serve it, serve it quickly.
64. Again, shoulders of mutton stuffed and endored: and to give understanding to him who has the charge of making the said shoulders let him arrange that he has shoulders of good mutton in the number which he ought to make and arrange that he has also as many legs of the said mutton; and when he has his shoulders and legs let him refresh and wash them well and properly and put to cook in fair and clear and clean large pans or cauldrons, and put in a great deal of salt--always in proper proportion; and, being sufficiently cooked, take them out onto fair and clean boards and remove all the meat and leave the bones of the said shoulders so that the bones of each shoulder hold together; and be careful not to dismember them and cut them apart. And take the said meat from the shoulders and legs and chop it very fine and, being well chopped, put it in a fair and clean cornue or bowl; and then arrange that he has Brie or Crampone cheese or the best which can be made and let him chop it very small and mix it with the aforesaid meat. Then arrange that he has a great deal of good parsley and some marjoram and a little hyssop and sage, and let them be very well picked over, cleaned and washed and drained, and very well chopped small and mixed with the said stuffing, and also the spices which are necessary, that is good white ginger, grains of paradise, and whole cloves to be put on top; and let him arrange that he has good fresh eggs and put in a great quantity of them until the stuffing is well bound together, and put in saffron to give it color. And then let him go to the butchers and arrange that he has as many cauls of sheep as he has shoulders to make, then let him put them to refresh a little in fair fresh water and refresh them very well; and being well washed, let him draw them out and spread each caul on fair and clean boards and, being well dried, let him rub on each caul two fresh eggs to endore it. And, this being done, take the stuffing devised above and put a layer and then lay and extend the bones of each shoulder which are holding together, and do not remove the ligament(?) but let them be completely whole and let the three bones of each shoulder hold without being severed one from the other; then put some more of the said stuffing on top and then wrap this with the said caul in a form and fashion made thus and put properly; and let nothing else be put there except for the shoulders of mutton themselves; and let the said caul be held thus by using and putting in small wooden skewers. And, this being so done, let him take his grills which are fair and clean and put gently onto them the said shoulders and then place them over a pretty little fire until they are partly cooked, and turn them gently on the grill. And if it happens that he is ordered to make them colored green arrange that he has a great deal of parsley and greens which should be cleaned and washed and brayed well and strongly in a mortar, then take them out and pass them through a good strainer well and properly; and flour and eggs so that he can make as much of the said coloring as he needs and let it be put in a container which is so large and long that the said shoulders can be easily moved and turned over in the middle of the said green coloring; and, being done thus, let the said shoulders be returned to the grill to dry out; and let him be careful that they are not overdone so that the coloring is not lost but so that it is always somewhat green. And, this being done, when the said shoulders come to the sideboard to be dressed, put two or three or more of them in each serving dish and then go serve them.
And because at such a noble, large and notable feast as is described above, at which would be such great companies of great, noble and valiant lords as are named above, it would be a miracle if there were no ailing or sick people, nor afflicted with any infirmities or maladies. Therefore I, Chyquart--first deferring to the orders and sayings of the noble, good and valiant lords the doctors--would like to teach and devise according to my slight understanding how to make and prepare some foods sufficiently good and strengthening for the sick.
[Latin] Note: for the sick.
And first a restorative, a recise, an almond butter, stuffed crayfish, a green purée of spinach prepared in two manners, quinces in pastry also in two manners, a couleys, pears cooked without touching coals or water, a plumeus of apples, a blancmange from capons, another blancmange from partridge, oatmeal, chickpeas, semolina, barley.
65. And to give understanding to him who will make the restorative let him arrange that he has a fair and large double flask of glass, as strong as can be found, and then let him wash and rinse it very well and carefully; and, being well washed, let him set it on a wooden trencher or little board and have it held on this strongly by cords and ties. And then let him arrange that he has a large well-fattened capon or two according to the quantity which he wants to make of the restorative and let him pluck, clean, and wash it very well and then drain the water off it very well; and, being well drained, chop it very fine, the meat and the bones also all together, then put it into the said flask, and three ounces or so of good rosewater and also as much of fair fresh water and a little bit of salt, and an ounce or more of fine pearls which should be put in a very little bag made of fair and clean cloth of strong silk or linen, and also very good, virtuous, valiant and worthy precious stones, that is diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires, turquoises, emeralds, coral, amber, jasper, jacinth, chalcedonies(?), onyx, crystal, chalcedonies, smaragdus [emerald? malachite?], sardonyx, sard, chrysolites [peridot?], beryls, topazes, chrysoprase, and amethysts, and all other good and virtuous precious stones--of all these only those ordered by the doctor; and let them be put together in another little bag made of white and clean linen cloth, and strong enough that it will never break so that the stones cannot mix with the said capon meat; and also with sixty or eighty or more pieces of fine gold, ducats and jewels and other pieces which should first be very well washed in three or four changes of lukewarm water, and very well dried off with the corner of a very fair, white, and clean linen cloth, and then each of the gold coins should be folded into a cylinder(?) so that they can fit through the neck of the aforesaid flask; and put them in carefully and gently and so that they fall into the capon meat so that they do not break the said flask, and then stop it very well so that no steam comes out. And, this being done, arrange that there is a clear, fair, and clean pot large enough that the said flask can easily be put into it, and let the neck of the said flask be tied to two sticks, and let the said sticks be tied to the said pot so that when the water in the said pot boils the waves and boiling of the said water cannot make the said flask move, shake, or be thrown out of the pot; and then fill the said pot with fair fresh water and then put it on a fair fire of coals and let it cook continually; and also arrange that next to it there is another pot full of fair water and let it be boiling constantly so that as the pot in which is the said flask boils it can always be refilled with the said boiling water, because one who put fresh water in would break the flask, and all the work of what is being made would be lost. And when the said restorative is well cooked let him arrange that he has a small piece of good board and let him heat it very well close to the fire, and when it is sufficiently dried and heated he should also have a little cloth and heat it well also, and then put it folded several times on the said hot board; and then gently take the flask out of the pot in which it is and set it onto the said hot cloth and board and let it cool there until he can hold it comfortably without burning himself. And when it is thus sufficiently cooled let him arrange that he has a good, new, fair, and clean strainer which has never been used before and let him put it over a fair gold dish and empty onto it his restorative which is in the said flask; and if one does not want to empty it quickly let him arrange that he has a fair and clean little wooden hook and stick it into the said flask and draw out what is inside; and when everything is out let him take his little bags of pearls and precious stones and the aforesaid gold pieces, and then squeeze and twist what is left strongly and properly in the said strainer; and, being very well strained and caught in the said gold dish, let him empty it again into a gold pan and then carry it to the sick person who should receive it and use it according to the doctor's orders.
66. Again, a ressise which is worth much for making the sick person rest and for strengthening the veins and making him better: and to give understanding to him who should make this ressisse, how it is made and of what it is made, let him have a quart of the best wheat from the best territory which can be gotten which should be so picked over and cleaned that nothing remains except for the grain of the wheat itself as it should be for making communion wafers, and have it milled and ground by a well prepared mill; and, being well and properly ground, let him take it back with him in a good small leather sack. And when he wants to make the said ressisse he should arrange that he has a good sifter or sieve and should put the said flour in and sift it, and he should leave the good and fat bran; and this said bran which remains in the sifter he should put in a fair and clean basin and fair fresh water therein and let him stir it strongly with his hand in the basin; and then let him arrange that he has another fair and clean basin next to the other and then let him take some of the said bran and take and squeeze the handful between his hands over the said other basin and, the said bran being thus squeezed, he should throw it out, and when the said bran has all been thus squeezed and pressed between his hands over the said basin leave what is in the said basin to settle, sit, and rest for a little while; and being well rested and settled, drain off the water which is on top very gently and, this done, there remains the fine flour on the bottom of the said basin; and, this being done, put back in more fair fresh water and stir it with the hand a little or with a spoon until the said flour is mixed with the water, and then cover the said basin with a corner of a fair and clean cloth and put the said flour back to sit and settle again, which will settle to the bottom of the said basin. And while it is settling to the bottom of the said basin take a great quantity of good almonds according to the quantity of the said rescisse which should be made, and blanch, clean and wash them very well and bray them very well in a mortar--and be well advised in this, and in all potages which are for the sick, that the mortar should never smell or taste of garlic--and moisten the said almonds with fair fresh water, and make milk from them and strain it through a good and clean strainer; then put the said milk into a fair and clean pot and put it on the fire to boil, and put in a very little salt. Then gently take the basin in which is the ressisse and pour off the water from the said ressise, and then take this ressise and pass it through a strainer with the said almond milk into a fair silver dish; and, having strained that which it seems that he needs, put it with the said almond milk to boil until the said milk is well thickened, and sugar as is necessary to it. And, when it is sufficiently boiled, he should let the doctor know that the ressisse is prepared so that when it pleases him, it may be brought to the sick person in a fair gold bowl or cup.
67. Again, an almond butter: and to give understanding to him who should make it let him arrange to have a great quantity of very good sweet almonds and blanch, clean, and wash them very well and put them to be brayed in a mortar which should not smell at all of the scent of garlic, and let them be brayed very firmly and moistened with fair fresh or lukewarm water; and when they are well brayed take them out and strain them very hard through a good and very clean strainer onto a large fair silver dish. And then arrange that he has a fair, clear and clean frying pan and empty it in, then put it on a pretty and fair fire and stir constantly with a fair spoon until it is cooked enough, and put in a little salt; and when it is cooked arrange that he has a good, clean and strong strainer and stretch it over a fair silver dish and let him empty his butter on top and wrap it in the said strainer and then twist it well and strongly until the water in it comes out; and, this being done, let him empty it onto a fair and clean silver dish; and then let him arrange that he has a great deal of very good beaten sugar--but only what is necessary--and mix it in with the said almond butter. And, if it happens that he wants to make it parti-colored, let him put half of the said butter in another silver dish and put and mix in as much beaten saffron as is necessary to make it yellow; and when this comes to the sideboard, let him take his gold or silver dishes and put on each dish white butter on one side and next to it on the same dish colored butter, and then let it be served.
68. Again, stuffed crayfish: and to give understanding to him who should make these stuffed crayfish arrange that he has a great quantity of crayfish and let him wash them very well and put them to cook in fair water and put in salt; and when they are cooked take them out onto fair and clean boards and take the largest for stuffing and remove the large shells and clean them and put them by themselves on fair dishes; and then take the tails and the legs of the said large crayfish and also the other crayfish so that there is enough to stuff the quantity of crayfish which he intends to stuff and take out the meat from them,and take the insides out of the said tails, and then put on a fair board and chop them very fine and then put them in a fair dish. And then let him arrange that he has very good parsley which has been well cleaned and washed and drained, and let him chop it very fine, then put it in with the aforesaid crayfish meat and a little good white ginger, and saffron to give it color. Then take the shells of the crayfish reserved above and put the said stuffing in one shell and put another on it reversed, and put the one opposite the other. Then arrange that he has good oil well purified and put them to fry in fair and clean pans and, being well fried, take them out onto fair dishes and put sugar on top. Then let them be served when it is proper to serve them.
69. Again, a green purée for the sick made of spinach and parsley: and to give understanding to him who will make it let him arrange that he has good and fair spinach and parsley according to the quantity which he ought to make of the said purée and let him clean and wash them very well, then put them to boil; and, being boiled enough, let him draw them out onto fair and clean boards and chop them very small and drain them well; and then he should have a fair, clear, and clean pot and put them in to sauté in a little salt and as much good almond oil as is needed. And, if he has none of the said almond oil made, take a great quantity of good and sweet almonds and clean them very well and wash them in three or four changes of lukewarm water and then put them to drain and dry out on a fair and clean table; and when they are well dried, take them to be ground on the fair stones on which one makes nut oils and have oil made from the said almonds; and, being done, put it in a very fair and good flask in which he keeps it, and then have the said spinach sautéed well and gently. And when it is ready let the doctor know, then let it be served to the lord.
69a. And if it happens that the doctor does not want to give the said green purée to the sick person, let the said spinach and parsley be prepared well and properly as is said above up to when he puts them in the pot, then take very good almonds as are necessary to him and let him clean, blanch, and wash them very well and put them to be brayed in a mortar--and that should neither smell nor taste of garlic: [Latin phrase having to do with the medical qualities of garlic and other things]--and let him bray them very well and moisten them with fair fresh water and pass them through a good and clean strainer; and make milk of them and put it in a fair pot. Then let him put it to boil very gently on a fair clear fire or good coals and put in a little bit of salt, and when the said milk boils put in the said spinach and a little almond oil and cook it well and properly. And when they are well cooked do as was said above to let the doctor know.
70. Again, quinces in pastry: and to give understanding to him who should prepare them let him arrange that he has his fair and good quinces and then let him clean them well and properly and then make a narrow hole on top and remove the seeds and what they are wrapped in, and let him take care that he does not break through on the bottom or anywhere else; and, this being done, put them to boil in a fair and clean cauldron or pot in fair water and, being thus cooked, take them out onto fair and clean boards to drain and put them upside down without cutting them up. And then let him go to the pastry-cooks and order from them the little crusts of the said pastries to put into each of the said little crusts three quinces or four or more. And when the said little crusts are made fill the holes in the said quinces with very good sugar, then arrange them in the said little crusts and cover and put to cook in the oven; and, being cooked enough, let them be served.
70a. And if it happens that no lords want to eat quinces in pastry as is devised above let him who should make them arrange that he goes to the butchers and that they give him beef marrow according to how much he should make of the said pastries, and let him put it in a fair dish and put in lean broth of beef which is close to lukewarm to purify it of bits of bone and blood and anything else which could be there; and then let it be put again in another dish, and again more of the same broth to purify it again even more of bits of bone, and let him put it on fair boards to drain, then put it back in a fair dish; and, this being so done, sprinkle on top good white ginger and cinnamon so that there is enough. Then let him arrange that he has his quinces all prepared as is said above and filled with sugar and so put and arranged in the little crusts, and put all around each quince in the said little crusts some of the aforesaid beef marrow prepared as is devised above; then cover them well and properly and put in the hot oven to cook; and, being cooked enough, let them be served to those to whom they should be served.
71. Again, a coulleys: to give understanding to him who will make it let him arrange that he has capons or chickens or partridges, whichever is ordered from him by the doctors, and let him take the said poultry and pluck, clean, and wash it very well and cleanly and put to cook in a clear and very clean pot and a little mutton and a very little salt; and cook it well and properly on a clear fire. And while it is cooking let him arrange that he has a great quantity of very good almonds as are needed, and let him clean, blanch, and wash them very well and put them to be brayed in a mortar which does not smell at all of garlic, and bray them well and strongly and moisten them with the said broth of the aforesaid poultry or partridge; and, being sufficiently brayed, draw out the said poultry onto fair dishes and from the said poultry take all of the white meat and chop it very fine and then put it in the mortar with these said almonds and bray it all together very well and strongly, and in braying moisten it with the aforesaid broth; and, being brayed enough, take it from the said broth and strain through a fair and clean strainer and make milk of it -- and put in no spices except by the command of the doctor. And then put it to boil and, this being boiled, put it in fair silver or gold bowls and let it be carried to the sick person.
72. Again, pears cooked without coals or water: and to give understanding to him who will cook them let him arrange that he has a fair new earthen pot and then take the pears which he wants to cook and put them into the said pot and, being put in, stop them with clean wooden sticks in such manner that when the pot is turned upside down on the hot hearth they do not touch it at all; then turn the said pot upside down on the hot cinders and keep it covered with fair coals and leave to cook for an hour or more; then uncover them and look at them and check if they are cooked enough, and leave them until they are cooked enough; and when they are cooked draw them out onto fair silver dishes and then let them be carried to the sick person.
73. Again, emplumeus of apples: to give understanding to him who will make it, take good barberine apples according to the quantity of it which one wants to make and then pare them well and properly and cut them into fair gold or silver dishes; and let him have a fair, good, and clean earthen pot, and let him put in fair clean water and put to boil over fair and clear coals and put his apples to boil therein. And let him arrange that he has a great quantity of good sweet almonds according to the quantity of apples which he has put to cook, and let him blanch, clean, and wash them very well and put them to be brayed in a mortar which does not smell at all of garlic, and let him bray them very well and moisten them with the broth in which the said apples are cooking; and when the said apples are cooked enough draw them out onto fair and clean boards, and let him strain the almonds with this water and make milk which is good and thick, and put it back to boil on clear and clean coals without smoke, and a very little salt. And while it boils let him chop his said apples very small with a little clean knife and then, being chopped, let him put them into his milk, and put in a great deal of sugar according to the amount that there is of the said emplumeus of apples; and then, when the doctor asks for it, put it in fair bowls or pans of gold or silver.
74. Again, a blancmange of capons: and to give understanding to him who will make it take two young well-fattened capons and pluck them very well and clean them well and cleanly and put them to boil in a fair pot; and take a little lard in a good place and clean and wash it well and properly and have it parboiled a little and then put it therewith. And while his capons are boiling take a great quantity of good almonds according to the quantity which he should make of the said blancmange, and blanch, clean, and wash them and put them in a mortar and bray them well and strongly and moisten them with the broth of the said capons. And when the capons are cooked draw them out onto fair dishes, and then take the tougher of the capons and keep back the more tender; and put this tougher capon on a fair board and remove the bones from it and chop the meat very small and then bray it very well in a mortar, and when it is well brayed moisten it with the broth of the capons; and draw them up, and the almonds also, and pass all of this through a good and clean strainer and put it to boil in a clear, fair, and clean pot, and make it somewhat thick; and put in a very little salt, and put in a great deal of sugar according to the quantity of the said blancmage, and ask the doctor if there should be put in any white ginger. And when it is boiled put it on the capon reserved above and then let it be carried to the sick person.
74a. Again a blancmange of partridges, which blancmange of partridges is made similarly as is said above of the blancmange of capons; and make sure to make it from the tougher partridge and reserve the more tender, and let him check the salt and not put in any spices without the command of the doctor.
75. Again, oatmeal: and to give understanding to him who will make it let him take his oatmeal and pick over it grain by grain such that nothing remains except for the grain of the oatmeal itself, and, being thus cleaned and picked over, wash it in three or four changes of lukewarm water and put it to boil in a clear, fair, and clean pot; and when it is well boiled, drain off the water and, being well drained and the pot freshly rinsed, put it back in the said pot in fair water and set it to boil again; and, being boiled enough, put it aside to rest in the said same pot for four or five hours or more or until the following day. And then let him arrange that he has good almonds as he needs and let him blanch, clean, and wash them and bray them in a mortar very well and properly -- and let it not smell of garlic; and then let him take the said set-aside oatmeal and drain off the water very well and put it back to boil in another fair water in the said pot which should be freshened and rinsed or in another fair and clean pot; and with the broth from the said oatmeal moisten the said almonds and also draw them up with it and strain them through a good strainer; and put the said [almond] milk in with the said oatmeal and make it boil, and a very little salt, and sugar as much as is necessary. And, being boiled enough, let it be served to the sick person when he asks for it.
76. Again syseros: and to give understanding to him who will prepare the syseros let him take his chick-peas and pick them over grain by grain such that there remains nothing but the chick-peas themselves, and then wash them in three or four changes of lukewarm water and put them to boil; and, being boiled, let him remove them from this water and put in other fresh water and put back to boil and, being boiled put them to rest in the said pot until the next day; and when the next day comes drain the water off them and put in again other fresh water and put to boil with a very little salt, almond oil, and parsley together with its roots well picked over and cleaned -- and these roots should be scraped and very well washed -- and a little sage. And do not put in anything else without the doctor's order, and if he tells you to put in a little cinnamon and a little verjuice to give it a little flavor, put them in; otherwise not.
77. Again, semolina: to give understanding to him who will prepare the semolina let him arrange that he has very good almonds and let him blanch, clean, and wash them very well and properly and bray them in a mortar, and let him moisten them with fair fresh water, and also draw them up and make milk well and properly and put to boil; and let him take his semolina and wash it very well in three or four changes of fresh water and drain the water off it very well and put what of it is necessary with the said milk of almonds, and a very little salt; and let him be very careful that it does not catch fire; and let him put in sugar according to the quantity of the said semolina. And when it is prepared let it be served to the sick person.
78. Again, barley: and to give to know to him who will prepare it let him arrange that he has his barley pure and let him have it hulled in such fashion that the grains remain whole; and, when it is well hulled, put it back into the winnowing-basket and winnow it and separate very well from the chaff, then pick it over and clean it such that there remains nothing but the grain itself, then wash it in three or four changes of lukewarm water or more until it is well cleaned, and then put it to boil in fair water in a clear, fair, and clean pot, and skim it very well; and being boiled for the first time, drain off the water, and then, being well drained, put fair fresh water back in and have it boiled again until it is boiled enough, draw it back over fair coals and there let it rest until the next day, and let it be covered well and cleanly. And when the next day comes let him who is preparing it arrange that he has as many very good almonds as are necessary to prepare the said barley and blanch, clean, and wash them very well and properly and put them to be brayed in a mortar which does not smell of garlic, and moisten them with fair fresh water; and draw them up with it also and pass them through a strainer and make good and thick milk and put it to boil in a clear, fair, and clean pot, and a very little salt. And let him draw out his barley onto fair plates and let it be well separated from the water in which it was; and let him check well that there is nothing which should not be there; and then put it into the said almond milk and have it boil until it is cooked enough, and put in sugar as is necessary. And when it is ready he should let him [the doctor?] know so that when the sick person wants it he will have it quickly.
[Poem, verses numbered]
1. It is fitting for all good men of great sense to render great thanks to those from whom they receive good, otherwise they are ingrates.
2. Therefore to the High Trinity full of all great goodness -- that is God the Father and the Son and the blessed Holy Spirit --
3. I, Chiquart, give praise and thanks for the good I receive from Him and for the uncommon grace which He has given me to accomplish this.
4. It remains to give praise and honor to the very high and puissant lord at whose urging and command I have most humbly done this.
5. And to my most respected lady and to their children, our lords, and to all their predecessors whom God makes to live without end.
6. May the Paraclete have in his love all their noble counselors and may their counsel be profitable to all people.
7. The Master is above all masters and is over all their servants who serve so that it may be that each of them has honor from it.
8. By the grace of the Creator may they have the love of their country, and may the good people of the country have love without hate.
9. So that I may not be caught again in ingratitude towards my clerk I would like to give him praise for the work he has done with me,
10. and may God and our most dread and valiant lord because of his goodness and great worth reward him for his labor.
11. And if there should be any matter in which what I say is at fault, may they pardon and excuse me since I have neither great knowledge nor understanding.
12. To us be Paradise given and by the Virgin obtained: "Amen," I pray you all say with raised voices.
Amen
[This is evidently the end of the original version of this book (see the table at the beginning). At some point there was added the following menu, a verse on what to do against the plague, and a few more recipes.]
[I omit here a menu almost identical to the one which follows; it was evidently working notes for the dinner described below, since Chiquart occasionally comments on possible alternatives. I have included these comments at the appropriate place in italics.]
In the year of grace 1400 Aymé, first duke of Savoy, my most dread lord, received as a guest my lord of Burgundy and for this I, Chyquart, who was his cook in those times, in the course of my duty made, prepared, and ordered to be prepared many notable dishes for the dinners and suppers of this feast; and so ordered, made, or had made by the command of my said and most dread lord at the first course of the dinner of the first day, while ordering to be written down the things which follow: that is, take large salt fish such as salted grey mullet with large pieces of filleted salt pike with many other salt fish andput this on fair dishes; and with this take herring put on another fair and clean dish entirely by themselves, and all of this which is said above needs no other sauce but mustard, and peas and the puree and a green puree are the potages for the said course with a white bruet of almonds, a brown sorengue of eels, and pasties and fish tripes well cleaned and properly prepared to make an arbaleste. And for an entremet for the first course pikes cooked in three manners, that is fried in the middle, the third toward the head boiled, and toward the tail roasted, others boiled in the middle, roasted toward the head, fried toward the tail; and so that the said fish are called endored pilgrim pike they should have a good lamprey roasted on top which will be the staff of the aforesaid pilgrims -- and he who does not have a lamprey should take an eel -- and the said staff, that is the aforesaid lamprey, should be eaten with lamprey sauce, and the eel with green garlic verjuice, and the pikes should be eaten with the boiled with green sauce, the fried and the roasted with green verjuice or with oranges.
At the second course first take sea fish of all manner put separately on great gold dishes, fresh-water fish -- big filleted pike, big filleted carp, big trout, pallees, ferrees, big filleted char, big perch and other fish -- lampreys with lamprey sauce, a salamine, a yellow boiled-larded of tenches with sops, rice with venison of sea-bream and crayfish with vinegar; and the sauces which are appropriate to the aforesaid fish of which no mention is made. And for an entremet endored parma tarts with banners, each with the arms of the lord before whom they should be put. And if you want to serve a third course I will find enough from which to make it, however I advise that that would be extremely long.
For the supper.
First roasts of young pike and palés and all manner of fish suitable for roasting, given with green sorrel verjuice, and white soup of almonds with fish jelly, white marine and fresh-water fish, and nurriz pasties, and fried squid, and fried fish with sauce piquant.
For the next day.
For the dinner at the first course, strained peas and turnips, a georgé bruet, the salt meats consisting of herrings on fair dishes by themselves, salt eels, salt trouts and salt palés; a violet bruet with fried fish, a broom flower over fried fish.
The second course.
All manner of white fish, either from the sea or from fresh water, a blancmange divided into four colors, or, azure, argent, and gules, with this a yellow verjuice over fish, rice, little almond flans, lamprey galentine, crayfish, and a bruet of Savoy. And if jousts, tournaments, or other entertainment is held in this day, the cooks are advised to prepare a much lighter dinner, and supper should be much more honorable and abundant.
For the supper.
First white fish, pasties, green soup, and a king's bruet, and sausages(?) of fish tripes, endored rissoles, a chaut de mes, and a cameline bruet.
Against the epidemic. [Poem; verses numbered]
1. Who wishes to maintain his body in health and resist the epidemic should have joy, flee sadness, leave the place where the sickness is, and frequent joyous company, drink good wine, use clean food, make good odors to oppose the foul smell, and not go out if it is not fair and clear.
2. He should never go out on an empty stomach; drink in the morning and lead a gentle life; have a clear fire kept in his chamber, not have a woman often, refuse baths and soaking if he can because they move the humors and make them overflow, be well dressed, have always a cheerful look, and not go out if it is not fair and clear.
3. One should abstain from large meats and, for the most part, from all fruits; eat rabbit, roast poultry, and venison; use temperately all spices -- cinnamon, cloves, ginger, peppers -- all vinegar and verjuice; sleep in the morning: do not forget all this, and do not go out if it is not fair and clear.
[There follows a short and, I think, rather miscellaneous section in Latin, which I have not translated; it includes one recipe, which I believe is for fish or meat jelly, as are the recipes in French that follow it.]
80. To make jelly of meat, take sheep's feet and clean them well and properly and put them to cook in fair clean water; then when they are half cooked take pork or piglet as you wish and according to the quantity of it which you want to make, and put to cook with your sheep's feet, and chicken also; then take white wine and vinegar and put in and salt in reason and make it cook well and strongly. Then when it is well cooked taste to see if it has a good taste of vinegar and of salt, take saffron and soak it therein to give it color, then draw out your meat onto a fair and clean board; then take white ginger, pepper, and soak in your broth and make it boil a wave, then arrange that you have a cloth strainer and put your broth into it and pass it through again two or three times so that it is fair and clear. Then take your meat, pork and chicken, and arrange your dish, and the jelly on top.
81. To make jelly of fish, take your fish -- young pike or perch or carp -- as you wish, and chop into fair pieces according as you wish, then wash them well and properly and put in a fair and clean frying pan; then take white wine and water, as much of one as of the other, and put them in your frying pan in which is your fish and according to the quantity of fish, and vinegar also in reason, and salt; then put to boil and skim it well and strongly. Then when it is cooked enough take saffron and soak it therein, then draw out your fish onto a fair and clean board and skin it well and properly, then take white ginger, pepper, and a little nutmeg and soak it in your broth, and taste it to see if it has a good taste of vinegar and salt and spices; then take your strainer and make it pass through until it is clear. Then take your fish and arrange a serving dish well and properly and the broth on top.
In the name of God. [Latin]
(c) Elizabeth G. Cook
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