A Temperance of Cooks

Changes last made on: July 8, 2010

Dry the asparagus, put it upright in hot water.

Mak god milke of alemaundes, & make oyle of alemauns, & soşşen corf oygnouns & frie heom in oyle of alemauns & soşşen do şe roundels of şe oignons abouen; & quen You hast addressed, streie şeron sucre.

Make good milk of almonds, & make oil of almonds, & so carve onions & fry them in oil of almonds & so do the circles of the onions above; & when you have arranged it for serving, strew thereon sugar.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pot over medium heat and saute sliced onions until clear, about 5 minutes; drain and set aside. Add 2 teaspoons more oil and saute the chopped onions until clear (about 7 to 10 minutes). Add almond milk and bring to a low boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place in a serving dish and arrange the onion circles on top. Sprinkle the sugar over and serve.

I used turbinado sugar as it is not as fully refined as modern sugar, and is closer to most period sugars. There is no particular taste difference but a bit more crunch.

For to make pise of Almayne. Nym wyte pisyn & wasch hem & seş hem a god wyle; sişşyn wasch hem in cold watyr vnto şe holys gon of alle, and do hem alle in a pot, & keuer yt wel şat no breş pass‚ owt, & boyle hem ry₃t wel. & do şereto god mylk of almandys & a party of flowr of rys, & salt & safroun, & messe yt forşe.

For to make peas of Almayne. Take white peas and wash them & boil them a good while; then wash them in cold water until the hulls gone of all, and do them all in a pot, & cover it well so that no steam passes out, & boil them right well. & do thereto good milk of almonds & a part of flour of rice, & salt & saffron, & serve it forth.

Soak peas overnight or all day. Bring water to a boil and add peas. Simmer covered for 20 minutes more over low heat. Stir in the rest; continue to cook uncovered, stirring, for 10 minutes longer.

If dried white peas are unavailable, I use yellow peas as the saffron will turn them yellow anyway.

Pill garlic and cast it in a pot with water and oile and seeş it. Do şerto safroun, salt, and powdour fort and dresse it forth hoot.

Peel garlic and cast it in a pot with water and oil and boil it. Do thereto saffron, salt, and powder fort and serve it forth hot.

Bring water to a boil. Add the garlic, oil, and spices. Cover and cook over medium heat for seven minutes, or until the garlic is easily pierced with a fork. Drain and serve hot.

Take pesoun and seeş hem fast, and couere hem, til şei berst; şenne take hem vp and cole hem thurgh a cloth. Take oynouns and mynce hem, and seeş hem in the same sewe, and oile şerwith; cast şerto sugur, salt and safroun, and seeş hem wel şerafter, and serue hem forth.

Take peas and boil them fast, and cover them, until they burst; then take them up and strain them through a cloth. Take onions and mince them, and boil them in the same broth, and oil therewith; cast thereto sugar, salt and saffron, and boil them well thereafter, and serve it forth.

Simmer the peas in water for 40 minutes; mash through a cloth or strainer. Add the onion and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in the rest and simmer for 5 minutes more.

I used turbinado sugar as it is not as fully refined as modern sugar, and is closer to most period sugars. There is no particular taste difference but a bit more crunch.

Take chiches and wrye hem in askes al ny₃t oşer al a day, oşer lay hem in hot aymers. At morowe waische hem in clene water, and do hem ouere the fire with clene water. Seeş hem vp and do şerto oyle, garlek hole, safroun, powdour fort and salt; seeş it and messe it forth.

Take chickpeas and cover them in ashes all night or all day, or lay them in hot embers. At the morrow wash them in clean water, and do them over the fire with clean water. Boil them up and do thereto oil, garlic whole, saffron, powder fort and salt; boil it and serve it forth.

Soak chickpeas overnight or all day. Rinse and cover in a pot with water. Bring to a boil. Add the rest and simmer covered over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.

You cut off the head and tail and other hairs or roots, then scrape and wash them in two or three cauldrons of hot - very hot - water, then cook them in hot meat sewe [broth], be it of pig, beef, or mutton. Item, in Beauce after cooking them, they cut them up into slices and fry them in a pan and cast spice powder over them.

Cut off top and bottoms of turnips. Pare and wash them thoroughly in hot water. Bring broth to a boil and simmer turnips for 30 to 40 minutes, or until slightly soft. Drain and slice turnips in rounds. Heat oil and cook turnip slices over medium-high heat for two minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle powder fort on top.

To instruct the person who will be doing the Saupiquet, he should take onions and prepare them well, slice them and chop them up very small; then he should get well clarified oil and saute his onions properly in it, then drain the oil off them so that none is left on them. Then get a good clean kettle and very good wine, and put in enough for the amount of fish he will have fried; then he should get his spices: ginger, grains of paradise, saffron and pepper - and of all these, put in reasonable amounts depending on the quantity of fish that is to be eaten with that saupiquet. He should flavour it good and lightly with vinegar, and with salt, too.

Bring wine to a boil. Add spices and simmer for 5 minutes. Heat oil and saute onions over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until onions are clear; remove and drain as needed. Garnish fish with onions and pour wine mixture over top. Sprinkle with vinegar and salt.

Makes enough for one pound fried or roasted fish.

Take leeks, well peeled and cleaned and washed the night before, and put them in a bowl full of water to soak in the night air; and they should sit there all night until the morning; and then boil them well, for they are difficult to cook; and once they are well cooked press them out well between two cutting boards; and sweat them in the fat of good bacon; and do not add salt: and once they are thoroughly sweated put them to cook with good broth which should be fat and of a little amount and then take almond milk and add it to the pot and cook it until it is very thick; and when it has thickened taste it for salt, and if there is not enough add some; and then prepare the serving dishes and scatter sugar and cinnamon over them.

Split, wash, and chop leeks coarsely. Soak for four hours. Drain thoroughly, pressing out water as needed. Saute in lard over medium heat for five to seven minutes, until soft. Add broth and almond milk. Bring to a boil; simmer uncovered over medium heat for one hour, stirring as necessary (pottage should be thick). Stir in salt if desired. Serve in bowls with sugar and cinnamon sprinkled over the top.

I used turbinado sugar as it is not as fully refined as modern sugar, and is closer to most period sugars. There is no particular taste difference but a bit more crunch.

Take a good many onions and cut them in four quarters. Set them on the fire in as much water as you think will boil them tender. When they be clean skimmed, put in a good many small raisins, half a spoonful of gross pepper, a good piece of sugar, and a little salt. When the onions be thorough boiled, beat the yolk of an egg with verjuice, and put into your pot. So serve it upon sops. If you will, poach eggs and lay upon them.

Peel and quarter the onions. Bring water to a boil; put in onions and parboil over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the currants and spices and boil for 5 minutes longer. Beat egg yolk with verjuice or vinegar, and gradually whisk into onion mixture. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes more. Pour over toast and serve hot.

If desired, poach eggs separately, drain and serve over the top.

I used turbinado sugar as it is not as fully refined as modern sugar, and is closer to most period sugars. There is no particular taste difference but a bit more crunch.

Take and slice your onions and put them in a frying pan with a dish or two of sweet butter, and fry them together. Then take a little fair water and put into it salt and pepper, and so fry them together a little more. Then boil them in a little earthen pot, putting to it a little water and sweet butter. And you may use spinach in like manner.

Melt 3 teaspoons of the butter in a frying pan. Saute onions for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup of the water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Transfer to a pot, add the remainder of the water and butter, and cook another 3 minutes. Serve over toast.

Variation: substitute 1 1/2 pounds spinach, washed and stems removed, for the onion.