Early English Meals and Manners Part 28

Crevise[169] / us wise ye must them dight: Dep{ar}te the crevise a-sondir{e} euyn to your{e} sight, Slytt e bely of the hyndur part / & so do ye right, 604 and all{e} hoole take owt e fisch{e}, like as y yow behight.

[Sidenote: clean out the _gowt_ in the middle of the sea Crayfish's back; pick it out, tear it off the fish,]

Par{e} awey e red skyn for dyu{er}s cawse & dowt, and make clene e place also / at ye call{e} his gowt,[170]

hit lies in e mydd{es} of e bak / looke ye pike it owt; 608 areise hit by e yknes of a grote / e fisch{e} rownd abowt.

[Sidenote: and put vinegar to it; break the claws and set them on the table.]

put it in a disch{e} lees{e} by lees[171] / & at ye not forgete to put vinegr{e} to e same / so it towche not e mete; breke e gret clawes your{e} self / ye nede no cooke to trete, 612 Set em on e table / ye may / w{i}t{h}-owt any man{er} heete.

[Sidenote: Treat the back like the crab, stopping both ends with bread.]

The bak of e Crevise, us he must be sted: array hym as ye doth{e} / e crabbe, if at any be had, and boe end{es} of e sh.e.l.l{e} / Stoppe them fast w{i}t{h} bred, 616 & s{er}ue / your{e} sou{er}eyn {er} w{i}t{h} / as he liketh{e} to be fedd.

[Sidenote: The fresh-water Crayfish: serve with vinegar and powder.]

Of Crevis dewe dou?[172] Cut his bely a-way, [Fol. 180.]

e fisch{e} in A disch{e} clenly at ye lay w{i}t{h} vineg{er} & powdur {er} vppon, us is vsed ay, 620 an your{e} sou{er}ayne / whan hym semeth{e}, sadly he may a.s.say.

[Headnote: HOW TO CARVE WHELKS AND LAMPREYS.]

[Sidenote: Salt Sturgeon: slit its joll, or head, thin. Whelk: cut off its head and tail, throw away its operculum, mantle, &c.,]

The Iolle[173] of e salt sturgeou{n} / thyn / take hede ye slytt, & rownd about e disch{e} dresse ye musten hit.

e whelke[174] / looke at e hed / and tayle awey be kytt, 624 his pyntill[175] & gutt / almond & mantill{e},[176]

awey {er} fro ye pitt;

[Sidenote: cut it in two, and put it on the sturgeon, adding vinegar.]

Then kut ye e whelk asond{ur}, even pec{is} two, and ley e pecis {er}of / vppon your{e} sturgeou{n} so, rownd all abowt e disch / while {a}t hit will{e} go; 628 put vinegr{e} {er}-vppon / e bett{ur} an will{e} hit do.

[Sidenote: Carve Baked Lampreys thus: take off the piecrust, put thin slices of bread on a Dish,]

Fresch{e} lamprey bake[177] / us it must be dight: Open e pastey lid, {er}-in to haue a sight, Take en white bred yn y-kut & li?t, 632 lay hit in a charger{e} / disch{e}, or plater, ryght;

[Sidenote: pour galentyne over the bread, add cinnamon and red wine.]

w{i}t{h} a spone en take owt e gentill{e} galantyne,[178]

In e disch{e}, on e bred / ley hit, le{m}man myne, en take powd{ur} of Synamome, & te{m}p{er} hit w{i}t{h} red wyne: 636 e same wold plese a por{e} man / y suppose, well{e} & fyne.

[Sidenote: Mince the lampreys, lay them on the sauce, &c., on a hot plate, serve up to your lord.]

Mynse ye e gobyns as thyn as a grote, an lay em vppon your{e} galantyne stondyng{e} on a chaffir{e} hoote: us must ye di?t a lamprey owt of his coffyn cote, 640 and so may your{e} sou{er}ayne ete merily be noote.

[Sidenote: White herrings fresh; the roe must be white and tender serve with salt and wine.]

White heryng{e} in a disch{e}, if hit be seaward & fressh{e}, yo{ur} sou{er}eyn to ete in seesou{n} of yer{e} / {er}-aft{ur} he will{e} Asch{e}.

looke he be white by e boon / e rough{e} white & nesch{e}; 644 w{i}t{h} salt & wyne s{er}ue ye hym e same / boldly, & not to ba.s.sh{e}.

[Sidenote: Shrimps picked, lay them round a sawcer, and serve with vinegar."]

Shrympes well{e} pyked / e scales awey ye cast, Round abowt a sawcer / ley ye em in hast; e vinegr{e} in e same sawcer, {a}t your{e} lord may attast, 648 an w{i}t{h} e said fisch{e} / he may fede hym / & of em make no wast."

[Sidenote: "Thanks, father, I know about Carving now,]

++"Now, fadir, feir{e} falle ye / & crist yow haue in cure, For of e nurtur{e} of kervyng{e} y suppose at y be sur{e}, [Fol. 180b.]

but yet a-nod{ur} office {er} is / saue y dar not endure 652 to frayne yow any further / for feer{e} of displesur{e}:

[Sidenote: but I hardly dare ask you about a Sewer's duties, how he is to serve."]

For to be a sewer{e} y wold y hed e co{n}nyng{e}, an durst y do my devoir{e} / w{i}t{h} any wors.h.i.+pfull{e} to be wo{n}nyng{e}; sen at y know e course / & e craft of kervyng{e}, 656 y wold se e si?t of a Sewer{e}[179] / what wey he / sheweth{e} in s{er}uyng{e}."

[Headnote: THE SEWER'S OR ARRANGER'S DUTIES.]

[Sidenote: _The Duties of a Sewer._]

Office of a sewer.[180]

[Sidenote: "Son, since you wish to learn, I will gladly teach you.]

++"Now sen yt is so, my son / at science ye wold fayn lere, drede yow no yng{e} daungeresnes; {us}[A] y shall{e} do my dever{e} to enforme yow feithfully w{i}t{h} ryght gladsom cher{e}, 660 & yf ye woll{e} lysten my lor{e} / somewhat ye shall{e} her{e}:

[Text note: Inserted in a seemingly later hand.]

[Sidenote: Let the Sewer, as soon as the Master begins to say grace, hie to the kitchen.]

Take hede whan e wors.h.i.+pfull{e} hed / at is of any place hath wasch{e} afor{e} mete / and bigy{n}neth{e} to sey e grace, Vn-to e kechyn an looke ye take your{e} trace, 664 Entendyng & at your{e} co{m}maundyng{e} e s{er}uaund{es} of e place;

[Sidenote: I. Ask the Panter for fruits (as b.u.t.ter, grapes, &c.),]

Furst speke w{i}t{h} e panter{e} / or officer{e} of e spicery For frutes a-fore mete to ete em fastyng{e}ly, as b.u.t.t{ur} / plommes / damesyns, grapes, and chery, 668 Suche in sesons of e yer{e} / ar served / to make men mery,

[Sidenote: if they are to be served. II. Ask the cook and Surveyor what dishes are prepared.]

Serche and enquere of em / yf such{e} s{er}uyse shall{e} be at day; an co{m}myn w{i}t{h} e cooke / and looke what he will{e} say; e surveyour{e} & he / e certeynte tell{e} yow will{e} ay, 672 what met{es} // & how many disches / ey dyd for{e} puruay.

[Sidenote: III. Let the Cook serve up the dishes, the Surveyor deliver them]

And whan e surveour{e}[181] & e Cooke / w{i}t{h} yow done accorde, en shall{e} e cook dresse all{e} yng{e} to e surveyng{e} borde, e surveour{e} sadly / & soburly / w{i}t{h}-owten any discorde 676 Delyu{er} forth{e} his disches, ye to co{n}vey em to e lorde;

[Sidenote: and you, the Sewer, have skilful officers to prevent any dish being stolen.]

And when ye bith{e} at e borde / of s{er}uyce and surveyng{e}, [Fol. 181.]

se at ye haue officers boe courtly and co{n}nyng{e}, For drede of a disch{e} of your{e} course stelyng{e}[181], 680 whych{e} myght cawse a vileny ligtly in your{e} s{er}uice sewyng{e}.

[Sidenote: IV. Have proper servants, Marshals, &c., to bring the dishes from the kitchen. V. You set them on the table yourself.]