Early English Meals and Manners Part 59

-- Termes of a Keruer.

++Breke that dere [a] lesche y^t brawne rere that goose lyft that swanne sauce that capon [b] spoyle that henne frusshe that chekyn [c] vnbrace that malarde vnlace that cony dysmembre that heron dysplaye that crane dysfygure that pec.o.c.ke vnioynt that bytture [d] vntache that curlewe alaye that fesande wynge that partryche wynge that quayle mynce that plouer thye that pegyon [e] border that pasty thye that wodc.o.c.ke [f] thye all maner of small byrdes tymbre that fyre

tyere that egge chyne that samon strynge that lampraye [g] splatte that pyke sauce that playce sauce that tenche splaye that breme syde that haddocke tuske that barbell culpon that troute [h] fynne that cheuen transsene that ele traunche that sturgyon vndertraunche y^t purpos tayme that crabbe [i] barbe that lopster

-- Here hendeth the goodly termes.

[Sidenotes: Terms of a Carver: [a] Slice brawn, [b] spoil a hen, [c] unbrace a mallard, [d] untache a curlew, [e] border a pasty, [f] thigh small birds, [g] splat a pike, [h] fin a chub, [i] barb a lobster]

[Headnote: THE BUTLER AND PANTER'S DUTIES.]

-- Here begynneth Butler and Panter.

[a] ++Thou shalte be Butler and Panter all the fyrst yere / and ye muste haue thre pantry knyues / one knyfe to square tre{n}choure loues / an other to be a [Fol. A ii.] chyppere / the thyrde shall be sharpe to make smothe tre{n}choures / than chyppe your soueraynes brede hote, and all other brede let it be a daye olde / housholde brede thre dayes olde / [b] trenchour brede foure dayes olde / than loke your salte by whyte and drye / the planer made of Iuory, two inches brode & thre inches longe / & loke that youre salte seller lydde touche not the salte / tha{n} loke your table clothes, towelles, and napkyns, be fayre folden in a cheste or ha{n}ged vpon a perche / than loke your table knyues be fayre pullysshed, & your spones clene / [c] than loke ye haue two tarryours, a more & a lesse, & wyne cannelles of boxe made accordynge / a sharpe gymlot & faucettes. And whan ye sette a pype on broche, do thus / set it foure fynger brede aboue y^e nether chyme vpwardes aslaunte / and than shall y^e lyes neuer a-ryse. [d] Also loke ye haue in all seasons[A]

b.u.t.ter, chese, apples, peres, nottes, plommes, grapes, dates, fygges & raysyns, compost, grene gynger and chardequynce. Serue fastynge b.u.t.ter, plommes, damesons, cheryes, and grapes, after mete, peres, nottes, strawberyes, hurtelberyes, & hard chese. Also brandrels or pepyns with carawey in confetes. After souper, rost apples & peres, with blaunche poudre, & harde chese / [e] be ware of cowe creme, & of good strawberyes, hurtelberyes, Iouncat, for these wyll make your souerayne seke but he ete harde chese / [f] harde chese hath these operacyo{n}s / it wyll kepe y^e stomacke open / b.u.t.t{er} is holsome fyrst & last, for it wyll do awaye all poyso{ns} / [g] mylke, creme, & Iouncat, they wyll close the mawe, & so dooth a posset / therfore ete harde chese, & drynke romney modo{n} / beware of grene sallettes & rawe fruytes, for they wyll make your sourayne seke / therfore set no mo-[Fol. A ii.b.]che [h] by suche metes as wyll set your tethe on edge; therfore ete an almonde & harde chese / but ete non moche chese without romney modon. Also yf dyuers dry{n}kes, yf theyr fumosytees haue dyspleased your souerayne, [i] let hy{m} ete a rawe apple, and y^e fumosytees wyll cease: mesure is a mery mene & it be well vsed / abstyne{n}ce is to be praysed wha{n} G.o.d therwith is pleased. [k] Also take good hede of your wynes euery nyght with a candell, bothe rede wyne and swete wyne, & loke they reboyle nor leke not / & wa.s.she y^e pype hedes euery nyght w{i}t{h} colde water / & loke ye haue a chynchynge yron, addes, and lynen clothes, yf nede be / [l] & yf the[y] reboyle, ye shall knowe by the hyssynge / therfore kepe an empty pype with y^e lyes of coloured rose, & drawe the reboyled wyne to y^e lyes, & it shal helpe it. Also yf your swete wyne pale, drawe it in to a romney vessell for lessynge.

[Sidenotes: [a] The Butler has 3 knives: 1. a squarer, 2. a chipper, 3. a smoother. [b] Trencher-bread must be 4 days old; the Salt-Planer of ivory; table cloths kept in a chest, or hung on a perch. [c] To broach a Pipe, have 2 augers, funnels, and tubes, and pierce the Pipe 4 inches from the bottom. [d] Always have ready fruits and hard cheese. [e] Beware of cow cream. [f] Hard cheese is aperient, and keeps off poison. [g] Milk and Junket close the Maw. [h] For food that sets your teeth on edge, eat an almond and hard cheese. [i] A raw apple will cure indigestion.

[k] See every night that your wines don't boil over or leak.

[l] You'll know their fermenting by their hissing.]

-- Here foloweth the names of wynes.

-- Reed wyne / whyte wyne / clared wyne / osey / capryke / ca{m}polet / renysshe wyne / maluesey / b.a.s.t.a.r.de / tyer, romney / muscadell / clarrey / raspys / vernage / vernage wyne cut / pymente and ypocras.

[Sidenotes: _Names of Wines_ Campolet, Rhenish, &c]

[Headnote: FOR TO MAKE YPOCRAS, AND LAYE THE CLOTH.]

[Headnote: HOW TO WAIT AT TABLE.]

For to make ypocras.

-- [a] Take gy{n}ger / peper / graynes / canell / synamon / suger and tornsole / than loke ye haue fyue or syxe bagges for your ypocras to renne in, & a perche that your renners may ren on / than muste ye haue .vi. peautre basyns to stande vnder your bagges / than loke your spyce be redy / & your gynger well pared or it be beten [Fol. A iii.] to poudre / [b] than loke your stalkes of synamon be well coloured; & swete canell is not so gentyll in operacyon; synamon is hote and drye / graynes of paradico[B] be{n} hote and moyste / gynger / graynes / longe peper / and suger, ben hote and moyst / synamo{n} / canell, & rede wyne, ben hote and drye / tornsole is holsome / for reed wyne colourynge. Now knowe ye the proporcyons of your ypocras / [c] than bete your poudres eche by themselfe, & put them in bladders, & hange your bagges sure, that no bage touche other / but let eche basyn touche other; let the fyrste basyn be of a galon, and eche of the other of a potell / than put in your basyn a galo{n} of reed wyne, put thereto your poudres, and styre them well / than put them in to the fyrste bagge, and let it renne / than put them in to the seconde bagge / than take a pece in your hande, and a.s.saye yf it be stronge of gynger / and alaye it with synamon / and it be stro[{n}]ge of synamon / alaye it with suger / and loke ye lette it renne thrughe syxe renners / & your ypocras shall be the fyner / than put your ypocras in to a close vessell, and [d] kepe the receyte / for it wyll serue for sewes / than serue your souerayne with wafers and ypocras. [e] Also loke your composte be fayre and clene / and your ale fyue dayes olde or men drynke it / tha{n} kepe your hous of offyce clene, & be curtoys of answere to eche persone, and loke ye gyue no persone noo dowled drynke / for it wyll breke y^e scabbe. [f] And whan ye laye the clothe, wype y^e borde clene with a cloute / than [g] laye a cloth, a couche, it is called, take your felawe that one ende, & holde you that other ende, than drawe the clothe straught, the bought on y^e vtter edge / take the vtter parte, & hange it euen / than take the thyrde clothe, and lay y^e bought on the inner [Fol. A iii.b.] edge / and laye estat with the vpper parte halfe a fote brode / than [h] couer thy cupborde and thyn ewery with the towell of dyaper / than take thy towell about thy necke, and laye that one syde of y^e towell vpon thy lefte arme / and there-on laye your soueraynes napkyn / and laye on thyn arme seuen loues of brede, with thre or foure trenchour loues, with the ende of y^e towell in the lefte hande, as the maner is / than [i] take thy salte seller in thy lefte hande, and take the ende of y^e towell in your ryght hande to bere in spones and knyues / than [k] set your salt on the ryght syde where your souerayne shall sytte, and on y^e lefte syde the salte set your trenchours / than [l] laye your knyues, & set your brede, one lofe by an other / your spones, and your napkyns fayre folden besyde your brede / than couer your brede and trenchoures, spones and knyues / & at euery ende of y^e table set a salte seller with two treachour [C] loues / [m] and yf ye wyll wrappe your soueraynes brede stately, ye muste [n] square and proporcyon your brede, and se that no lofe be more than an other / and than shall ye make your wrapper man[er]ly / than take a towell of reynes of two yerdes and an halfe, and take the towell by y^e endes double, and laye it on the table / than take the ende of y^e bought a handfull in your hande, and wrappe it harde, and laye the ende so wrapped bytwene two towelles; vpon that ende so wrapped, lay your brede, botom to botom, syxe or seuen loues / than set your brede manerly in fourme / and whan your soueraynes table is thus arayed, [o] couer all other bordes with salte, trenchoures, & cuppes. [p] Also so[D] thyn ewery be arayed with basyns & ewers, & water hote & colde / and se' ye haue napkyns, cuppes, & spones / & se your pottes for wyne [Fol. A 4.] and ale be made clene, and [q] to y^e surnape make ye curtesy with a clothe vnder a fayre double napry / tha{n} take e towelles ende nexte you / & the vtter ende of the clothe on the vtter syde of the table, & holde these thre endes atones, & folde them atones, that a plyte pa.s.se not a fote brode / than laye it euen there it sholde lye. [r] And after mete wa.s.she with that that is at y^e ryghte ende of the table / ye muste guyde it out, and the marshall must conuey it / and loke on eche clothe the ryght syde be outwarde, & drawe it streyght / than must ye reyse the vpper parte of y^e towell, & laye it w{i}t{h}-out ony gronynge / and at euery ende of y^e towell [s] ye must conuey halfe a yerde that y^e sewer may make estate reuerently, and let it be. [t] And whan your souerayne hath wa.s.shen, drawe y^e surnape euen / than bere the surnape to the myddes of the borde & take it vp before your souerayne, & bere it in to y^e ewery agayne. [v] And whan your souerayne it[E] set, loke your towell be aboute your necke / than make your souerayne curtesy / than vncouer your brede & set it by the salte & laye your napkyn, knyfe, & spone, afore hym / than knele on your knee tyll the purpayne pa.s.se eyght loues / & loke ye set at y^e endes of y^e table foure loues at a messe / and se that euery persone haue napkyn and spone / [x] & wayte well to y^e sewer how many dysshes be couered; y^e so many cuppes couer ye / than serue ye forth the table manerly y^t euery man may speke your curtesy.

[Sidenotes: _To make Ypocras._ [a] Take spices; put 6 bags on a perch, 6 pewter basins under, ginger and cinnamon. [b] (Of the qualities of spices.) [c] Pound each spice separately, put 'em in bladders, and hang 'em in your bags, add a gallon of red wine to 'em, stir it well, run it through two bags, taste it, pa.s.s it through 6 runners, and put it in a close vessel. [d] Keep the dregs for cooking. [e] Have your Compost clean, and your ale 5 days old, but not dead.

[f] _To lay the Cloth._ [g] Put on a _couch_, then a second cloth, the fold on the outer edge; a third, the fold on the inner edge. [h] Cover your cupboard, put a towel round your neck, one side lying on your left arm; on that, 7 loaves of eating bread and 4 trencher loaves. [i]

In your left hand a saltcellar, in your right the towel. [k] Set the saltcellar on your lord's right, and trenchers on the left of it. [l] Lay knives, bread, spoons, napkins, and cover 'em up.

[m] _To wrap your Lord's bread stately._ [n] Square the loaves; take a Reynes towel 2 yards long by the ends; put it on the table, pinch up a handful of one end, and lay it between 2 towels, and on it lay your 6 or 7 loaves bottom to bottom. [o] Put salt, cups, &c., on the other tables. [p] See that your _Ewery_ is properly supplied, and your ale-pots kept clean.

[q] _To arrange the Surnape._ Put a cloth under a double towel, hold 3 ends together, fold them in a foot-broad pleat, and lay it smooth. [r] After was.h.i.+ng, the Marshal must carry the surnape out. [s] Leave out half a yard to make estate. [t] When your lord has washed, remove the Surnape.

[v] When he is seated, salute him, uncover your bread, kneel on your knee till 8 loaves are served out (?) [x] Provide as many cups as dishes.]

[Headnote: SEWYNGE OF FLESSHE.]

-- Here endeth of the Butler and Panter, yoman of the seller and ewery.

And here foloweth sewynge of flesshe.

[Fol. A 4b.] ++The [a] sewer muste sewe, & from the borde conuey all maner of potages, metes, & sauces / & euery daye comon with the c.o.ke, and vndersta{n}de & wyte how many dysshes shall be, and speke with the panter and offycers of y^e spycery for fruytes that shall be ete{n} fastynge. Than goo to the borde of sewynge, and se ye haue offycers redy to conuey, & seruauntes for to bere, your dysshes. Also yf marshall, squyers, and seruauntes of armes, bo[F] there, tha{n} serue forth your souerayne withouten blame.

[Sidenote: _ewynge of_]

-- Seruyce.

-- [1] Fyrste sette ye forthe mustarde and brawne, potage, befe, motton stewed. [2] Fesande / swanne / capon / pygge, venyson bake / custarde / and leche lombarde. [3] Fruyter vaunte, with a subtylte, two potages, blau{n}che ma{n}ger, and gelly. [4] For standarde, venyson roste, kydde, fawne & cony / bustarde, storke, crane, pec.o.c.ke with his tayle, hero{n}sewe, bytture, woodc.o.c.ke, partryche, plouer, rabettes, grete byrdes, larkes / [5] doucettes, paynpuffe, whyte leche, ambre / gelly, creme of almondes, curlewe, brewe, snytes, quayle, sparowes, martynet, perche i{n} gelly / petyperuys[G], quy{n}ces bake / leche dewgarde, fruyter fayge, blandrelles or pepyns with carawaye in co{n}fettes, wafers and ypocras, they be a-greable. [b] Now this feest is done, voyde ye the table.

[Sidenotes: [a] The _Sewer_ or arranger of dishes must ascertain what dishes and fruits are prepared daily for dinner; and he must have people ready to carry up the dishes.

_The Succession of Dishes._ 1. Brawn, &c. 2. Pheasant, &c. 3. Meat Fritters, &c 4. For a standard, a peac.o.c.k with his tail. 5. Doucettes, Paynpuff, Brew, Snipe, Petyperuys and Fayge, Caraways, &c.

[b] Clear the table]

[Headnote: KERUYNGE OF FLESSHE.]

-- Here endeth the sewynge of flesshe.

And begynneth the keruynge of flesshe.

++The keruer must knowe the keruynge and the fayre ha{n}dlynge of a knyfe, and how ye shall seche al maner of fowle / your knyfe muste be fayre and [Fol. A 5.] [a] your ha{n}des muste be clene; & pa.s.se not two fyngers & a thombe vpon your knyfe. In y^e myddes of your ha{n}de set the halfe sure, vnla.s.synge y^e mynsy{n}ge wich[H] two fy{n}gers & a thombe; keruynge of brede, layenge, & voydynge of crommes, with two fyngers and a thombe / loke ye haue y^e cure / set neuer on fysshe / flesshe / beest / ne fowle, more than two fyngers and a thombe / than take your lofe in your lefte hande, & holde your knyfe surely; enbrewe not the table clothe / but [b] wype vpon your napkyn / than take your trenchouer lofe in your lefte ha{n}de, and with the edge of your table knyfe take vp your trenchours as nye the poynt as ye may / [c] tha{n} laye foure trenchours to your soferayne, one by an other / and laye theron other foure trenchours or elles twayne / than take a lofe in your lyfte hande, & pare y^e lofe rou{n}de aboute / tha{n} cut the ouer cruste to your souerayne, and cut the nether cruste, & voyde the parynge, & touche the lofe no more after it is so serued / than clense the table that the sewer may serue youre souerayne. [d] Also ye muste knowe the fumosytces[I] of fysshe, flesshe, and foules, & all maner of sauces accordynge to theyr appetytes / these ben the fumosytes / salte, soure, resty, fatte, fryed, senewes, skynnes, hony, croupes, yonge feders, heddes, pygous[K] bones, all maner of legges of bestees & fowles the vtter syde; for these ben fumosytees; laye them neuer to your souerayne.

[Sidenotes: _Keruynge of Flesshe._ [a] Your hands must be clean; only two fingers and a thumb should be put on your knife, or on fish, flesh, or fowl. [b] Wipe your knife on your napkin. [c] Lay 4 trenchers for your lord, with 2 or 4 on them and the upper crust of a fine loaf. [d] Give heed to what is indigestible, as resty, fat things, feathers, heads, legs, &c.]

-- Seruyce.

-- [a] Take your knyfe in your ha{n}de, and cut brawne in y^e dysshe as it lyeth, & laye it on your soueraynes trenchour, & se there be mustarde. [b] Venyson with fourme{n}ty is good for your souerayne: touche not the venyson with your ha{n}de, but with your knyfe cut it .xii. draugh[Fol. A 5b.]tes with the edge of your knyfe, and cut it out in to y^e fourmenty / doo in the same wyse with pesen & bacon, befe chyne and motto{n} / pare the befe, cut the motto{n} / & laye to your souerayne / beware of fumosytees / salte, senewe, fatte, resty & rawe.

In syrupe, [c] fesande, partryche, stockdoue, & chekyns / in the lefte ha{n}de take them by the pynyo{n}, & with the foreparte of your knyfe lyfte vp your wy{n}ges / than mynce it in to the syrupe / beware of sky{n}ne rawe & senowe. [d] Goos, tele, malarde, & swa{n}ne, reyse [L] the legges, than the wynges / laye the body in y^e myddes or in a nother plater / the wynges in the myddes & the legges; after laye the brawne bytwene the legges / & the wynges in the plater. [e] Capo{n} or henne of grece, lyfte the legges, tha{n} the wynges, & caste on wyne or ale, than mynce the wynge & giue your souerayne. Fesande, partryche, [f] plouer or lapwynge, reyse y^e wynges, & after the legges. woodc.o.c.ke, [g] bytture, egryt, snyte, curlewe & heronsewe, vnlace them, breke of the pynyons, necke & becke / tha{n} reyse the legges, & let the fete be on styll, than the wynges. [h] A crane, reyse the wynges fyrst, & beware of the trumpe in his brest. Pec.o.c.ke, storke, bustarde & [i] shouyllarde, vnlace them as a crane, and let y^e fete be on styll. [k] Quayle, sparow, larke, martynet, pegyon, swalowe, & thrusshe, y^e legges fyrst, tha{n} y^e wynges. [l] Fawne, kyde, and lambe, laye the kydney to your souerayne, tha{n} lyfe vp the sholder & gyue your souerayne a rybbe.

[m] Venyson roste, cut it in the dysshe, & laye it to your souerayne.

[n] A cony, lay hy{m} on the backe, cut away the ventes bytwene the hy{n}der legges, breke the canell bone, than reyse the sydes, than lay the cony on y^e wombe, on eche syde the chyne y^e two sydes departed from the chy{n}e, tha{n} laye the bulke, chyne, & sydes, in y^e dysshe.

[Fol. A 6.] [o] Also ye must my{n}ce foure lesses to one morcell of mete, that your soverayne may take it in the sauce. [p] All bake metes that ben hote, open them a-boue the coffyn; & all that ben colde, ope{n} theym in the mydwaye. [q] Custarde, cheke them inche square that your souerayne may ete therof. [r] Doucettes, pare awaye the sydes & the bottom: beware of fumosytes. [s] Fruyter vaunte, fruyter say, be good; bett{er} is fruyter pouche; apple fruyters ben good hote / and all colde fruters, touche not. Ta{n}sey is good / hote wortes, or gruell of befe or of motto{n} is good. [t] Gelly, mortrus, creme almondes, blau{n}che manger, Iussell, and charlet, cabage, and nombles of a dere, ben good / & all other potage beware of.

[Sidenotes: _Keruynge of Flesshe._ [a] How to carve Brawn, [b] Venison, (cut it in 12 bits and slice it into the furmity,) [c] Pheasant, Stockdoves, (mince the wings into the syrup,) [d] Goose, Teal, &c., (take off the legs and wings,) [e] Capon, (mince the wing with wine or ale,) [f] Plover, Lapwing, [g] Bittern, Egret. [h] How to carve a Crane, (mind the trump in his breast,) [i] Shoveler, [k] Quail, Martins, Swallow, [l] Fawn, Kid, [m] Roast Venison, [n] Cony, (lay him on his belly with his two cut-off sides, on each side of him.) [o] Cut 4 strips to each bit of meat, for your lord to pick it up by. [p] Open hot Meat-Pies at the top; cold in the middle. [q] Cut Custards in inch blocks. [r] Doucettes, pare off sides and bottom.

[s] Fritters hot are good, cold bad. Tansey is good. [t] Jelly, Blanche Manger, Charlet, &c., are good, and no other potages.]

[Headnote: SAUCES FOR FOWLES.]

-- Here endeth y^e keruynge of flesshe.

And begy{n}neth sauces for all maner of fowles.

[a] ++Mustarde is good with brawne, befe, chyne, bacon, & motton.

[b] Vergius is good to boyled chekyns and capon / swanne with cawdrons / [c] rybbes of befe with garlycke, mustarde, peper, vergyus; [d] gynger sauce to la{m}be, pygge, & fawne / mustarde & suger to fesande, partryche, and conye / sauce gamelyne to hero{n}sewe, egryt, plouer, & crane / to brewe, curlewe, [e] salte, suger, & water of tame / to bustarde, shouyllarde, & bytture, sauce gamelyne: [f] woodc.o.c.ke, lapwynge, larke, quayle, mertynet, venyson, and snyte, with whyte salte / sparowes & throstelles with salte & synamo{n} / thus with all metes, sauce shall haue the operacyons.

-- Here endeth the sauces for all maner of fowles and metes.