This is an excerpt from Du fait de cuisine
(France, 1420 - Elizabeth Cook, trans.)
The original source can be found at
David Friedman's website
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.
Other versions of this recipe:
Pottage Called Gratonada (Libre del Coch)
A Gratuné of Spain (Du fait de cuisine)