MC Logo

Search Results


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

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.

autodoc



Other versions of this recipe:

Shoulder of mutton stuffed (Libro di cucina / Libro per cuoco)

Stuffed mutton shoulders (Le Viandier de Taillevent)

To make a shoulder of mutton stuffed & roasted (Ouverture de Cuisine)