Directions for the Order of Carving Fowl
Lift That Swan
The manner of cutting up a Swan must be to slit her right down in the middle of the breast, and so clean thorow the back from the neck to the rump, so part her in two halves cleanly and handsomly, that you break not nor tear the meat, lay the two halves in a fair charger with the slit sides downwards, throw salt about it, and let it again on the Table. Let your sauce be chaldron for a Swan, and serve it in saucers.
Rear the Goose
You must break a goose contrary to the former way. Take a gooseA being roasted, and take off both his legs fair like a shoulder of Lamb, take him quite from the body then cut off the belly piece round close to the lower end of the breast: lace her down with your knife clean through the breast on each side your thumbs bredth for the bone in the middle of the breast; then take off the pinion of each side, and the flesh which you first lac’t with your knife, raise it up clear from the bone, and take it from the carcase with the pinion; then cut up the bone which lieth before in the breast (which is commonly call’d the merry thought) the skin and the flesh being upon it; then cut from the brest-bone, another slice of flesh clean thorow, & take it clean from the bone, turn your carcase, and cut it asunder the back-bone above the loin-bones: then take the rump-end of the back-bone, and lay it in a fair dish with the skinny-side upwards, lay at the fore-end of that the merry-thought with the skin side upward, and before that the apron of the goose; then lay your pinions on each side contrary, set your legs on each side contrary behind them, that the bone end of the legs may stand up cross in the middle of the dish, & the wing pinions on the outside of them; put under the wing pinions on each side the long slices of flesh which you cut from the breast bone, and let the ends meet under the leg bones, let the other ends lie cut in the dish betwixt the leg and the pinion; then pour your sauce into the dish under your meat, throw on salt, and set it on the table.
To Cut Up a Turkey or Bustard
Raise up the leg very fair, and open the joynt with the point of your knife, but take not off the leg; then lace down the breast with your knife on both sides, & open the breast pinion with the knife, but take not the pinion off; then raise up the merry-thought betwixt the breast bone, and the top of the merry-thought, lace down the flesh on both sides of the breast-bone, and raise up the flesh called the brawn, turn it outward upon both sides, but break it not, nor cut it not off; then cut off the wing pinion at the joynt next to the body, and stick on each side the pinion in the place where ye turned out the brawn, but cut off the sharp end of the Pinion, take the middle piece, and that will just fit the place.
You may cut up a capon or pheasant the same way, but of your capon cut not off the pinion, but in the place where you put the pinion of the turkey, you must put the gizard of your capon on each side half.
Dismember That Hern
Take off both the legs, and lace it down to the breast with your knife on both sides, raise up the flesh, and take it clean off with the pinion; then stick the head in the breast, set the pinion on the contrary side of the carcase, and the leg on the other side, so that the bones ends may meet cross over the carcase, and the other wings cross over upon the top of the carcase.
Unbrace That Mallard
Raise up the pinion and the leg, but take them not off, raise the merry-thought from the breast, and lace it down on each side of the breast with your knife, bending to and fro like ways.
Unlace That Coney
Turn the back downwards, & cut the belly flaps clean off from the kidney, but take heed you cut not the kidney nor the flesh, then put in the point of your knife between the kidneys, and loosen the flesh from each side the bone then turn up the back of the rabbit, and cut it cross between the wings, and lace it down close by the bone with your knife on both sides, then open the flesh of the rabbit from the bone, with the point of your knife against the kidney, and pull the leg open softly with your hand, but pluck it not off, then thrust in your knife betwixt the ribs and the kidney, slit it out, and lay the legs close together.
Sauce That Capon
Lift up the right leg and wing, and so array forth, and lay him in the platter as he should fly, and so serve him. Know that capons or chickens be arrayed after one sauce; the chickens shall be sauced with green sauce or veriuyce.
Allay That Pheasant
Take a pheasant, raise his legs and wings as it were a hen and no sauce but only salt.
Wing That Partridg
Raise his legs, and his wing as a hen, if you mince him sauce him with wine, powder of ginger, and salt, and set him upon a chafing dish of coals to warm and serve.
Wing That Quail
Take a quail and raise his legs and his wings as an hen, and no sauce but salt.
Display That Crane
Unfold his Legs, and cut off his wings by the joynts, then take up his wings and his legs, and sauce them with powder of ginger, mustard, vinegar, and salt.
Dismember That Hern
Raise his legs and his wings as a crane, and sauce him with vinegar, mustard, powder of ginger and salt.
Unjoynt That Bittern
Raise his legs & wings as a heron & no sauce but salt.
Break That Egript
Take an egript, and raise his legs and his wings as a heron, and no sauce but salt.
Untach That Curlew
Raise his legs and wings as a hen, & no sauce but salt.
Untach That Brew
Raise his legs and his wings in the same manner, and no sauce but only salt.
Unlace That Coney
Lay him on the back, and cut away the vents, then raise the wings and the sides, and lay bulk, chine, and sides together, sauce them with vinegar and powder of ginger.
Break That Sarcel
Take a sarcel or teal, and raise his wings and his legs, and no sauce but only salt.
Mince That Plover
Raise his leg and wings as a hen, and no sauce but only salt.
A Snite
Raise his legs, wings and his shoulders as a plover, and no sauce but salt.
Thigh That Woodcock
Raise his legs as a hen, and dight his brain.
The Sewing of Fish
The First Course
TO go to the sewing of Fish.
Musculade, Minews in few of porpos or of salmon, bak’d herring with sugar, green fish pike, lamprey, salent, porpos roasted, bak’d gurnet and baked lamprey.
The Second Course
Jelly white and red, dates in confect, conger, salmon, birt, dorey, turbut holibut for standard, bace, trout, mullet, chevin, soles, lamprey roast, and tench in jelly.
The Third Course
Fresh sturgeon, bream, pearch in jelly, a jole of salmon sturgeon, welks, apples and pears roasted; with sugar candy, figs of molisk, raisins, dates, capt with minced ginger, wafers, and Ipocras.
The Carving of Fish
The carver of fish must see to peason and furmety, the tail and the liver; you must look if there be a salt porpos or sole, turrentine, and do after the form of venison; baked herring, lay it whole on the trencher, then white herring in a dish, open it by the back, pick out the bones and the row, and see there be mustard. Of salt fish, green-fish, salt salmon, and conger, pare away the skin; salt fish, stock fish, marling, mackrel, and hake with butter, and take away the bones & skins; A Pike, lay the womb upon a trencher, with pike sauce enough, A salt Lamprey, gobbin it in seven or eight pieces, and so present it, A Plaice, put out the water, then cross him with your knife, and cast on salt, wine, or ale. Bace, Gurnet, Rochet, Bream, Chevin, Mullet, Roch, Pearch, Sole, Mackrel, Whiting, Haddock, and Codling, raise them by the back, pick out the bones, and cleanse the rest in the belly. Carp Bream, Sole, and Trout, back and belly together. Salmon, Conger, Sturgeon, Turbut, Thornback, Houndfish, and Holibut, cut them in the dishes; the Porpos about, Tench in his sauce; cut two Eels, and Lampreys roast, pull off the skin, and pick out the bones, put thereto vinegar, and powder. A Crab, break him asunder, in a dish make the shell clean, & put in the stuff again, temper it with vinegar, and powder them, cover it with bread and heat it; a Crevis dight him thus, part him asunder, slit the belly, and take out the fish, pare away the red skin, mince it thin, put vinegar in the dish, and set it on the Table without heating. A Jole of Sturgeon, cut it into thin morsels, and lay it round about the dish, Fresh Lamprey bak’d, open the pasty, then take white bread, and cut it thin, lay it in a dish, & with a spoon take out Galentine, & lay it upon the bread with red wine and powder of Cinamon; then cut a gobbin of Lamprey, mince it thin, and lay it in the Gallentine, and set it on the fire to heat. Fresh herring, with salt and wine, Shrimps well pickled, Flounders, Gudgeons, Minews, and Muskles, Eels, and Lampreys, Sprats is good in few, musculade in worts, oysters in few, oysters in gravy, minews in porpus, salmon in jelly white and red, cream of almonds, dates in comfits, pears and quinces in sirrup, with parsley roots, mortus of hound fish raise standing.
Sauces for Fish
Mustard is good for salt herring, salt fish, salt conger, salmon, sparling, salt eel and ling; vinegar is good with salt porpus, turrentine, salt sturgeon, salt thirlepole, and salt whale, lamprey with gallentine; verjuyce to roach, dace, bream, mullet, flounders, salt crab and chevin with powder of cinamon and ginger; green sauce is good with green fish and hollibut, cottel, and fresh turbut; put not your green sauce away for it is good with mustard.
Bills of Fare
Bills of FARE for every Season in the Year; also how to set forth the MEAT in order for that Service, as it was used before Hospitality left this Nation.
A Bill of Fare for All-Saints-Day, Being Novemb. 1
Oysters.
1 A Collar of brawn and mustard.
2 A Capon in stewed broth with marrow-bones.
3 A Goose in stoffado, or two Ducks.
4 A grand Sallet.
5 A Shoulder of Mutton with oysters.
6 A bisk dish baked.
7 A roast chine of beef.
8 Minced pies or chewits of capon, tongue, or of veal.
9 A chine of Pork.
10 A pasty of venison.
11 A swan, or 2 geese roast.
12 A loyn of veal.
13 A French Pie of divers compounds.
14 A roast turkey.
15 A pig roast.
16 A farc’t dish baked.
17 Two brangeese roasted, one larded.
18 Souc’t Veal.
19 Two Capons roasted, one larded.
20 A double bordered Custard.
A Second Course for the Same Mess
Oranges and lemons.
1 A souc’t pig.
2 A young lamb or kid roast.
3 Two Shovelers.
4 Two Herns, one larded.
5 A Potatoe-Pye.
6 A duck and mallard, one larded.
7 A souc’t Turbut.
8 A couple of pheasants, one larded.
9 Marinated Carp, or Pike, or Bream.
10 Three brace of partridg, three larded.
11 Made Dish of Spinage cream baked.
12 A roll of beef.
13 Two teels roasted, one larded.
14 A cold goose pie.
15 A souc’t mullet and bace.
16 A quince pye.
17 Four curlews, 2 larded.
18 A dried neats tongue.
19 A dish of anchoves.
20 A jole of Sturgeon.
Jellies and Tarts Royal, and Ginger bread, and other Fruits.
A Bill of Fare for Christmas Day, and How to Set the Meat in Order
Oysters.
1 A collar of brawn.
2 Stewed Broth of Mutton marrow bones.
3 A grand Sallet.
4 A pottage of caponets.
5 A breast of veal in stoffado.
6 A boil’d partridge.
7 A chine of beef, or surloin roast.
8 Minced pies.
9 A Jegote of mutton with anchove sauce.
10 A made dish of sweet-bread.
11 A swan roast.
12 A pasty of venison.
13 A kid with a pudding in his belly.
14 A steak pie.
15 A hanch of venison roasted.
16 A turkey roast and stuck with cloves.
17 A made dish of chickens in puff paste.
18 Two bran geese roasted, one larded.
19 Two large capons, one larded.
20 A Custard.
The Second Course for the Same Mess
Oranges and Lemons.
1 A young lamb or kid.
2 Two couple of rabbits, two larded.
3 A pig souc’t with tongues.
4 Three ducks, one larded.
5 Three pheasants, 1 larded
6 A Swan Pye.
7 Three brace of partridge, three larded.
8 Made dish in puff paste.
9 Bolonia sausages, and anchoves, mushrooms, and Cavieate, and pickled oysters in a dish.
10 Six teels, three larded.
11 A Gammon of Westphalia Bacon.
12 Ten plovers, five larded.
13 A quince pye, or warden pie.
14 Six woodcocks, 3 larded.
15 A standing Tart in puff-paste, preserved fruits, Pippins, &c.
16 A dish of Larks.
17 Six dried neats tongues.
18 Sturgeon.
19 Powdered Geese.
Jellies.
A Bill of Fare for New-Years Day
Oysters.
1 Brawn and Mustard.
2 Two boil’d Capons in stewed Broth, or white Broth.
3 Two Turkies in stoffado.
4 A Hash of twelve Partridges, or a shoulder of mutton.
5 Two bran Geese boil’d.
6 A farc’t boil’d meat with snites or ducks.
7 A marrow pudding bak’t
8 A surloin of roast beef.
9 Minced pies, ten in a dish, or what number you please
10 A Loin of Veal.
11 A pasty of Venison.
12 A Pig roast.
13 Two geese roast.
14 Two capons, one larded.
15 Custards.
A Second Course for the Same Mess
Oranges and Lemons.
1 A side of Lamb
2 A souc’t Pig.
3 Two couple of rabbits, two larded.
4 A duck and mallard, one larded.
5 Six teels, three larded.
6 A made dish, or Batalia-Pye.
7 Six woodcocks, 3 larded.
8 A warden pie, or a dish of quails.
9 Dried Neats tongues.
10 Six tame Pigeons, three larded.
11 A souc’t Capon.
12 Pickled mushrooms, pickled Oysters, and Anchoves in a dish.
13 Twelve snites, six larded
14 Orangado Pye, or a Tart Royal of dried and wet suckets.
15 Sturgeon.
16 Turkey or goose pye.
Jelly of five or six sorts, Lay Tarts of divers colours and ginger-bread, and other Sweet-meats.
A Bill of Fare for February
1 Eggs and Collops.
2 Brawn and Mustard.
3 A hash of Rabbits four.
4 A grand Fricase.
5 A grand Sallet.
6 A Chine of roast Pork.
A Second Course
1 A whole Lamb roast.
2 Three Widgeons.
3 A Pippin Pye.
4 A Jole of Sturgeon.
5 A Bacon Tart.
6 A cold Turkey Pye.
Jellies and Ginger-bread, and Tarts Royal.
A Bill of Fare for March
Oysters.
1 Brawn and Mustard.
2 A fresh Neats Tongue and Udder in stoffado.
3 Three Ducks in stoffado.
4 A roast Loin of Pork.
5 A pasty of Venison.
6 A Steak Pye.
A Second Course
1 A side of Lamb.
2 Six Teels, three larded.
3 A Lamb-stone Pye.
4 200 of Asparagus.
5 A Warden-Pye.
6 Marinate Flounders.
Jellies and Ginger-bread, and Tarts Royal.
A Bill of Fare for April
Oysters.
1 A Bisk.
2 Cold Lamb.
3 A haunch of venison roast.
4 Four Goslings.
5 A Turkey Chicken.
6 Custards of Almonds.
A Second Course
1 Lamb, a side in joynts.
2 Turtle Doves eight.
3 Cold Neats-tongue pye.
4 8 Pidgeons, four larded.
5 Lobsters.
6 A Collar of Beef.
Tansies.
A Bill of Fare for May
1 Scotch Pottage or Skink.
2 Scotch collops of mutton
3 A Loin of Veal.
4 An oline, or a Pallat pye.
5 Three Capons, 1 larded.
6 Custards.
A Second Course
1 Lamb.
2 A Tart Royal, or Quince Pye
3 A Gammon of Bacon Pie.
4 A Jole of Sturgeon.
5 Artichock Pie hot.
6 Bolonia Sausage.
Tansies.
A Bill of Fare for June
1 A shoulder of mutton hasht
2 A Chine of Beef.
3 Pasty of Venison, a cold Hash.
4 A Leg of Mutton roast.
5 Four Turkey Chickens.
6 A Steak Pye.
A Second Course
1 Jane or Kid.
2 Rabbits.
3 Shovelers.
4 Sweet-bread Pye.
5 Olines, or pewit.
6 Pigeons.
A Bill of Fare for July
Muskmelons.
1 Pottage of Capon.
2 Boil’d Pigeons.
3 A hash of Caponets.
4 A Grand Sallet.
5 A Fawn.
6 A Custard.
A Second Course
1 Pease, of French Beans.
2 Gulls four, two larded.
3 Pewits eight, four larded.
4 A quodling Tart green.
5 Portugal eggs, two sorts.
6 Buttered Brawn.
Selsey Cockles broil’d.
A Bill of Fare for August
Muskmelons.
1 Scotch collops of Veal.
2 Boil’d Breast of Mutton.
3 A Fricase of Pigeons.
4 A stewed Calves head.
5 Four Goslings.
6 Four Caponets.
A Second Course
1 Dotterel twelve, six larded
2 Tarts Royal of Fruit.
3 Wheat-ears.
4 A Pye of Heath-Pouts.
5 Marinate Smelts.
6 Gammon of Bacon.
Selsey Cockles.
A Bill of Fare for September
Oysters.
1 An Olio.
2 A Breast of Veal in stoffado.
3 twelve Partridg hashed.
4 A Grand Sallet.
5 Chaldron Pye.
6 Custard.
A Second Course
1 Rabbits
2 Two herns, one larded.
3 Florentine of tongues.
4 8 Pigeons roast, 4 larded.
5 Pheasant pouts, 2 larded.
6 A cold hare pye.
Selsey cockles broil’d after.
A Bill of Fare for October
Oysters.
1 Boil’d Ducks.
2 A hash of a loin of veal.
3 Roast Veal.
4 Two bran-geese roasted.
5 Tart Royal.
6 Custard.
A Second Course
1 Pheasant, pouts, pigeons.
2 Knots twelve.
3 Twelve quails, six larded.
4 Potato pye.
5 Sparrows roast.
6 Turbut.
Selsey Cockles.
A Bill of Fare Formerly Used in Fasting Days, and in Lent
The First Course
Oysters if in season.
1 Butter and eggs.
2 Barley pottage, or Rice pottage.
3 Stewed Oysters.
4 Buttered eggs on toasts.
5 Spinage Sallet boil’d.
6 Boil’d Rochet or gurnet.
7 A jole of Ling.
8 Stewed Carp.
9 Oyster Chewits.
10 Boil’d Pike.
11 Roast Eels.
12 Haddocks, fresh Cod, or Whitings.
13 Eel or Carp Pye.
14 Made dish of spinage.
15 Salt Eels.
16 Souc’t Turbut.
A Second Course
1 Fried Soals.
2 Stewed oysters in scollop shells.
3 Fried Smelts.
4 Congers head broil’d.
5 Baked dish of Potatoes, or Oyster pye.
6 A spitchcock of Eels.
7 Quince pie or tarts royal.
8 Buttered Crabs.
9 Fried Flounders.
10 Jole of fresh Salmon.
11 Fried Turbut.
12 Cold Salmon pye.
13 Fried skirrets.
14 Souc’t Conger.
15 Lobsters.
16 Sturgeon.
Page Numbering
The printed book combined two systems of page numbering. Throughout the book, the first four recto (odd, right-hand) pages of each 16-page signature are labeled as A, A2, A3... These are shown in the right margin. The left margin shows continuous page numbers, beginning with signature C (p. 1) and continuing through the end of the recipes (p. 461). In signature T, all page numbers were offset by 4 (261-276 for 257-272). The printed number is shown in (parentheses) followed by the corrected number in italics. Where there are no page numbers, folio numbers added by the transcriber are shown in [brackets].
Spelling
Many compound words occur in up to three forms: with hyphen; as two separate words; and as a single unhyphenated word. Hyphens at line break were retained unless the word was consistently hyphenless elsewhere. Missing spaces between words were supplied when unambiguous.
beatten; Dear (for Deer); galon; oatmel; somtimes
These spellings are rare but each occurs at least once.
Boyled
The spelling with “y” occurs only in the header for Section I. Both “boil’d” and “boiled” are used in the body text.
lay a lay of...
The word “layer” also occurs, but “lay” is more common.
Rabit
Note that the word is consistently spelled with one “b” except in the Index.
Snite
Probably a variant of “Snipe”, but in some books it is understood as a different bird.
roast, toast
Both words can be applied to meats.
give it a walm
The word “walm” is always used in this construction. It appears to mean “bring to a boil”. Some occurrences of “warm” may be errors for “walm”.
Catchwords
In several places, text at the beginning of a page was corrected from the catchword on the previous page:
A. You must break a goose contrary to the former way. Take a goose being roasted...
Text as printed at page break:
(Listing Added by Transcriber Using Author’s Headings)
Dedications:
To the Right Honourable my Lord Montague, My Lord Lumley, and my Lord Dormer; and to the Right worshipful Sir Kenelme Digby, so well known to this Nation for their Admired Hospitalities.
To the Master Cooks, and to such young Practitioners of the Art of Cookery, to whom this Book may be useful.
A short Narrative of some Passages of the Authors Life.
Triumphs and Trophies in Cookery, to be used at Festival Times, as Twelfth-day, &c.
On the Unparalell’d Piece of Mr. May His Cookery. (James Parry)
To the Reader of (my very loving Friend) Mr. Robert May his incomparable Book of Cookery. (John Town)
The most Exact, or A-la-mode Ways of Carving and Sewing.
Directions for the order of carving Fowl.
Bills of Fare for every Season in the Year.
SECTION I:
Perfect Directions for the A-la-mode Ways of dressing all manner of Boyled Meats, with their several sauces, &c.
To make several sorts of Puddings.
Sheeps Haggas Puddings.
To make any kind of sausages.
To make all manner of Hashes.
Divers made Dishes or Capilotado’s.
SECTION II:
An hundred and twelve excellent wayes for the dressing of Beef.
SECTION III:
The A-la-mode ways of dressing the Heads of any Beasts.
SECTION IV:
The rarest Ways of dressing of all manner of Roast Meats, either of Flesh or Fowl, by Sea or land, with their Sauces that properly belong to them.
SECTION V:
The best way of making all manner of Sallets.
SECTION VI:
To make all manner of Carbonadoes, either of Flesh or Fowl; as also all manner of fried Meats of Flesh, Collops and Eggs, with the most exquisite way of making Pancakes, Fritters, and Tansies.
SECTION VII:
The most Excellent Ways of making All sorts of Puddings.
SECTION VIII:
The rarest Ways of making all manner of Souces and Jellies.
SECTION IX:
The best way of making all manner of baked Meats.
SECTION X:
To bake all manner of Curneld Fruits in Pyes, Tarts, or made Dishes, raw or preserved, as Quinces, Warden, Pears, Pippins, &c.
SECTION XI:
To make all manner of made Dishes, with or without Paste.
SECTION XII:
To make all manner of Creams, Sack-Possets, Sillabubs, Blamangers, White-Pots, Fools, Wassels, &c.
SECTION XIII:
The First Section for dressing of Fish.
Shewing divers ways, and the most excellent, for Dressing of Carps, either Boiled, Stewed, Broiled, Roasted, or Baked, &c.
SECTION XIV:
The Second Section of Fish.
Shewing the most Excellent Ways of Dressing of Pikes.
SECTION XV:
The Third Section for dressing of Fish.
The most excellent ways of Dressing Salmon, Bace, or Mullet.
SECTION XVI:
The fourth Section for dressing of Fish.
Shewing the exactest ways of dressing Turbut, Plaice, Flounders, and Lampry.
SECTION XVII:
The Fifth Section of Fish.
Shewing the best way to Dress Eels, Conger, Lump, and Soals.
SECTION XVIII:
The Sixth Section of Fish.
The A-la-mode ways of Dressing and Ordering of Sturgeon.
SECTION XIX:
The Seventh Section of Fish.
Shewing the exactest Ways of Dressing all manner of Shell-Fish.
SECTION XX:
To make all manner of Pottages for Fish-Days.
SECTION XXI:
The exactest Ways for the Dressing of Eggs.
SECTION XXII:
The best Ways for the Dressing of Artichocks.
SECTION XXIII:
Shewing the best way of making Diet for the Sick.
SECTION XXIV:
Excellent Ways for Feeding of Poultrey.
THE TABLE (Index)
(Abbreviated)
Introductory Material
Detailed Table of Contents
Section I: Boiling
SECTION II: Beef
SECTION III: Heads
SECTION IV: Roasting
SECTION V: Sallets
SECTION VI: Frying
SECTION VII: Puddings
SECTION VIII: Souces and Jellies
SECTION IX: Baking
SECTION X: Fruit
SECTION XI: Made Dishes
SECTION XII: Creams
Sections XIII-XXIV