Medieval Recipe: Swan Pie with Lombard Mustard

 

Therewas very little that went uneaten in the early middle ages, including themajestic swan, herons and cranes. They were often boiled and chopped and putinto a pie. Here’s a recipe for Lumbard Mustard to serve alongside your ‘swanpie.’

Take mustard seed andwaishe it & drye it in an ovene, grynde it drye. farse it thurgh a farse.clarifie hony with wyne & vynegur & stereit wel togedrer and make it thikke ynowz. & whan þou wilt spende þerof makeit tnynne with wyne.

 Takemustard seed and wash it and dry it in an oven. Force it through a force? (probablymeans to grind it in a mortar). Add clarified honey, wine, vinegar and stir itwell together and make it thick. When thou will spende (use it) thereof, makeit thin with wine. 

This recipe is from The Form of Cury, a compilation of recipes from the chef at the court of King Richard the II in 1390. Lombardy, a reigion in Northern Italy was seen as the source of haute cuisine, hence the name Lombard Mustard!