Comodore: A Recipe form the Book of Cury

 

Comodore:A Fruit and Pastry Recipe from the Form of Cury

 

I have a newish figtree, only three years old and it’s yet to really set a lot of fruite. Lastfall I had five or six figs. I’m expecting more this year. Here’s a recipeusing figs. It’s got a lot of steps. (who thought medieval cooking was basic?) Ilove to see what this tastes like. It actually sounds pretty tasty. Below is the actual recipe with it original spelling. Can you make out what it says? I've got my translation below. 

 

Take Fyges andRaisouns. pyke hem and waisshe hem clene, skalde hem in wyne. grynde hem rightsmale, cast sugur in the self wyne. and founde it togyder. drawe it up thurgh astraynour. & alye up the fruyt therwith. take gode peerys and Apples. parehem and take the best, grynde hem smale and cast therto. set a pot on thefuyrer [2] with oyle and cast alle thise thynges therinne. and stere itwarliche, and kepe it wel fro brennyng. and whan it is fyned cast thertopowdours of gynger of canel. of galyngale. hool clowes flour of canel. &macys hoole. cast therto pynes a litel fryed in oile & salt, and whan it isynowz fyned: take it up and do it in a vessel & lat it kele. and whan it iscolde: kerue out with a knyf smale pecys of the gretnesse & of the lengthof a litel fyngur. & close it fast in gode past. & frye hem in oile.& serve forth.

 

My interpretation:

Take figs and raisins,soak them and was them clean. Scald them in wine. Grind them small and addsugar and mix well. Put through a strainer.

Take good pears andapples, pare them and cut them up into small pieces. Put them in a pot over thefire with oil. Add the figs and raisins and stir very well. Add the followingspices: ginger, cinnamon, whole cloves, and whole mace. Fry it up with a littlesalt, then remove it, let it cool. When cold, cut into slices the length of alittle finger. Wrap it in pastry and then fry the pasty in oil.

Sounds a little like afried pie made with fruit paste. What do you think?