The good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin, London 1594.

The good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin. London 1594.
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<<A1a>>

The good Huswifes
Handmaide
for the Kitchin.

Containing
Manie principall pointes of Cookerie,
as well how to dresse meates, after sundrie
the best fashions vsed in England and other
Countries, with their apt and proper
sawces, both for flesh and fish, as also the
orderly seruing of the same to the Table.

Hereunto are annexed, sundrie
necessarie Conceits for the
preservation of health.

Uerie meete to be adioined to the good
Huswifes Closet of prouision
for her Houshold.

Imprinted at London by Richard
Jones, 1594

<<A2a>>

To knowe the due
seasons for the vse of al maner of
meats throughout the yeare.

BRawn is best from holy Rood day
til Lent, and at no other time
commonlie vsed for seruice. Bacon, Beefe
and Mutton, is good at all tymes, but
the woorst tyme for Mutton is from
Easter to Midsommer. A fatte yoong
Pig is neuer out of season. A Goose is
worst at Midsommer, & best in stubble
tyme, but they be best of all when
they be yoong green Geese. Veale is
all tymes good, but best in Januarie
and Februarie. Kidde and yoong
Lambe is best between Christmasse
& Lent, & good from Easter to
Whitsontide, but Kid is euer good. Hennes
be all times good, but best from
Alhallowntyde to Lent. Fatte Capons be
euer good. Peacocks bee euer in season,
but when they be yoong and of a
good stature, they be as good as
Feasants, & so be yoong Grouces. Sinets be
best betweene Alhallowen day and
<<A2b>>
Lent. A Mallard is good after a frost,
til Candlemas, so is a Teal and other
wild foule that swimmeth. A Woodcocke
is best from October to Lent,
and so be all other birdes, as Ousels,
Thrushes and Robins, and such other.
Herons, Curlewes, Crane, Bittour,
Bussard, be at all times good, but best in
Winter. Feasant, Partridge and Raile,
be euer good, but best when they bee
taken with a Hawke, Quaile & Larks
be euer good[.] Connies be euer in season,
but best from October to Lent[.] A
gelded Deare, whether he be fallow
or red, is euer good. A Pollard is
speciallie good in May, at Midsommer
he is a Bucke, and verie good till Holy
Rood day before Michaelmas, so likewise
is a Stagge, but he is principal in
Maie. A barren Doe is best in Winter.
A Pricket and a Sorell syster is euer
in season. Chickens bee euer
good: and so be yoong
Pigeons.

<<1a>>

The good huswiues
Handmaid, for Cookerie in her
Kitchin, in dressing all maner of meat, with
other wholsom diet, for her and
her Houshold, &c.

To boyle Mutton with Mallowes
or Turneps.

TAke a necke of Mutton, cut it in ribs,
and put it in a pot, and a good quantity
of beefe broth, and make it boyle: then
take your Turneps or Mallowes, and
cut them in peeces, of the bignes of your mutton,
then put into your pot a little pepper, and
so let them stew till they be verie tender, then
take them of, and serue them vppon sops.

To boyle Mutton with Spinage.

TAke your necke of Mutton and cut it
in peeces, and put it into a faire pot,
and a good quantitie of Mutton broth,
and make it boyle: then take sweete Bacon,
and cut it of the bignes of your finger, and of
the length, and put it in your pot, sixe or seuen
peeces: then take three good handful of Spinnage,
wash it verie cleane, and wring the
water from it, and cut it small, and put it into
<<1b>>
the pot, and a litle pepper and salt, look that
you haue no more broth then will couer your
meat: so let it stewe verie softlie till it be
tender, then serue it vpon sops.

To boyl mutton with Carrets.

TAke a breast or necke of Mutton, cut it of
the bignes of your thombe, and put it into
an earthen pot with faire water, and make
it seeth: Then take Carret rootes, and
scrape them cleane, and cut them of the
bignesse of your Mutton, and let them seeth, then
put in halfe a handfull of stripped Tyme, asmuch
of Sauorie and Jsope, and a litle salte
and Pepper: Let them seeth till your Mutton
and roots be verie tender, then serue them
vpon sops.

To boyle Mutton with Colworts.

TAke a necke of fat Mutton, and cut your
ribbes, and broyle them vpon a girdyron
till they be halfe ynough, then put them
in a faire earthen pot, and a good quantitie
of beefe broth, and make them boyle: Then
take two handfull of Colewortes, and wash
them cleane, and beate them in peeces, and
put them to your Mutton, and a ladle full of
the fatte of your beefe broth, and a litle Pepper
and salte, and so let them stewe till they
be verie tender, and put them vpon Soppes,
<<2a>>
put no salt in till the meate be readie to be
taken up.

To boyle a legge of Mutton with
a pudding.

FJrst, with a knife raise the skin round
about, til you come to the iointes, and when
you haue perboyled the meate, shred it fine
with suet or Marie, Parsley, Marioram, and
Penieroyall: then season it with Pepper and
salte, cloues, Mace, and Sinamon, and take
the yolkes of nine or tenne egges, and mingle
with your meat a good handfull of Corrans,
and a few minced Dates, and put the meate
into the skinne of the leg of Mutton, and close
it with prickes, and so boyle it with the broth
that you boyle a Capon, and let it seeth the
space of two houres.

To boyle a leg of Mutton with
Lemmons.

WHen your Mutton is halfe boyled,
take it vp, cut it in small peeces: put
it into a pipkin, and couer it close, and
put thereto the best of the broth, as much as
shall couer you [>your] Mutton, your Lemmons
being sliced verie thin, and quartered, and
Corrans, put in pepper grose beaten, and so let
them boyle together, and when they be well
boyled, season it with a litle Uergious, sugar,
<<2b>>
pepper grose beaten, and a little sanders, so
lay it in fine dishes vpon sops. Jt will make
three messe for the table.

To boyle Mutton with Endiue, Borage, or
Lettice, or any kinde of hearbes that
may serue thereunto.

WHen your Mutton is well boyled,
take the best of the broth, and put it
in a pipkin: and put thereto an handfull
of Endiue, borage, or what hearbs you
list, and cast therto a few corrans, and let them
boyle well, and put thereto a peece of vpper
crust of white breade, season it with pepper
grose beaten, and a little vergious, and a little
Suger, and so powre it vppon your meat.

To boyle Mutton for a sicke bodie.

PUt your Mutton into a pipkin, seeth it,
and scum it cleane, and put thereto a crust
of bread, Fennell roots, Parsly roots, corrans,
great Raisons (the stones taken out) and
hearbs, according [<-iag] as the patient is[.] If they be
cold, hot hearbs may be borne: if they be hot,
cold hearbs be best, as Endiue, Sinamon,
Uiolet leaues, and some Sorrell: let them boyle
together. Then put in Prunes, and a verie litle
salt. This is broth for a sicke bodie.

To make balles of Mutton.

<<3a>>

TAke your Mutton and mince it very fine
with suet. Then season it with sugar
Sinamon, Ginger, Cloues and Mace, Salt
and raw egges, make it in round balles. Let
your broth seeth ere you put them in. Make
your broth with Corrance, Dates quartered,
whole Mace and salt. Thicke it with yolkes
of Egges, and Uergious, and serue it vppon
soppes.

To boyle a Capon with Oranges after
Mistres Duffelds way.

TAke a Capon and boyle it with Ueale, or
with a mary bone, or what your fancie
is. Then take a good quantitie of that
broth, and put it in an earthen pot by it selfe,
and put thereto a good handfull of Corrans,
and as manie Prunes, and a few whole Maces,
and some Marie, and put to this broth a
good quantitie of white wine or of Claret,
and so let them seeth softly together: Then
take your Orenges, and with a knife scrape of
all the filthinesse of the outside of them. Then
cut them in the middest, and wring out the
ioyse of three or foure of them, put the ioyse
into your broth with the rest of your stuffe,
then slice your Orenges thinne, and haue vpon
the fire readie a skellet of faire seething
water, and put your sliced Orenges into the
<<3b>>
water, & when that water is bitter, haue more
readie, and so change them still as long as you
can finde the great bitternesse in the water,
which will be sixe or seven times, or more, if
you find need: then take them from the water,
and let that runne cleane from them: then
put close Orenges into your potte with your
broth, and so let them stew together till your
Capon be readie. Then make your sops with
this broth, and cast on a litle Sinamon, Ginger,
and Sugar, and vpon this lay your Capon,
and some of your Orenges vpon it, and
some of your Marie, and towarde the end of
the boyling of your broth, put in a little
Uergious, if you think best.

To boyle a Capon in white broth.

BOyle your Capon in faire liquor, and couer
it to keep it white, but you must boyl
no other meat with it, take the best of the
broth, and as much vergious as of the broth,
if your vergious be not too sowre, & put therto
whole Mace, whole pepper and a good hand
ful of Endiue, Letuce or Borage, whether of
them ye wil, smal Raisons, Dates, Marow of
marow bones, a litle sticke of Sinamon, the
peele of an Orenge. Then put in a good peece
of Sugar, and boyl them well together. Then
take two or three yolkes of egges sodden, and
<<4a>>
strain them and thick it withal, and boyl your
prunes by themselues, and lay vpon your
Capon: powre your broth vpon your Capon.

Thus may you boyle anie thing in white
broth.

Another way to boyle a Capon in
white broth.

TAke Marow bones, breake them, and boyl
them and take out the Marrowe. Then
seeth your Capon in the same liquor. Then
take the best of the liquor in a small potte to
make your broth withall. Then take Corrans,
Dates, and Prunes, and boyle them in
a potte by themselues, till they bee plum, then
take them vp, and put them into your broth,
then put whole Mace to them, and a good
quantitie of beaten Ginger, and some Salt.
Then put the Marrowe that you did take
from the bones, and straine the yolkes of Egs
with Uinigre, and put them into your broth,
with a good peece of Sugar, but after this it
must not boyl. Then take bread, and cut therof
thin sippets, and lay them in the bottome of
a dish, then take sugar, and scrape it about the
sides of the dish, and lay thereon your Capon,
and the fruit vpon it, and so serue it in.

To boyle a Capon in brewes.

<<4b>>

YOu must boyle your Capon with fatte
meat, then take the best of the broth, and
put it in a pipkin, and put whole Mace
to it, whole Pepper, some red Corrans, halfe
as much white wine as you haue of brothe,
good store of marrowe and Dates, and scum
them cleane, and keep your liquor verie clear,
and season it with vergious and Sugar, and
then lay your Capon vpon browes finely cut,
and so powre your broth vpon it.

To boyle a Capon with Orenges
or Lemmons.

TAke your Capon and boyle him tender,
and take a litle of the broth when it is boiled,
and put it into a pipkin, with Mace and
Sugar a good deale, and pare three Orenges
and pill them, and put them in your pipkin,
and boyle them a litle among your broth, and
thicken it with wine and yolks of Egges, and
Sugar a good deale, and salt but a litle, and
set your broth no more on the fyre, for quailing,
and serue it in without sippets.

To make Sops for a Capon.

TAke tostes of bread, Butter, Claret wine,
and slices of Orenges, and lay them vpon
the tostes, and Sinamon, Sugar, and
Ginger.

<<5a>>

To make Sops for Chickens.

FJrst take Butter, and melt it vpon a
chafingdish with coales, and lay in the dish
thinne tostes of breade, and make Sorrell
sauce with Uergious and Gooseberries, seeth
them with a litle Uergious and lay them
vppon.

To boyle a Mallard with Cabage.

TAke the Cabage and pick them cleane, and
wash them, and parboile them in faire water:
then put them in a colender, and let the
water runne from them, then put them in a
faire pot, and as much beefe broth as will couer
them, and the Marie of three Mary bones
whole. Then take a Mallard, and with your
knife giue him a launce along vppon each side
of the breast. Then take him of, and put him
into your Cabage, and his dripping with him,
for he must be roasted halfe ynough, and his
dripping saued, and so let them stew the space
of one hower. Then put in some pepper and a
litle salt, & serue in your Mallard vpon sops,
and the Cabage about him, and of the vppermost
of the broth.

To boyle a Mallard with Onions.

TAke a Mallard, rost him halfe ynough, and
saue the dripping, then put him into a faire
<<5b>>
pot, and his grauie with him, and put into his
bellie sixe or seuen whole Onions, and a spoon
full of whole pepper, and asmuch abroad in
your pot, put to it as much Mutton broth or
beefe broth as will couer the Mallarde, and
halfe a dish of sweete butter, two spoonefuls of
Uergious, and let them boyle the space of an
houre. Then put in some salt, and take off the
pot, and lay the Mallard vpon soppes, and the
Onions about him, and powre the vppermost
of the broth vpon them.

To boyle a Ducke.

SEeth the Ducke with some good Marrow
bones, or Mutton, and take the best of the
broth, and put therein a fewe Cloues, a
good manie sliced Onions, and let them boyle
well together till the Onions bee tender, and
then season your broth with Uergious and a
litle bruised pepper: Take up your Ducke
and lay it vpon sops, and giue it two slices
vpon the breast, and sticke it full of Cloues, and
powre the broth vpon it.

To boyle Stockdoues.

SEeth them with Beef or Mutton. Take
the best of the broth, and put in a pipkin,
and put thereunto Onions finely minced
and a few Corrans, and so boyle them til
they be very tender, and season them, with
<<6a>>
vergious and a litle sweet butter, & powre them
vpon your Stockdoues when they be laid
vpon your sops.

To boyle a Conie with a Pudding
in his bellie.

TAke your Conie and flea him, and leaue on
the eares, and wash it faire, and take grated
bread, sweet suet minced fine, Corrans,
and some fine hearbs, Peniroyall, winter Sauerie,
Parslie, Spinnage or Beetes, sweete
Marioram, and chop your hearbes fine, and
season it with Cloues, Mace, and Sugar, and
a litle Creame, and salt, and yolks of Egges,
and Dates minced fine. Then mingle all your
stuffe together, and put it into your rabbets
bellie, and sowe it vp with a thred. For the
broth, take Mutton broth, when it is boyled
a litle, and put it in, then put in Gooseberries
or els Grapes, Corrans, and sweete butter,
Uergious, salte, grated breade, and sugar a litle,
and when it is boyled, lay it in a dish with
Sops, and so serue it in.

To boyle Chickens or Capons.

FJrst boyle them in faire water till they be
tender. Then take bread and steepe it in
the broth of them, and with the yolkes of
foure or fiue Egges, and Uergious or white
Wine, straine it, and therewith season your
<<6b>>
broth and your Capon in it. Then take Butter,
Parslie, and other small hearbs, and chop
them into it. And so serue them foorth vppon
soppes of bread.

To boyle Chickens with a Cawdel.

TAke your chickens when they are fair
scalded, and trussed and stuffed with Parslie
in their bellies, and put them in a potte with
faire water and a litle salte, and put to them
twentie Prunes, halfe a handfull of corrans
and Raisons, and let them boyle altogether
till your chickens bee tender, then take sixe
yolkes, and a pynte of Uinegar, and straine
them together, and put thereto a quartern of
Sugar, or as yee thinke meete, and so let it
boyle, but ye must stirre it stil, els it wil curd:
and when it boyleth, take it from the fire: then
take your chickens, and put them in a colender,
that the broth may goe cleane away, and
so put your chickens and the fruite into the
cawdell, and make soppes, and lay on your
chickens and the fruite, and powre on the
cawdell.

To seeth Chickens in Lettice.

(...)

more later, Thomas, 4-05-2005