Gurnard PERIOD: England, late 15th c. | SOURCE: MS Pepys 1047 | CLASS: Authentic DESCRIPTION: Fish cooked in ale and served with a pepper vinegar sauce.
Facsimile of receipt from the original manuscript:
Transcription of original receipt: Gurnard Take hym and slytte A litill the wombe And take owte the guttys and and seth hym in sauce of salte water and ale the sauce is pepur And vyneAger. Modern translation: Gurnard. Take him and slit a little the womb and take out the guts and boil him in sauce of salt water and ale. The sauce is pepper and vinegar. Modern recipe:
Pepper Vinegar Sauce: This original medieval recipe comes from the 14th century Le Viandier de Taillevent. 165. Poivre noir: Black Pepper Sauce. Grind ginger, round pepper and burnt toast, infuse this in vinegar (var.: and a little verjuice) and boil it. Source: Scully, Terence, ed. Le Viandier de Taillevent. An Edition of all Extant Manuscripts. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 1988. Modern recipe
This very tart sauce may startle a few people, but many love its sharp and unique taste. Feel free to adjust the spices to your personal taste - some may enjoy using less pepper and more ginger, etc. The sauce can be as thin as a gravy or as thick as a dip. |
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