Sauce for a mawlerd Rosted

PERIOD: England, late 15th c. | SOURCE: MS Pepys 1047 | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: A honey mustard duck sauce made with ale.

Facsimile of receipt from the original manuscript:
 

Transcription of original receipt:

Sauce for a mawlerd Rosted

Take onyons And mense them wele
Put sum yn thy mawlerd so have the sele (29.1)
And mynce mo (29.2) Onyons I the ken (29.3)
With the grece of the mawlerd seth hit then
Put ale mustad And hony ther to
Boyle all to geder tyll hit be enowe

Modern translations:

(1) Sauce for a roasted mallard

Take onions and mince them well
Put some in thy mallard so have thee good fortune (29.1)
And mince more (29.2) onions I thee teach (29.3)
With the grease of the mallard boil it then
Put ale, mustard, and honey there to
Boil all together til it be enough

(2) Sauce for roasted mallard

Mince onions.
Stuff the mallard with the minced onions, for good luck. (29.1)
Mince additional (29.2) onions, as I instruct. (29.3)
Fry the onions in mallard grease.
Add ale, mustard, & honey.
Cook until done.

(29.1) sele - prosperity, good fortune. (ME Dictionary)

(29.2) mo - more, a greater amount, a larger amount. (ME Dictionary)

(29.3) ken - a variant of the Middle English word kennen, to instruct or teach. (ME Dictionary)

Modern version:

• one duck
• onions, minced
• duck grease (or substitute olive oil)
• ale
• dijon mustard
• honey