Chapter 22

Take a quart of good thick sweet cream, and set it a boiling in a clean scoured skillet, with some large mace and whole cinamon; then having boil'd a warm or two take the yolks of five or six eggs dissolved and put to it, being taken from the fire, then take out the cinamon and mace; the cream being pretty thick, slice a fine manchet into thin slices, as much as will cover the bottom of the dish, pour on the cream on them, and more bread, some two or three times till the dish be full, then trim the dish side with fine carved sippets, and stick it with slic't dates, scrape on sugar, and cast on red and white biskets.

_To make Pap._

Take milk and flour, strain them, and set it over the fire till it boil, being boil'd, take it off and let it cool; then take the yolks of eggs, strain them, and put it in the milk with some salt, set it again on the embers, and stir it till it be thick, and stew leisurely, then put it in a clean scowred dish, and serve it for pottage, or in paste, add to it sugar and rose-water.

_To make Blamanger according to these Forms._

Take a capon being boil'd or rosted & mince it small then have a pound of blanched almonds beaten to a paste, and beat the minced capon amongst it, with some rose-water, mingle it with some cream, ten whites of eggs, and grated manchet, strain all the foresaid things with some salt, sugar, and a little musk, boil them in a pan or broad skillet clean scowred as thick as pap, in the boiling stir it continually, being boil'd strain it again, and serve it in paste in the foregoing forms, or made dishes with paste royal.

To make your paste for the forms, take to a quart of flour a quarter of a pound of butter, and the yolks of four eggs, boil your butter in fair water, and put the yolks of the eight eggs on one side of your dish, make up your paste quick, not too dry, and make it stiff.

_Otherways._

Take to a quart of fine flour a quarter of a pound of butter, a quarter of a pound of sugar, a little saffron, rose-water, a little beaten cinamon, and the yolk of an egg or two, work up all cold together with a little almond milk.

_Blamanger otherways._

Take a boil'd or rost capon, and being cold take off the skin, mince it and beat it in a mortar, with some almond paste, then mix it with some capon broth, and crumbs of manchet, strained together with some rose-water, salt, and sugar; boil it to a good thickness, then put it into the paste of the former forms, of an inch high, or in dishes with paste royal, the paste being first baked.

In this manner you may make Blamanger of a Pike.

_Otherways._

Boil or rost a capon, mince it, and stamp it with almond paste, & strain it either with capon broth, cream, goats-milk, or other milk, strain them with some rice flour, sugar, and rosewater, boil it in a pan like pap, with a little musk, and stir it continually in the boiling, then put in the forms of paste as aforesaid.

Sometimes use for change pine-apple-seeds and currans, other times put in dates, cinamon, saffron, figs, and raisins being minced together, put them in as it boils with a little sack.

_To make Blamanger otherways._

Take half a pound of fine searsed rice flour, and put to it a quart of morning milk, strain them through a strainer into a broad skillet; and set it on a soft fire, stir it with a broad stick, and when it is a little thick take it from the fire, then put in a quartern of rose-water, set it to the fire again, and stir it well, in the stirring beat it with the stick from the one side of the pan to the other, and when it is as thick as pap, take it from the fire, and put it in a fair platter, when it is cold lay three slices in a dish, and scrape on sugar.

_Blamanger otherways._

Take a capon or a pike and boil it in fair water very tender, then take the pulp of either of them and chop it small, then take a pound of blanched almonds beat to a paste, beat the pulp and the almonds together, and put to them a quart of cream, the whites of ten eggs, and the crumbs of a fine manchet, mingle all together, and strain them with some sugar and salt, put them in a clean broad stew pan and set them over the fire, stir it and boil it thick; being boiled put it into a platter till it be cold, strain it again with a little rose-water, and serve it with sugar.

_Otherways._

Blanch some almonds & beat them very fine to a paste with the boil'd pulp of a pike or capon, & crums of fine manchet, strain all together with sugar, and boil it to the thickness of an apple moise, then let it cool, strain it again with a little rose-water, and so serve it.

_To make Blamanger in the Italian fashion._

Boil a Capon in water and salt very tender, or all to mash, then beat Almonds, and strain them with your Capon-Broth, rice flour, sugar, and rose-water; boil it like pap, and serve it in this form; sometimes in place of Broth use Cream.

* * * * * * * * *

SECTION XIII.

or,

The First Section for dressing of _FISH_.

_Shewing divers ways, and the most excellent, for Dressing of Carps, either Boiled, Stewed, Broiled, Roasted, or Baked,_ &c.

_To Boil a Carp in Corbolion._

Take as much wine as water, and a good handful of salt, when it boils, draw the carp and put it in the liquor, boil it with a continual quick fire, and being boiled, dish it up in a very clean dish with sippets round about it, and slic't lemon, make the sauce of sweet butter, beaten up with slic't lemon and grated nutmeg, garnish the dish with beaten ginger.

_To boil a Carp the best way to be eaten hot._

Take a special male carp of eighteen inches, draw it, wash out the blood, and lay it in a tray, then put to it some wine-vinegar and salt, put the milt to it, the gall being taken from it; then have three quarts of white wine or claret, a quart of white wine vinegar, & five pints of fair water, or as much as will cover it; put the wine, water and vinegar, in a fair scowred pan or kettle, with a handful of salt, a quarter of an ounce of large mace, half a quartern of whole cloves, three slic'd nutmegs, six races of ginger pared and sliced, a quarter of an ounce of pepper, four or five great onions whole or sliced; then make a faggot of sweet herbs, of the tops of streight sprigs, of rosemary, seven or eight bay-leaves, 6 tops of sweet marjoram, as much of the streight tops of time, winter-savory, and parsley; being well bound up, put them into the kettle with the spices, and some orange and lemon-peels; make them boil apace before you put in the carp, and boil it up quick with a strong fire; being finely boil'd and crisp, dish it in a large clean scowred dish, lay on the herbs and spice on the carp, with slic't lemons and lemon-peels, put some of the broth to it, and run it over with beaten butter, put fine carved sippets round about it, and garnish the dish with fine searsed manchet.

Or you may make sauce for it only with butter beat up thick, with slices of lemon, some of the carp liquor, and an anchove or two, and garnish the dish with beatten ginger.

Or take three or four anchoves and dissolve them in some white-wine, put them in a pipkin with some slic't horse-raddish, gross pepper, some of the carp liquor, and some stewed oyster liquor, or stewed oysters, large mace, and a whole onion or two; the sauce being well stewed, dissolve the yolks of three or four eggs with some of the sauce, and give it a warm or two, pour it on the carp with some beaten butter, the stewed oysters and slic't lemon, barberries, or grapes.

_Otherways._

Dissolve three or four anchoves, with a little grated bread and nutmeg, and give it a warm in some of the broth the carp was boiled in, beat it up thick with some butter, and a clove of garlick, or pour it on the carp.

Or make sauce with beaten butter, grape-verjuyce, white wine, slic't lemon, juyce of oranges, juyce of sorrel, or white-wine vinegar.

_Or thus._

Take white or claret wine, put it in a pipkin with some pared or sliced ginger, large mace, dates quartered, a pint of great oysters with the liquor, a little vinegar and salt, boil these a quarter of an hour, then mince a handful of parsley, and some sweet herbs, boil it as much longer till half be consumed, then beat up the sauce with half a pound of butter and a slic't lemon, and pour it on the carp.

Sometimes for the foresaid carp use grapes, barberries, gooseberries, and horse-raddish, _&c._

_To make a Bisque of Carps._

Take twelve handsome male carps, and one larger than the rest, take out all the milts, and flea the twelve small carps, cut off their heads, take out their tongues, and take the fish from the bones, then take twelve large oysters and three or four yolks of hard eggs minc'd together, season it with cloves, mace, and salt, make thereof a stiff searse, add thereto the yolks of four or five eggs to bind, and fashion it into balls or rolls as you please, lay them into a deep dish or earthen pan, and put thereto twenty or thirty great oysters, two or three anchoves, the milts & tongues of the twelve carps, half a pound of fresh butter, the liquor of the oysters, the juyce of a lemon or two, a little white wine, some of the corbolion wherein the great carp is boil'd, & a whole onion, so set them a stewing on a soft fire, and make a soop therewith. For the great carp you must scald, draw him, and lay him for half an hour with other carps heads in a deep pan, with as much white wine vinegar as will cover and serve to boil him & the other heads in, then put therein pepper, whole mace, a race of ginger, slic't nutmeg, salt, sweet herbs, an onion or two slic't, & a lemon; when you have boiled the carps pour the liquor with the spices into the kettle where you boil him, when it boils put in the carp, and let it not boil too fast for breaking, after the carp hath boil'd a while put in the heads, and being boil'd, take off the liquor and let the carps and the heads keep warm in the kettle till you go to dish them. When you dress the bisk take a large silver dish, set it on the fire, lay therein slices of French bread, and steep it with a ladle full of the corbolion, then take up the great carp and lay him in the midst of the dish, range the twelve heads about the carp, then lay the fearse of the carp, lay that into the oysters, milts, and tongues, and pour on the liquor wherein the fearse was boil'd, wring in the juyce of a lemon and two oranges, and serve it very hot to the table.

_To make a Bisk with Carps and other several Fishes._

Make the corbolion for the Bisk of some Jacks or small Carps boil'd in half white-wine and fair spring-water; some cloves, salt, and mace, boil it down to jelly, strain it, and keep it warm for to scald the bisk; then take four carps, four tenches, four perches, two pikes, two eels flayed and drawn; the carps being scalded, drawn, and cut into quarters, the tenches scalded and left whole, also the pearches and the pikes all finely scalded, cleansed, and cut into twelve pieces, three of each side, then put them into a large stewing-pan with three quarts of claret-wine, an ounce of large mace, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, half an ounce of pepper, a quarter of an ounce of ginger pared & slic't, sweet herbs chopped small, as stripped time, savory, sweet marjoram, parsley, rosemary, three or four bay-leaves, salt, chesnuts, pistaches, five or six great onions, and stew all together on a quick fire.

Then stew a pottle of oysters the greatest you can get, parboil them in their own liquor, cleanse them from the dregs, and wash them in warm water from the grounds and shells, put them into a pipkin with three or four great onions peeled, then take large mace, and a little of their own liquor, or a little wine vinegar, or white wine.

Next take twelve flounders being drawn and cleansed from the guts, fry them in clarified butter with a hundred of large smelts, being fryed stew them in a stew-pan with claret-wine, grated nutmeg, slic't orange, butter, and salt.

Then have a hundred of prawns, boiled, picked, and buttered, or fryed.

Next, bottoms of artichocks, boiled, blanched, and put in beaten butter, grated nutmeg, salt, white-wine, skirrets, and sparagus in the foresaid sauce.

Then mince a pike and an eel, cleanse them, and season them with cloves, mace, pepper, salt, some sweet herbs minct, some pistaches, barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, some grated manchet, and yolks of raw eggs, mingle all the foresaid things together, and make it into balls, or farse some cabbidge lettice, and bake the balls in an oven, being baked stick the balls with pine-apple seeds, and pistaches, as also the lettice.

Then all the foresaid things being made ready, have a large clean scowred dish, with large sops of French bread lay the carps upon them, and between them some tench, pearch, pike, and eels, & the stewed oysteres all over the other fish, then the fried flounders & smelts over the oysters, then the balls & lettice stuck with pistaches, the artichocks, skirrets, sparagus, butter prawns, yolks of hard eggs, large mace, fryed smelts, grapes, slic't lemon, oranges, red beets or pomegranats, broth it with the leer that was made for it, and run it over with beaten butter.

_The best way to stew a Carp._

Dress the carp and take out the milt, put it in a dish with then carp, and take out the gall, then save the blood, and scotch the carp on the back with your knife; if the carp be eighteen inches, take a quart of claret or white wine, four or five blades of large mace, 10 cloves, two good races of ginger slic't, two slic't nutmegs, and a few sweet herbs, as the tops of sweet marjoram, time, savory, and parsley chopped very small, four great onions whole, three or four bay-leaves, and some salt; stew them all together in a stew-pan or clean scowred kettle with the wine, when the pan boils put in the carp with a quarter of a pound of good sweet butter, boil it on a quick fire of charcoal, and being well stew'd down, dish it in a clean large dish, pour the sauce on it with the spices, lay on slic't lemon and lemon-peel, or barberries, grapes, or gooseberries, and run it over with beaten butter, garnish the dish with dryed manchet grated and searsed, and carved sippets laid round the dish.

In feasts the carps being scal'd, garnish the body with stewed oysters, some fryed in white batter, some in green made with the juyce of spinage: sometimes in place of sippets use fritters of arms, somtimes horse-raddish, and rub the dish with a clove or two of garlick.

For more variety, in the order abovesaid, sometimes dissolve an anchove or two, with some of the broth it was stewed in, and the yolks of two eggs dissolved with some verjuyce, wine, or juyce of orange; sometimes add some capers, and hard eggs chopped, as also sweet herbs, _&c._

_To stew a Carp in the French fashion._

Take a Carp, split it down the back alive, & put it in boiling liquor, then take a good large dish or stew-pan that will contain the carp; put in as much claret wine as will cover it, and wash off the blood, take out the carp, and put into the wine in the dish three or four slic't onions, three or four blades of large mace, gross pepper, and salt; when the stew-pan boils put in the carp and cover it close, being well stewed down, dish it up in a clean scowred dish with fine carved sippets round about it, pour the liquor it was boiled in on it, with the spices, onions, slic't lemon, and lemon-peel, run it over with beaten butter, and garnish the dish with dryed grated bread.

_Another most excellent way to stew a Carp._

Take a carp and scale it, being well cleansed and dried with a clean cloth, then split it and fry it in clarified butter, being finely fryed put it in a deep dish with two or three spoonfuls of claret wine, grated nutmeg, a blade or two of large mace, salt, three or four slices of an orange, and some sweet butter, set it on a chafing dish of coals, cover it close, and stew it up quick, then turn it, and being very well stew'd, dish it on fine carv'd sippets, run it over with the sauce it was stewed in, the spices, beaten butter, and the slices of a fresh orange, and garnish the dish with dry manchet grated and searsed.

In this way you may stew any good fish, as soles, lobsters, prawns, oysters, or cockles.

_Otherways._

Take a carp and scale it, scrape off the slime with a knife and wipe it clean with a dry cloth; then draw it, and wash the blood out with some claret wine into the pipkin where you stew it, cut it into quarters, halves, or whole, and put it into a broad mouthed pipkin or earthen-pan, put to it as much wine as water, a bundle of sweet herbs, some raisins of the sun, currans, large mace, cloves, whole cinamon, slic't ginger, salt, and some prunes boiled and strained, put in also some strained bread or flour, and stew them all together; being stewed, dish the carp in a clean scowred dish on fine carved sippets, pour the broth on the carp, and garnish it with the fruit, spices, some slic't lemon, barberries, or grapes, some orangado or preserved barberries, and scrape on sugar.

_Otherways._

Do it as before, save only no currans, put prunes strained, beaten pepper, and some saffron.

_To stew a Carp seven several ways._

1. Take a carp, scale it, and scrape off the slime, wipe it with a dry cloth, and give it a cut or two cross the back, then put it a boiling whole, parted down the back in halves, or quarters, put it in a broad mouthed pipkin with some claret or white-wine, some wine-vinegar, and good fresh fish broth or some fair water, three or four blades of large mace, some slic't onions fryed, currans, and some good butter; cover up the pipkin, and being finely stewed, put in some almond-milk, and some sweet herbs finely minced, or some grated manchet, and being well stewed, serve it up on fine carved sippets, broth it, and garnish the dish with some barberries or grapes, and the dish with some stale manchet grated and sears'd, being first dryed.

2. For the foresaid broth, yolks of hard eggs strained with some steeped manchet, some of the broth it is stewed in, and a little saffron.

3. For variety of garnish, carrots in dice-work, some raisins, large mace, a few prunes, and marigold flowers, boil'd in the foresaid broth.

4. Or leave out carrots and fruit, and put samphire and capers, and thicken it with French barley tender boil'd.

5. Or no fruit, but keep the order aforesaid, only adding sweet marjoram, stripped tyme, parsley, and savory, bruise them with the back of a ladle, and put them into the broth.

6. Otherways, stewed oysters to garnish the carp, and some boil'd bottoms of artichocks, put them to the stewed oysters or skirrets being boil'd, grapes, barberries, and the broth thickned with yolks of eggs strained with some sack, white wine, or caper liquor.

7. Boil it as before, without fruit, and add to it capers, carrots in dice-work, mace, faggot of sweet herbs, slic't onions chopp'd with parsley, and boil'd in the broth then have boil'd colliffowers, turnips, parsnips, sparagus, or chesnuts in place of carrots, and the leire strained with yolks of eggs and white wine.

_To make French Herb Pottage for Fasting Days._

Take half a handful of lettice, as much of spinage, half as much of Bugloss and Borrage, two handfuls of sorrel, a little parsley, sage, a good handful of purslain, half a pound of butter, some pepper and salt, and sometimes, some cucumbers.

_Other Broth or Pottage of a Carp._

Take a carp, scale it, and scrape off the slime, wash it, and wipe it with a clean cloth, then draw it, and put it in a broad mouthed pipkin that will contain it, put to it a pint of good white or claret wine, and as much good fresh fish broth as will cover it, or as much fair water, with the blood of the carp, four or five blades of large mace, a little beaten pepper, some slic't onions, a clove or two, some sweet herbs chopped, a handful of capers, and some salt, stew all together, the carp being well stewed, put in some almond paste, with some white-wine, give it a warm or two with some stewed oyster-liquor, & serve it on French bread in a fair scowr'd dish, pour on the liquor, and garnish it with dryed grated manchet.

_To dress a Carp in Stoffado._

Take a carp alive, scale it, and lard it with a good salt eel, steep it in claret or white-wine, in an earthen pan, and put to it some wine-vinegar, whole cloves, large mace, gross pepper, slic't ginger, and four or five cloves of garlick, then have an earthen pan that will contain it, or a large pipkin, put to it some sweet herbs, three or four sprigs of rosemary, as many of time and sweet marjoram, two or three bay-leaves and parsley, put the liquor to it into the pan or pipkin wherein you will stew it, and paste on the cover, stew it in the oven, in an hour it will be baked, then serve it hot for dinner or supper, serve it on fine carved sippets of French bread, and the spices on it, with herbs, slic't lemon and lemon peel; and run it over with beaten butter.

_To hash a Carp._

Take a carp, scale, and scrape off the slime with your knife, wipe it with a dry cloth, bone it, and mince it with a fresh water eel being flayed and boned; season it with beaten cloves, mace, salt, pepper, and some sweet herbs, as tyme, parsley, and some sweet marjoram minced very small, stew it in a broad mouthed pipkin, with some claret wine, gooseberries, or grapes, and some blanched chesnuts; being finely stewed, serve it on carved sippets about it, and run it over with beaten butter, garnish the dish with fine grated manchet searsed, and some fryed oysters in butter, cockles, or prawns.

Sometimes for variety, use pistaches, pine-apple-seeds, or some blanch't almonds stew'd amongst the hash, or asparagus, or artichock boil'd & cut as big as chesnuts, & garnish the dish with scraped horse-radish, and rub the bottom of the dish in which you serve the meat, with a clove or two of garlick. Sometimes mingle it with some stewed oysters, or put to it some oyster-liquor.

_To marinate a Carp to be eaten hot or cold._

Take a carp, scale it, and scrape off the slime, wipe it clean with a dry cloth, and split it down the back, flour it, and fry it in sweet sallet oyl, or good clarified butter; being fine and crisp fryed, lay it in a deep dish or earthen pan, then have some white or claret wine, or wine-vinegar, put it in a broad mouthed pipkin with all manner of sweet herbs bound up in a bundle, as rosemary, tyme, sweet marjoram, parsley, winter-savory, bay-leaves, sorrel, and sage, as much of one as the other, put it into the pipkin with the wine, with some large mace, slic't ginger, gross pepper, slic't nutmeg, whole cloves, and salt, with as much wine and vinegar as will cover the dish, then boil the spices and wine with some salt a little while, pour it on the fish hot, and presently cover it close to keep in the spirits of the liquor, herbs, and spices for an hours space; then have slic't lemons, lemon-peels, orange and orange peels, lay them over the fish in the pan, and cover it up close; when you serve them hot lay on the spices and herbs all about it, with the slic't lemons, oranges, and their peels, and run it over with sweet sallet oyl, (or none) but some of the liquor it is soust in.

Or marinate the carp or carps without sweet herbs for hot or cold, only bay-leaves, in all points else as is abovesaid; thus you may marinate soles, or any other fish, whether sea or fresh-water fish.

Or barrel it, pack it close, and it will keep as long as sturgeon, and as good.

_To broil or toast a Carp divers ways, either in sweet Butter or Sallet Oyl._