In our back yard this fine evening, I saw the little birdies playing and basking in the sun, merrily singing and eating the seed my wife set out for them, and my thoughts ever-so briefly turned to…
Recipes for a Time of Face-Colanders.
From A Fifteenth Century Cookry Boke:
Smale Byrdys y-Stwyde
Take smale byrdys, an pulle hem an drawe hem clene, an washe hem fayre, an schoppe of ∫e leggys, and frye hem in a panne of freysshe grece ry3t wyl; ∫an ley hem on a fayre lynen clothe, an lette ∫e grece renne owt; ∫an take onyonys, an mynce hem smale, an frye hem on fayre freysshe grece, an caste hem on an er∫en potte; ∫an take a gode porcyon of canel, an wyne, an draw ∫orw a straynoure, an caste in-to ∫e potte with ∫e onyonys; ∫an caste ∫e bryddys ∫er-to, an clowys, an maces, an a lytil quantyte of powder pepir ∫er-to, an lete hem boyle to-gederys y-now; ∫an caste ∫er-to whyte sugre, an powder gyngere, salt, safron, an serue it forth.
[I’m no expert, but I believe that says: Small Birds Stewed. Take small birds, and pull them and draw them clean, and wash them fair, and chop off the legs, and fry them in a pan of fresh grease right well, then lay them on fair linen cloth and let the grease run out; then take onions, and mince them small, and fry them on fair fresh grease, and cast them in an earthen pot; then take a good portion of cinnamon, and wine, and draw through a strainer, and cast into the pot with the onions; then cast the birds thereto, and cloves, and mace, and a little quantity of powdered pepper thereto, and let them boil together now, then cast thereto white sugar, and powdered ginger, salt, saffron, and serve it forth.]
Perfect for the fruits of a late-afternoon hunt with the Wonderful Six-Shot Slingshot. You’re welcome!
That looks like a recipe from “Take a Thousand Eggs or More…..”