Comodore: A Recipe form the Book of Cury

 

Comodore: A Fruit and Pastry Recipe from the Form of Cury

 

I have a newish fig tree, only three years old and it’s yet to really set a lot of fruite. Last fall I had five or six figs. I’m expecting more this year. Here’s a recipe using figs. It’s got a lot of steps. (who thought medieval cooking was basic?) I love to see what this tastes like. It actually sounds pretty tasty. Below is the actual recipe with it original spelling. Can you make out what it says? I've got my translation below. 

 

Take Fyges and Raisouns. pyke hem and waisshe hem clene, skalde hem in wyne. grynde hem right smale, cast sugur in the self wyne. and founde it togyder. drawe it up thurgh a straynour. & alye up the fruyt therwith. take gode peerys and Apples. pare hem and take the best, grynde hem smale and cast therto. set a pot on the fuyrer [2] with oyle and cast alle thise thynges therinne. and stere it warliche, and kepe it wel fro brennyng. and whan it is fyned cast therto powdours of gynger of canel. of galyngale. hool clowes flour of canel. & macys hoole. cast therto pynes a litel fryed in oile & salt, and whan it is ynowz fyned: take it up and do it in a vessel & lat it kele. and whan it is colde: kerue out with a knyf smale pecys of the gretnesse & of the length of a litel fyngur. & close it fast in gode past. & frye hem in oile. & serve forth.

 

My interpretation:

Take figs and raisins, soak them and was them clean. Scald them in wine. Grind them small and add sugar and mix well. Put through a strainer.

Take good pears and apples, pare them and cut them up into small pieces. Put them in a pot over the fire with oil. Add the figs and raisins and stir very well. Add the following spices: ginger, cinnamon, whole cloves, and whole mace. Fry it up with a little salt, then remove it, let it cool. When cold, cut into slices the length of a little finger. Wrap it in pastry and then fry the pasty in oil.

Sounds a little like a fried pie made with fruit paste. What do you think?