To Stew a Rump of Beef, after Kenelme Digbie
a three pound boneless rump roast 1/2 pint of red wine (or more) a head of green cabbage 1/4 pint of white vinegar (or more) salt 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp nutmeg pepper 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp mace 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp each of basil a bay leaf rosemary 1/8 to 1/4 cup sugar savory 1/2 pound cheddar cheese thyme a clove or two of garlic mint a couple of Tb of butter marjoramShredd the cabbage a bit with a knife and put half of it in the pot. Sprinkle the roast liberally on all sides with salt and pepper and put it on the cabbage. Combine the wine and vinegar and the mace, nutmeg, garlic, sugar and herbs (adjust them to your own taste). Pour over the roast. If the liquid doesn't come up maybe a quarter of the way or more on the roast, add more wine and vinegar in the same ratio.
Dab the butter on top. Grate the cheddar cheese on and around the roast. Add the rest of the cabbage.
Make a paste out of flour and either water, egg or both. Seal the lid of your pot with this paste. Cook at 350 F for at least four hours. Longer won't hurt it.
When it comes out it should be fork tender and with a nice mellow flavor.
TO STEW WARDENS OR PEARS
"Pare them, put them into a Pipkin, with so much Red or Claret Wine and
water, ana, as will near reach to the top of the Pears. Stew or boil
gently, till they grow tender, which may be in two hours. After a while,
put in some sticks of Cinnamon bruised and a few Cloves. When they are
almost done, put in Sugar enough to season them well and their Syrup, which
you pour out upon them in a deep Plate."
To Stew Apples after Kenelme Digbie
apples (I use Granny Smith) red wine sugar waterPare and slice the apples and place them in a pot. Add equal parts of wine and water until the apples are just about covered. For every two apples add a perhaps a half tsp. of cinnamon or a stick of cinnamon (or more depending on your taste). For every two apples add two or three whole cloves (again, or more if you like cloves). Simmer the apples for an hour or so, then add around 1/3 cup of sugar for every two apples, adjusted to your own taste. Give the apples a quick stir to break them up a bit. Let them simmer until you are ready to eat them, but at least until they break up into an applesauce like texture, perhaps with a few unbroken chunks. Just before serving, add 1 tablespoon of butter for every two apples and stir until melted and blended. Serve warm, but it's good cold the next day.
Tart on Ember-Day after Ancient Cookery
two onions half-handful sage 1/2 lb to 1 lb Swiss cheese half-handful parsley four eggs 1/2 stick butter dash or two ginger dash or two cinnamon 1 Tb sugar small handfull currents 1 pie shellGrate the cheese. Dice the onions, sage and parsley. Parboil the onions, sage and parsley - perhaps five minutes. Beat the eggs and butter lightly together. Add sugar, ginger, cinnaman and currents to egg mixture. Put cheese in pie shell and pour egg mixture over the top. Bake at 375 for forty minutes or so, until it tests clean.
Vegetarian Spinage-Broth after Kenelme Digbie
3 quarts broth 1 cup barley (or more) 2-3 onions, diced a good sized bunch of spinach (4-8 cups) 1/8 tsp to 1/4 tsp each of basil a bay leaf rosemary 1/8 to 1/2 tsp mace savory thyme mint marjoramSince this is a vegetarian version, use a vegetarian broth as a base. (To make a more authentic version, add a neck of mutton and a marrow bone to the broth and boil it and skim it for a while before continuing.) Bring the buillon to a simmer and add the barley and spices, adjusting them to your taste. Let that boil while you dice the onions and spinach. The spinach measurement is approximate - it would be hard to get too much spinach, I think, but your mileage may vary. Note that the 4-8 cup figure is for fresh spinach, you could probably use frozen spinach at half quantity or less, since the fresh will cook down a lot. Add the onions and spinach to the pot and simmer for an hour or so. Salt to taste. Most commercial boullions are very salt heavy so little salt should be needed.