Galyntyne

PERIOD: England, 14th century | SOURCE: Forme of Cury | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: A standard sauce for roasts, poultry, & fish

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

142. Galyntyne. Take crustes of brede and grynde hem smale. Do þerto powdour of galyngale, of canel, of gyngyuer, and salt it; tempre it vp with vyneger, and drawe it vp þurgh a straynour, & messe it forth.

- Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler. Curye on Inglish: English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth-Century (Including the Forme of Cury). London: For the Early English Text Society by the Oxford University Press, 1985. 

GODE COOKERY TRANSLATION:

Galantine. Take crusts of bread and grind them small. Add powder of galyngale, of cinnamon, of ginger, and salt it; mix it with vinegar, and pass it through a strainer, & serve it.

MODERN RECIPE:

• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup (approx.) unseasoned bread crumbs 
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. each galingale, cinnamon & ginger
• salt to taste 

The original recipe calls for vinegar, which really could be any sort from wine vinegar to a cider or malt. As an accompaniment to meats & fish, though, I prefer to use a wine vinegar, and like to "tempre it vp" with extra wine (a personal decision but keeping in period). This imbibes a smoother, more mellow quality, and makes the sauce a little easier to accept, especially for those not used to such a combination of ingredients.

If you can't find galingale, simply leave that ingredient out, as the included ginger is an appropriate substitute.

Although originally Galyntyne referred to jellied juices of meat & fish, the term eventually came to mean this sauce itself. Galyntyne is a wonderful condiment for grilled fish & roast pork.