Heyroun

PERIOD: England, 14th century | SOURCE: Utilis Coquinario | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Roasted heron

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

13. Þe heyroun schal be diyht as is þe swan and it come quyk to kechen. Þe sauce schal be mad of hym as a chaudon of gynger & of galyngale, & þat it be coloured with þe blood or with brende crustes þat arn tosted.

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

GODE COOKERY TRANSLATION:

The heron shall be prepared as is the swan and it comes quickly to the kitchen. The sauce shall be made of him as a chaudon of ginger & of galingale, & that it be coloured with the blood or with bread crusts that are toasted.

This is essentially the recipe For to dihyte a swan, using instead a heron. This bird is not a commercially available foodstuff today, and so may be substituted with a goose or a duck (but not a turkey). Serve with a Chaudon made from the goose or duck giblets.