A Siryppe pur vn Pestelle

PERIOD: England, 15th century | SOURCE: Harleian MS. 279 | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Wine, Egg, and Pepper Sauce for Pork

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

Take gode Wyne, & a-lye yt with raw yolkys of Eyroun; than late hem boyle to-gederys a whyle; then put pouder Pepir, & throw it ther-on; loke that it be bytyng of Pepir. Take Clowys, macys, Safroun, & caste ther-to; & atte the dressoure thorw on thin Sirip on thi pestelle, & kreme hard yolkys of Eyroun ther-to, & serue forth.

- Austin, Thomas. Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. Harleian MS. 279 & Harl. MS. 4016, with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1429, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS 55. London: for The Early English Text Society by N. Trübner & Co., 1888.

MODERN RECIPE:

• Three-or four-pound pork roast
• 1 C dry red wine
• 4 raw egg yolks
• 1 T black pepper
• 1/8 tsp each cloves, mace and saffron
• 1/4 tsp saffron
• Salt to taste
• 4 hard-boiled egg yolks for garnish

2. Place the roast in a roasting pan, put it in the oven, and roast for thirty minutes per pound, or until internal temperature reaches 185º. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about fifteen minutes.

3. In a saucepan, over low heat, combine wine, spices, and raw egg yolks. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally for about ten minutes.

4. Place roast on a serving platter and pour the sauce over it. Crumble the hard-boiled egg yolks over the roast as a garnish before serving.

Yields one cup of sauce. Serves six to eight.

NOTES ON THE RECIPE:

A pestelle is a leg or shoulder of pork.

I add salt to taste.