Wastel - white bread; Buttir - butter.

Oyle soppes - (onion & ale soup) from Harleian MS 4016: Oyle soppes. Take a good quantite of onyons, and myce hem, noyt to smale, & seth hem in faire water, And take hem vppe; and then take a good quantite of stale ale, as .iij. galons, And there-to take a pynte of goode oyle that is fraied, and cast the onyons there-to, And lete al boyle togidre a grete wile; and caste there-to Saffron and salt, And then put brede, in maner of brewes, and cast the licour there-on, and serue hit forth hote.

My translation: Oil Sops. Take a good quantity of onions, and mince them, not to small, & boil them in fair water, And take them up; and then take a good quantity of stale ale, 3 gallons, And take a pint of good oil that is fried, and cast the onions in it, And let all boil together a great while; and cast into it Saffron & salt, And then put bread, in the manner of brews, and cast the liquid on, and serve it forth hot.

Onion & Ale Soup

• onions, chopped into medium-sized pieces
• stale or old ale
• frying oil saffron
• salt
• sliced bread

The original recipe implies that the oil and onions are added to the ale all at once without frying the onions first; I imagine that the "oyle that is fraied" might be oil that has been previously used for frying, and instead of discarding is used in this soup. This would impart the fried flavor that you achieve in my redaction. The cooking method I'm using may be a just slightly different, but I think is still consistent to the original, and allows me to use fresh oil, which I would prefer to do. 

French iowtes - (peas & onions cooked in herbs) from Forme of Cury, 75: Take and seeth white pesoun and take oute the perry; & perboile erbis & hewe hem grete, & cast hem in a pot with the perry. Pulle oynouns & seeth hem hole wel in water, & do hem to the perry with oile & salt; colour it with safroun & messe it, and cast theron powdour douce.

My translation: French greens. Take and boil white peas and take out the porridge; & parboil herbs & hew them great, & cast them in a pot with the porridge. Pluck onions & boil them whole until done in water, & do them to the porridge with oil & salt; color it with saffron & serve it, and cast on powder douce.

French Greens

• peas
• fresh green herbs: parsley, etc.
• whole, small onions
• olive oil
• salt
• saffron
• ginger, cinnamon, & sugar mixture

For this feast, I took the option of not mashing the peas, but instead just cooked them until tender, along with the herbs, then drained and mixed them with the onions.

Chireseye - (cherry bread pudding) from Diuersa Servicia, 77: For to make chireseye, tak chiryes at the feast of Seynt Iohn the Baptist, & do awey the stonys. Grynd hem in a morter, & after frot hem wel in a seue so that the ius be wel comyn owt; & do than in a pot & do therein feyre gres or botor & bred of wastel ymyid, & of sugur a god perty, & a porcioun of wyn. & wan it is wel ysodyn & ydessyd in dyschis, stik therin clowis of gilofre & strew theron sugur.

My translation: For to make Cherries, take cherries at the feast of Saint John the Baptist, & do away the stones. Grind them in a mortar, and after rub them well in a sieve so that the juice be well coming out; & put in a pot and add grease or butter & white bread minced, & of sugar a good part, & a portion of wine. And when it is well cooked & dressed in dishes, stick on clove flowers & strew on sugar.

Cherry Bread Pudding

• cherries, pitted and mashed, in cherry juice
• butter
• fine bread crumbs 
• sugar
• wine
• small pink flowers (decorative)

Ypocras faux - (mock spiced wine) from John Russell's Boke of Nurture. According to John Russell (15th c.), a good feast should end with Wafers & Ypocras. Ypocras, or hippocras, was a popular Medieval bevearge of mulled wine & spices. Since the site we were using was alcohol-free, we served a faux Ypocras out of cider, grape juices, and spices. 

Master Huen Damebrigge of Wychwood has been cooking feasts for the SCA since 1980; he still cooks for approximately 2-3 official events a year. Master Huen currently resides in the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands in AEthelmearc. Lord Cydifor ap Manogan has been Master Huen's primary feast assistant since 1990.

Feast for the AEthelmearc Academy ©1998 James L. Matterer