FoodNet

The closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight opened

1910

Page 90 · 4 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
half hour before you are to take your possnet from the fire. You are to season your Gruel with a little salt, at the due time ; and you may put in a little Nutmeg and Mace to it. When you have taken it from the fire, put into it a good proportion of butterSmallage Gruel, which stir well, to incorporate with the Gruel, when it is melted. ABOUT WATER GRUEL When you set to the fire a big pot of Oat-meal, (which must be but once cut, that is, every corn cut once a two) and water, to make water-gruel ; Let it boil long, till it be almost boiled enough, then make it rise in a great ebullition, in great galloping waves, and skim of all the top, that ris- eth ; which may be a third part of the whole, and is the Cream, and hath no gross-visible Oat-meal in it. Boil that a while longer by it self, with a little Mace and Nutmeg, and season it with Salt. When it is enough, take it off, and put Sugar, Butter, and a little Red rose-water to it, and an Egg with a little White-wine, if you like it, and would have it more nourishing. This is by much better, then the part which remaineth below with the body of the Oat- meal. Yet that will make good Water-gruel for the servants. If you boil it more leisurely you must skim off the Cream, as itriseth in boiling ; else it will quickly sink down again to the rest of the gross Oat-meal. And thus you may have a finer Cream then with hasty boiling. THE CLOSET OPEDjED 139 AN EXCELLENT AND WHOLESOME WATER-GRUEL WITH WOOD-SORREL AND CURRANTS Into a Possnet of two quarts of water, besides the due proportion of beaten Oat-meal, put two hand- fuls of Wood-sorrel a little-chopped and bruised, and a good quantity of picked and washed currants, tyed loosly in a thin stuff bag (as a bolter cloth). Boil these very well together, seasoning the Com- position in due time, with Salt, Nutmeg, Mace, or what else you please, as Rosemary &c. when it is sufficiently boiled, strain the Oat-meal, and press out all the juyce and humidity of the Currants and Herbs, throwing away the insipid husks ; and sea- son it with Sugar and Butter ; and to each Por- renger-ful two spoonfuls of Rhenish-wine and the yolk of an EggWater Gruel with Wood-Sorrel and Currants. THE QUEENS BARLEY-CREAM You must make a good barley-water,throwingaway the three first waters as soon as they boil ; which will take up about three quarters of an hour. Then you boil a large quantity of water with the Barley (which thus prepared makes the water no more Red or Russet) during an hours space or more ; (that it may be strong of the Barley ; perle-Barley is best,) towards the latter end put in the Pullet flead, and the legs cut off ; If it should boil too long, the emul- sion would taste too fleshy. When it is enough, let the broth run clear from the Barley and pullet, and beat the Almonds with the broth, and strain them from it. Then sweeten it with Sugar. This is to make at least two English quarts of EmulsionEmulsion. I40 SIR KEN ELMS DIGS IS I should like to put some pulp of Barley, boiled by it self, to strain with the Almond-Milk, and, if you will, some Melon seeds. You may put some juyce of Limon or Orange to it. Also season it with Cin- namon, and make the broth stronger of the jflesh. The Queens white Potage is made only of the white flesh of Capon beaten with good broth and strained, and a little juyce of Limon or Orange ; but no Almonds. PRESSIS NOURISSANT Pressis Nourissant