SC - The siege cook challenge.

[Terry Nutter]

Hi, Katerine here.  Juana Teresa asks:

>I have a question about a recipe in something called Harleian MS. #4016:
>the dish is "Ffesaunte rosted" ... it all seemed so simple and straight-
>forward until I got to the phrase "his sauce is Sugur and Mustard."
>GOOD GRIEF!!  Is that the same "French's mustard & brown sugar" affair
>that I was terrorized by on Aunt Olive's Christmas ham throughout my
>innocent childhood???

Not precisely.  Mustard sauces were a staple (so much so that they are often
referred to, but there are few recipes for them).  But they weren't like
French's.  (What is?)  I would take this to mean either that you use
a mustard -- but a medieval one -- and sprinkle on sugar, or (more
likely) that you use mustard, but in making it, go a little heavy on the
sugar.

Here's a mustard sauce from the Menagier that I use a lot:

(Translated) Original:

If you would make provision of mustard to keep for a long time, make it in the
harvest season and of soft pods.  And some say that the pods should be boiled.
Item, if you would make mustard in the country in haste, bray mustardseed in a
mortar and moisten it with vinegar and run it through the strainer and if you
would prepare it at once, set it in a pot before the fire.  Item, if you would
make good mustard and at leisure, set the mustardseed to soak for a night in
good vinegar, then grind it in a mill and then moisten it little by little with
vinegar; and if you have any spices left over from jelly, clarry, hippocras or
sauces, let them be ground with it and afterwards prepare it.

Amounts as I make it:
3 tsp + dash ground mustard	scant 1/8 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 T white wine vinegar	scant 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 T water			1/8 tsp + mace
1/8 tsp coriander		1/8 tsp + cloves
1/8 tsp + ginger

Step-by-step:
1.	Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
2.	Simmer, stirring gently, until it begins to thicken.  It will not get
very thick while it is hot.
3.	Take it off the heat, and let it cool.

Notes:
This makes a wonderful mustard.  You can use commercial ground mustard seed for
it, but it is much better if you get whole mustard seeds and grind them.  It
thickens when it gets cold.

Good with beef or pork, or for that matter chicken, or mutton, or anything 
you'd consider putting mustard with.

Cheers,

- -- Katerine/Terry

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