[Sca-cooks] online glossary: baste (vb.)

[tgl at mailer.uni-marburg.de]

baste (vb.) -- 'To moisten (a roasting joint, etc.) by the application
of melted fat, gravy, or other liquid, so as to keep it from burning,
and improve its flavour' (OED).
1420/40 Harl. 279 (Austin p. 39) "& euer as it dryit, baste it with
bature, & sette forth in seruyce".
1594 Handmaide (Peachey p. 40) "To roste a Hare. First wash it in faire
water, then perboyle it and lay in cold water againe, then larde it, and
roste it in a broch. Then to make sauce for it, take red Vinigar, Salt,
Pepper, Ginger Cloves, Mace, and put them together. Then minse Apples,
and Onions, and frie them with a litle Sugar, and let them boyle wel
together, then baste it upon yor hare, and so serve it foorth".
1594 Handmaide (Peachey p. 44) "... so lay it to the fyre, + baste it
well with Butter and vinigar, + some Sinamon + Ginger in your butter,
wherewith you baste it, and so serve it in".
1615 Murrell C1a.6 "Bake it on a Dish in the ouen: baste it with sweet
Butter, that it may not bake drye on the outside".

Th.