[Sca-cooks] online glossary

[tgl at mailer.uni-marburg.de]

> Barbe Robert - A kind of sauce in le Viandier. Does this recipe occur
> elsewhere?

Assuming that "Barbe Robert", "Sauce Robert", "Sauce Barbe Robert" are
related: yes.

-- In the printed 15th c. Viandier, ed. Pichon/Vicaire p. 170:
"Pastés de poules a la saulce Robert. Prenés du vert jus
et des moyeulx d'o$eufz, et batés tout ensemble, et de pouldre
fine; et, quant le pasté sera cuyt, mettés tout ensemble; et
convient que toute la poulaille soit despeçée."

-- In the 15th c. "Vivendier" (ed. Scully)
"Et premiers, pour faire une barbe Robert : prenez un poy de belle esve,
et le mettez boullir avoec du bure ; et puis y mettez du vin, de le
moustarde et du vergus et des espices teles et si fortez que vous y arez
vo goust, et laissiez tout bien boullir ensamble; puis prenez vostre
poulet par pièces et le mettez dedens et laissiez boullir une onde
seullement, puis si le rostez ; et gardez qu'il y ait brouet par raison
; et qui soit un poy coulouré de saffren."
"Firstly, to make a Barbe Robert. Get a little clear water and set it to
boil with some butter; then add in wine, mustard, verjuice and such
spices and as strong as you like, and let everything boil together. Then
get your pieces of chicken, put them in and let them boil only briefly;
then roast them. Watch that there is a reasonable amount of broth. It
should be coloured a little with saffron." (Tr. T. Scully)

-- In the "Grand Cuisinier 1583" (quoted in Pichon/V. 109 Fn. 3)
Sauce Barbe Robert: "Prenés oygnons menus fris en sain de lard, ou
beurre selon le iour, verjus, vinaigre et moustarde menu espice et sel,
& faictes bouillir tout ensemble. Cette sauce sert à connils rostis, &
poissons frit, tant de mer que d'autres, & oeufs frits".
(Basically the same version in a copy of the Grand Cuysinier, printed
between 1566 and 1574, according to Vicaire's bibliography)

-- and in the _Fleur de toute cuisine_ (1548), quoted in Scully,
Viandier p. 226 (this text is related to the _Grand Cuisinier_
tradition)
"Prenez oignons menus fris en saing de lart ou beurre selen le jour,
verjus, vinaigre et moustarde, menue espice et sel et faictes bouillir
tout ensemble. Ceste saulce sert a connins rostis et poisson frit tant
de mer que d'austres oeufs fris [sic]".

-- Mentioned by Rabelais, 16th c., quoted in Littré's dictionary
"Robert ... fut inventeur de la saulse Robert, tant salubre et
necessaire aux connils roustis, canards, porcs frais, oeufs pochés,
merluz salés et mille autres telles viandes". (Rabelais IV 40; Littré 4,
1740).

-- There are several places in La Varenne, in the Cuisinier and once in
the Patissier.

According to Littré in his dictionary, it is a "Sauce piquante formée
d'oignons hachés très-fin, cuits dans le beurre, et arrosés d'une
cuillerée de vinaigre et autant de moutarde" (Littre 4, 1740a).
According to Scully in his _Vivendier_, it is "essentially a 'fortified'
mustard sauce -- that is, a boiled mustard with additional spicing".

> Fine Powder - A spice mixture of what spices? Where is it used?

I think the entry term should read "pou(l)dre fine".

> viande, viands
<< meat, from the French >>

Today 'meat', ok.; but in earlier times something more general like
'food, food stuff, dish'.

> gyngaudre, gyngautrey

-- Ordinance of Pottage p. 39 # 13, glossary p. 228
-- Forme of Cury p. 119  #97; glossary p. 192
-- Austin p. 16; p. 94; glossary p. 132a;
(gives a reference to some other Douce Ms.)
-- There is also an OED entry s.v. "gyngawdry, -awtre" with one further
reference to Warner.

> That's enough for now.

Good.

Thomas