[Sca-cooks] new to list... and looking for a dish

[Philip Troy]

On Wednesday 24 October 2001 06:15, Bronwynmgn at aol.com wrote:

> it ouer the fyre and couer it fast.  Make a layor of brede and blode and
> ley it therewith.

<snip>

> fire and cover tightly.  Make a layer of bread and blood and lay the meat
> and broth over it (I think).

FWIW, I think the use of "layor" and "ley" are French-derived, and I don't
know how the English verb "lay" fits in with that. If you look at the modern
French "lier", meaning to bind, giving us sauces that are "fonds lie" or
thickened stocks, it makes an eerie kind of sense.

I think you're just supposed to thicken the sauce with bread and blood. Maybe
steep your breadcrumbs (toasted, I would suspect, as there's little point in
trying to keep a sauce containing blood a light color) in some of the broth
for a while, strain into the sauce, then add the blood (if using) off the
heat to keep it from becoming grainy.

Cheaters can, of course, omit the blood and simply use dark toast, sieved
liver, or any of a number of alternatives. ;  )

Adamantius