[Sca-cooks] Any ideas, translation from Libro del coch

[Louise Smithson]

I have a problem.  Just for fun I thought I would have a bash at the
Libro di cucina/ Libro per cuoco from
http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~gloning/frati.htm the one that as far
as I can tell no one has translated.  I am doing about two recipes a
night.  But this one ingredient has me stumped.  Below is the original
and my in progress translation.  Based on modern italian the meaning of
agresta is sharp which in context could be something like verjuice or
vinegar (aceto in modern italian) based on the latin it could be anise.
Does anyone else have a better suggestion?
Helewyse
II. Ambroyno.
Se tu voy fare ambroyno, toy polastri e smenbrali, toy cipole bene trita
e frigeli in lardo colato, e mitili specie dolce e forte, e zenzevro, e
cenamo, e garofali, e melegette, e taglia menuti con coltello, e mitili
a frizere ogni cossa in sembre. E toy mandole non monde, e maxenate, e
toy agresta, e zafarano, insema. Quando sono cocti meti sopra li
polastri. A tri polastri vole libre ij de mandole.

II. Ambroyno
If you want to make ambroyno, take a cockerel and chop in pieces, take
onions well minced and fry them in strained lard, and put in sweet and
strong spices, and ginger, and cloves, and grains of paradise, and cut
them small with a knife and put them to fry everything together.  And
take un-peeled almonds and smash them and take agresta (sharp?,
Agastache foeniculum = anise hyssop) and saffron together.  When it is
cooked put it over the cock.  For three cocks you want a pound of
almonds.