[Sca-cooks] Galyntyne

[Christine Seelye-King]

Here are some observations about the origins of 'galantine' from Curye on
Inglyshe.  It seems to infer that what the French meant to be a thickened
fish gelatine became misunderstood by the English and morphed into a sauce
thickened with breadcrumbs with the the spice galangale added.
A bad in-period redaction? Bad translation? A classic case of the British
not understanding a French sauce?
You decide -
Christianna

>From Curye on Inglyshe's Glossary:

galyntyne n. (1) jellied juices of meat or fish is the basic meaning (Fr.
galantine, galatine, Lat. galatina) but since this was further thickened
with bread crumbs and spiced, the term was transferred to the sauce IV 130t,
131t (?). - It is not clear that any of the recipes included here are of the
basic type: GALANTINE, I 51, makes no specification, and note that III 24
FRESCH LAUMPREY is to be served cold but the 'galentyn' hot.  This may or
may not mean that the fish was kept in a jellied state until it was served,
at which time the jellied sauce was heated up.(<snip> Hodgkin also concluded
that 'in galentyne', as against 'galyntyne sauce', meant 'in gelatine'.)

galentyne(2) a spiced sauce thickened with bread crumbs, usually containing
galangale - probably as a result of false etymology; in some MS versions of
IV 131 the two words are confused II 68, 69, etc.~ (3) alternative name for
the spice(s) alone or with breadcrumbs II 30, 31, etc.
GALYNTYNE IV 142, sauce resembling the FR cameline; <snip>

IV 131  Laumprouns in galyntyne. Take laumprouns and scalde hem; see(th)
hem.  Meng powdour galyngale and some of the broth togyder & boile it, & do
(th)erto powdour of gynger & salt.  Take the laumprouns & boile hem, & lay
hem in dysshes, & lay (th)e sewe aboue & serue fort.

IV 142 Galyntyne.  Take crustes of brede and grynde hem smale.  Do (th)erto
powdour of galyngale, of canel, of gyngyuer, and salt it; tempre it vp with
vyneger, and drawe it vp (th)urgh a straynour, & messe it forth.