[Sca-cooks] Someone Is Kidnapping and Eating Britain’s Swans

[JIMCHEVAL at aol.com]

I scribed in jest, Johnnae. I would imagine a  number of people here know 
recipes for swan - not least because it was often  made the same way as 
peacock (and what self-respecting medieval cook doesn't  know how to make THAT?).

Since in fact I doubt a band of rogue medieval  cooks is going around doing 
this, I'm left to wonder just how hungry these folks  are. From what I've 
read of the game birds preferred by the upper classes of the  late medieval 
period, none are very appetizing (not even peacock, which already  got a bad 
rap from the medical authorities of the time).

Not that I want  to encourage any criminal activity (nor severe 
indigestion), but should anyone  perchance have not yet encountered such a recipe, 
here's one from my translation  of the Enseingnemenz:

"Swans and peacocks
All swans, peacocks: first  drain out all the blood through the head, 
after, split them down the back to the  shoulder and gut them, and then put them 
on skewers with the feet and the heads;  then crush up saffron and white 
bread mixed with wine, and crush up egg yolks  and saffron, and dab the birds 
with these, using a feather, and sprinkle powder  over it, which is also of 
all spices, except zedoary and hartwort. And when the  swan or the peacock is 
cooked, wipe it, wrap it in a towel, and take it so to  the table, and give 
to the lord the neck and the head, and the wings and the  thighs, and the 
rest to the others."

Jim  Chevallier
www.chezjim.com

Newly translated from Pierre Jean-Baptiste  Le Grand d'Aussy:
Eggs, Cheese and Butter in Old Regime France 

In a  message dated 1/18/2013 5:09:32 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, 
johnnae at mac.com  writes:
http://www.medievalcookery.com/search/search.html?term=swan&file=all  
has recipes for swans.

Johnnae