Bursews & Sauge yfarced

I have recently been planning for another medieval feast, so have been scouring over my recipes to find just the right ones for the facilities I have available and the people who will be attending.   This (and seeking out a new job) has kept me from my blog-ly duties, but now comes to benefit us as a source for this recipe.
Bursews are a pork meat ball that is battered and fried.  I have chosen to include Sauge yfarced in this post because of the great similarity between the two.  Slight seasoning differences aside, the one thing that truly distinguishes one from the other is that sauge yfarced (stuffed sage) has the cook wrap the small meat balls in sage leaves before battering them.

Bursews:

My transcription:

Burſews.Take pork ſeeþ hyt & grynde hyt ſmale wiþ ſoden ayroֿn. do þerto gode poudours and hole ſpyces & ſalt wiþ sug۶ make þ۶ of smale balles & caſt hem ī a bato۶ of ayroֿn. & wete hem in flo۶ & frye hē ī grece as frytour۶ & ſuē forth.

My modern translation:

Bursews.Take pork boil it & grind it small with soden egg. do thereto good powders and whole spices & salt with sugar make thereof small balles & cast them in a batter of egg. & wet them in flour & fry them in grease as fritters & serve forth.

Sawge yfarced:

My transcription:

Sauge yfarced.Take pork and seeþ hit wel & grynd hit ſmal. & medle hit wiþ ayroֿn & brede y grated. do þ۶to poudo۶ fort & saffroֿn wiþ pyn9 and ſalt take & cloſe litulf balles ī foyles of sauge. wete hit wt a bato۶ of ayroֿn & fry hit and serue hit forth.

My modern translation:

Stuffed sage.Take pork and boil it well & grind it small. & meddle it with egg & breadcrumbs.  do thereto powder fort & saffron with pinenuts and salt take & close little balls in leaves of sage. wet it with a batter of egg & fry it and serve it forth. 

These two recipes  have little that needs to be interpreted.
-"Soden" has meaning which may be interpreted as wet (as in soggy, waterlogged, sodden) or in some cases boiled (the similarity being that it has been put into water.)
-Powder fort is the common mixture of strong flavored spices conceptually similar to curry powder, chili powder, garam masala, or "pumpkin pie spice"- this doesn't mean it has the same spices as these (though it does share some) simply that it is a spice mixture known by a certain name, and though it may have a similar content to others bearing the same name, it varies in content and proportion by who made it.  See my Spice Page.
-"pynes" likely refers to pignolia nuts (pine nuts), though in certain recipe it also seems to refer to mulberries (some say likely because they have a pinecone-like structure)  I say go with either or both if the recipe can handle it.

The breakdown:

Cooking technique:  deep fry

nothing complicated here, we are battering and frying in grease, a technique which requires enough oil to cover the entire fritter, thus a deep fry.

The cooking of the pork before grinding is a less critical step in the process. Nearly any method which cooks it through may be used, or it may be done with raw pork- the size of the balls and the cooking temp is more critical in this case.

Note also that putting the meatballs into egg then flour is rather similar to the standard 3 part breading process we use today.  Basically, stuff fries the same now as it did then, so similar techniques for breading would be used.

Special Ingredients: fresh sage, pine nuts, powder fort

-Most grocers carry fresh herbs, sage being commonly available. Check a local farmers market, try a larger market, or a whole food type market or coop, ask a neighbor with a garden, or grow your own.  Whole consistently sized leaves matter to this recipe, though I make an adaptation to adjust for that.

-Pine nuts- commonly available. sometimes even bulk. these are not cheap, most of them you will find to be the korean variety, which I find to be perfectly acceptable for most uses. They are available from major brands like Fisher and Diamond and in all sizes (don't buy much unless you really use them a lot)

-Powder Fort- I will be covering this in a future post.  The key is to use stronger flavored spices when it is called for.  I prefer to think of it as a list of common ingredients and I simply adjust and use them as I find appropriate and balance for the recipe at hand.  In this case I will break it down within the recipe itself, simply including the spices I find to work the best.

Equipment- fryer or pot suited to frying, a spider or fryer scoop

If you have or can easily get a deep fryer of any variety (fry daddies work just great, I have a steamer/fryer and have been happy with it.)  

Don't be scared- but be careful!

Pots for stove top frying-  A thicker walled/thicker bottomed pot is better for transferring and maintaining heat.  It is easy to over heat your oil on a stove top, so watch your temperature closely.  The pot should be wide enough and deep enough to allow the balls to freely float.  It needs to be wide enough to easily get the spider in and out. You also need enough depth to avoid boiling over.  The steam bubbles released when frying can easily double the volume of the oil, depending on how much oil you are using.  You have to leave enough space for what you are frying and all the steam bubbles, or you can be severely injured or burn your house down.  Stove top deep frying ALWAYS takes extra care.

NEVER OVER FILL A FRYER.  TOO MUCH OIL OR TOO MUCH OF WHATEVER YOU RE FRYING CAN HAVE EXPLOSIVE RESULTS OR CAUSE GREASE FIRES.

***When putting out grease fires, do not use water!!!  SMOTHER THE FIRE- Salt is an excellent way to do so.*** On a stove top turn off the stove and dump salt all over the flames and areas where grease has spilled.

Modern recipe:

meatballs:

1 lb ground pork
1 egg
1/2c breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp grains of paradise, ground
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground ginger
pinch fresh grated nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
Optional:
pinch ground cubeb
pinch ground long pepper
1 Tbsp pine nuts toasted and chopped

egg batter:

1 egg
3/4 c flour
pinch salt
about 1/4 c water or beer
1 Tbsp oil (optional)
1 to 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage (optional)

pinch of saffron 

-extra 1/2c flour for coating meat balls.
-2-4 c oil for frying ( or up to the fill line of your fryer)

Procedures:

1. In a bowl, spread out ground pork wash your hands then add spices to it evenly over the surface.  Gently break up the pork, and fold it together, to evenly spread out seasonings through the meat, without turning it to goo. *
• At this point you can cook the pork-Additional instructions below. 
2. Add your egg, gently mix through, then add breadcrumbs (and pinenuts if you so choose) and gently fold the mixture until it is evenly distributed- no clumps of egg or breadcrumb or meat without either. 
3. Make sure your mixture is moist but not gooey, and holds together well.  Form balls no bigger than 1/2 ounce, and let them rest while you begin heating your oil. Chill them if you arent ready to proceed right now.
4. Keeping an eye on your oil as it heats, whisk together egg, water and oil for batter, add them to flour and salt in a bowl and whisk until smooth, you may add sage and or saffron at this time.  Adjust your batter so it is thick enough to coat the balls well, but not glob up on them (to use the technical term.)
5. When your oil is ready* put the meat balls in the extra flour, and give them all a very light even coating before dipping them in the batter. Too much will make the batter fall off.  Coat them fully and let the excess batter drain, then using tongs or a spider, touch them to the oil and gently release them into it, letting them roll/fall AWAY from you.  Put as many in as you can while still allowing them to move freely in the oil.
6. Use the spider to gently turn them as the begin to brown.  When they are a nice golden brown all around remove them to a rack or tray with paper towel to drain.   You may lightly salt them at this time if you think they need it.  They should be heated all the way through and the egg fully solidified.  They should technically peak at about 165 F while resting, but if your pork is nice and fresh, I personally would be happy and pretty safe at 145 F.  Remember that the FDA tells us that undercooked meats can be harmful to your health, this being ground (or precooked as the case may be) 145 is "undercooked."

NOTES:

• Ground Pork- Ask the butcher, it isn't often available, but I have frequently found that if you ask, they will grind a cheaper cut of pork for you at no additional charge, butts often cost me half the price of typical ground pork.  They can use the trimmings from the cuts they sell, making it cheaper for you and more profitable for them.
• Bread crumbs Sometimes they are cheap, but usually-make your own. seriously. let a piece or two of bread sit out and dry up for a day or two and crush it in a plastic bag.
• Spices- Check the My Medieval Kitchen Spices Page for more info. on spices, how to use them, and where to find them. You also can scroll down to my Stewed Beef posting and get the info there.  The spices page is a work in progress, so I will be adding more info over time.
• "Pynes" As I said earlier this could mean pine nuts or mulberries, either of which would be a nice addition to this dish.  
• For a more savory option, use the pine nuts and maybe add a little grated parmigiana to the meat ball mix. 
• Want to try it with mulberries? Add about 1/2 c of them with the bread crumbs.  Best place to get mulberries is off of a tree. They are tart and fruity, a mild blackberry like flavor.
• Too much spice? If you want a milder version I recommend keeping only the salt, pepper, coriander and maybe a tiny bit of nutmeg.
• Cook it first? This is a good way to ensure doneness, and fits the recipe, you may also substitute already cooked pork- extra chops off the grill, left over loin roast, etc.  Start with unseasoned pork, add your salt, when it is partially cooked, pour off the fat, add the spices evenly and finish cooking the pork, until it has begun to brown just a little and the fat has mostly rendered- keep this fat.  If you can, allow the pork to cool and put it into a food processor, and proceed to the next step, pulsing a few times to mix- this helps to bind the already cooked pork and fits the recipe's instruction to grind the cooked pork, the less you pulse, the more texture it will have.  You can also make larger balls with out fear of over cooking the outside before the pork is cooked.  This doesn't make a difference by government standards for a restaurant, but it makes it easier at home- the FDA requires that food be reheated to 165 F, but at home, as long as your egg is cooked and your pork isn't raw- you can do as you choose (assuming you don't want raw pork or eggs, if you do- I do not recommend it, but good luck with that, just don't feed it to anyone else.)
• OIL!-  Peanut, corn, or canola get the best results for deep frying, soy might be okay.   Don't over fill your pan, leave room for the meatballs and the boiling oil.  It is ready when it is 325 F to 350 F. The more you put in  the lower it drops, but it should be in that range to brown your breading. Lower gives it more time to heat the meatballs through before the outside browns. Too low makes them soggy and oily and probably under cooked, to hot make them over done crispy critters on the outside and raw inside.  To test your oil, drop a small drop of batter in, it should not hit the bottom (unless you are using a shallow pan.) It should quickly be surrounded by bubbles and float to the surface, solidifying quickly. 
• Batter up!
• A standard three stage breading process would also work well for this.  in this case, have a tray of flour, a shallow dish of beaten egg, and a tray of flour or breadcrumbs (panko is great for this type of thing.)  Season your first flour tray (sage can go here or in the final tray.)
• With your right hand coat the balls with flour and shake off the excess then drop them in the egg.  
• With your left hand coat them with the egg and allow all the excess to drip off- at this point there should be a thin glue like coating of flour and egg on the meat ball- and drop it in the final tray. 
• Again using your right hand, coat the ball withe the flour or breadcrumbs in the final tray, and place them on a tray to be taken to the fryer.  When they are coated, wash and dry your hands thoroughly and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
• Want a lighter version? - just coat the balls with a thin layer of flour, rice flour, or corn starch, let them rest a moment then fry.  This reduces carbs and fat and still gives you the nice crispy coating and juicy inside. You can also substitute rice crispies  or crushed cheerios for the bread crumbs to make it gluten free.

Resources:

"Forme of cury" MS7 Rylands Collection

As usual this blog is intellectual property David Weinberg and any use beyond personal or for non profit anachronism requires my express written permission.

Ryse of Fleysche, Furmente, & Makrows

Now for some Medieval Starches

*now reorganized for easier reading!*

Medieval Macaroni & Cheese, Medieval (English!?) Lasagna, Medieval Cream of Wheat (with what animal!?) and Medieval Rice (pilaf or pudding? you decide...)

A couple very simple ones and one which is a bit more complex.

I made the mistake of thinking that the rice and furmente were each too short and simple to require an entire posting.  Now I realize that I have underestimated my ability to spew information, opinions and speculation. This post has become quite an undertaking. This will be a long one. 

These recipes come from the Rylands Library MS known as "forme of cury."  This title comes from the 1790 Samuel Pegge transcription of presumably this very MS along with another similar, slightly more contemporary scroll of recipes.  He chose the title from the introductory page which explains when and why the book was compiled and begins the English part with "Thys fourme of cury..." which means this method of cooking or this cooking method i.e. this cookbook.  *My favorite of the medieval sources, maily because I can see the original MS and shoot down assumptions and transcription errors from the likes of Pegge, who really did a fine job, but made a few mistakes.  I find the original MS easier to understand.

Ryse of fleysche is simply rice to be eaten on days when you can eat meat, or, naturally, if the first part is true, with meat.  It is a basic rice made with (meat) broth, almond milk, saffron and salt.

Furmente is wheat gruel, something like bulgur or farina.

Makrows is a simple pasta served with cheese and butter.  Loseyn was apparently pronounced "lasan" and appears to be a basic predecessor of the dish we know by a similar name.  This is less surprising than one might think, as "Forme of cury" is basically the earliest known cookbook (yes there are other recipes and compilation which predate it, but none of a similar nature or, I suspect, an actual book.)  

These recipes come from the Rylands Library MS known as "forme of cury."  This title comes from the 1790 Samuel Pegge transcription of presumably this same MS along with another similar, slightly more contemporary scroll of recipes.  He chose the title from the introductory page which explains when and why the book was compiled and begins the English part with "Thys fourme of cury..." which means this method of cooking or basically this instructional book of cooking.

 I will reserve my comments for with my recipes and notes on each recipe.  No special equipment is required, though the recipes suggest a ceramic pot (probably to prevent uneven heating in metal and thus scorching.  The only somewhat unique ingredients are almond milk and wheat grains.

Here are my transcriptions/translations:

Ryſe of eyſche

Forme of cury original MS
 pgs 14v&15r -Ryland Collection

Ryſe of eyſche- Take rys & warſche ђē clene & do ђē ī an erthen pot wþ gode broth & lete ђem seeþ wel. afť ward take almaňd mylke & do þ’to and colo’ ђt w^t safroň & salt ђt and meſſe ђt forth.

Modern English translation:

Rice for/with Meat

Take rice & wash them clean & do them in an earthen pot with good broth & let them boil well.  Afterward, take almond milk & do thereto and color it with saffron & salt it and mess it forth.

My recipe:

Saffron Rice

2c long grain rice

2c broth

1 1/2c Almond milk

1/2c almond milk (optional)

1 tsp kosher salt (more to taste)

1/4 g saffron

2 Tbsp butter or oil(optional)

Procedure:

1. In a 2-3 qt sauce pan, preferably one with a well fitting lid, put your broth, the larger part of the almond milk, salt, and butter or oil, and bring it to a boil. (When using oil I prefer to lightly toast the rice in the oil, enough to warm it and evenly coat all the grains, then add the liquid.)
2. As soon as it comes to a boil, add the saffron, give it a very quick stir, cover it and reduce the heat.  On an electric stove I recommend moving from the original burner to a smaller one turned to a low setting.  
3. Allow it to remain at a low simmer for 25-30 minutes. When the liquid has been fully absorbed, and/or the grains are softened through, remove from heat and fluff it with a fork, and allow the excess steam to come off of it. 
4. If you have opted for it you can add the extra almond milk now, give it a good stir and allow it to warm.  You can use more if you like, the consistency should be either moist or like a rice pudding (however thick or runny you like it.) See my notes on this.
5. Serve it hot. about 12 small (1/2 c) servings

NOTES:

• Ingredients:
• Rice- I prefer a long grain starchy rice for this, the best I think being basmati as it has a wonderful texture and its own aromatic quality which lends itself well to use with saffron. Other good choices would be a jasmine rice or just any long grain white variety.  depending on the final texture you want, even using arborio and preparing it like a risotto would work. I suppose some would assume that brown rice is the more period appropriate choice, but I strongly disagree with this presumption.  I have read of evidence potentially dating back more than 8500 years of the cultivation of rice, the practice of milling surely is not so recent as the past few centuries. The typical processing of rice involves drying, hulling, and milling.  Milling (removing the pericarp or basically the bran) was particularly important for the purpose of storage ( and I suspect the digestive comfort of those who subsist primarily on rice.)  At this time rice would have come from Spain (likely) or the east, rice travelling very far would most certainly have become rancid far to quickly if it were not milled (thus "white.")  A number of recipes I have read actually tell the cook to make sure the rice is milled. It also seems clear that milled wheat was in use. 
• Broth- "Gode Broth" is not a recipe or a specific kind of broth, despite the impression some would like to give you.  One website has posted a recipe for "gode broth" which is nothing more than a mix of broth and stock from another recipe that has breadcrumbs added to it.  How is your recipe for broth going to have broth as a major ingredient?  It is just one person's way of doing things. Do not fall for the ridiculous notion that somehow this is how you should make broth. I prefer chicken broth both for its color and flavor in this dish.  Any good broth will do.  Beef adds a nice richness.  Be wary of vegetable broths that taste too strongly of celery. If the broth is fresh, you can use some of the fat with it instead of butter or oil.
• Almond milk-  common enough these days.  Simply a liquid made from pulverizing almonds with water and straining.  Recipes I have read have ranged from 1/4c of almonds thrown in a blender the 2 c water added and blended again until milky, then strained (more can be made from the lees) to 1c of almonds soaked for a day then drained and blended with 2c water, etc.  Id say do the soak and do about 1:3.5 almonds to water.  It should be easily found in most supermarkets in the US though.  A discount store common in my region, and the majority of Europe, Aldi (who also owns Trader Joe's,) carries a a low price, nice quality almond milk.
• Saffron- this amount is a tiny pinch, and should be enough, but feel free to adjust the amount for color and flavor- so long as you can afford it. If you buy it bulk, (1 oz as opposed to 1 or 2 g) it costs 60 to 75% less, but then you have a whole lot of it...
• Cooking time- I find that it almost always needs the full 30 minutes, but pay attention as it comes to a finish,removing it completely from the heat and giving a little extra time works ok. If you have the proper pan for it, I find that moving it to an oven instead of simmering is a good method.
• Final texture-  I prefer either a light fluffy pilaf or a thick creamy style.  I find that the extra almond milk if often needed just to get the rice fully cooked, let alone make it wet. The recipe never calls for a cover, which means the standard steeping/steaming method of preparing rice may not have been used.  I will point out the addition of the almond milk then saffron toward the end.  It instructs the cook to color it with saffron.  In order for this to happen two things are required, steeping and stirring.  There are a couple of possible resulting textures.  One option is that the cooking method is somewhat similar to what we do currently, but not letting it steep covered requires that it have an excess of liquid to finish, and that it boil until nearly fully cooked. In this case, the addition of the almond milk would slow and finish the process, and the added saffron must be allowed some time to steep and the salt would have to be mixed through.  This could result in rice similar to a modern pilaf, but with a slight starch sauciness to it from all the boiling and the excess liquid. The second possibility is that the rice is boiled until it is thick and starchy and the almond milk is added to bring it to the desired consistency, and the saffron allowed to steep a bit then stirred through the thick 'pudding.'  I prefer the former concept, by taste and because most of the later recipes either call for rice to be drier fluffed grains or to be stirred or ground well and finished with almond milk and sweetened as a pudding.

Furmente

Forme of Cury original MS pgs 57r 58v
'Furmente with Porpays'
Ryland Collection

(From) 'furmente wt porpays'- tak clene whete & bete hyt smale in a mort’ & fanne out clene þe douſt. & þāne waysch hit clene & boyle hit tyl hit be tendur & broken. & þāne tak þe secunde mylke of almaňd9 & do þ’to. Boyle hē to gyd’ tyl hyt be stondyng & tak þe furſt mylke and alye hit up wt it … and do safroň to þe furmente... and s’ue hit forth.

Furmente (from "furmente with porpoise")

Take clean wheat & beat it small in a mortar & fan out clean the dust. & then wash it clean  & boil it til it is tender and broken. & then take the second milk of almonds & do thereto.  Boil them together til it is standing(thickened/'dry') & take the first milk and mix it up with it...and do saffron to the furmente... and serve it forth.

My recipe:

Furmente

There are 3 ways to approach this.

1 c Bulgur

1 c almond milk

1c water

1 1/2 to 2 c almond milk

1/2 tsp kosher salt

tiny pinch of saffron

or

1 c farina or cream of wheat

1 c almond milk

1c water

1 1/2 c almond milk

1/2 tsp kosher salt

tiny pinch of saffron

or

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 c wheat berries

water

2 1/2c almond milk

1/2 tsp kosher salt

tiny pinch of saffron

Procedure:

The first parts of the process are done already with bulgur and farina so I will list the procedure for them first.

1. In a large sauce pan, put the 1c almond milk and the water with the salt and your bulgur or farina(stir farina well)
2. Bring it to a boil.  bulgur: set off and cover, let sit for about 20 min. farina; reduce to a low simmer, cook for 10 minutes while stirring well.
3. Put saffron in remaining almond milk. Let steep for a few minutes then add to wheat, stir through well.
4. Add remaining almond milk and saffron.  Stirring, bring to a low simmer then remove from heat. 
5. Stir again, should be the consistency of a porridge (farina should be smooth)
6. Serve. Makes about 4 cups.

wheat berries procedure:

1. Put wheat in blender or processor, or mortar. pulse a few times or pound them in mortar, until the berries are broken up.  
2. Sift with a fine strainer (for larger consistency, use a finer mesh and keep what stays in it, or simply blow off the dust & hulls with a fan, for finer, use a slightly larger mesh ans use what sifts through. grind it more if you need.) you should have about 1 c of cracked wheat
3. Put the wheat in a sauce pan with an excess of water (around 4 cups), skim off any floating hulls, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer
4. Allow the wheat to completely soften and burst open (a bit like popcorn or sometimes rice)
5. Drain it completely
6. Add salt & 2 c almond milk, bring to a boil. Reduce to desired consistency. Take off heat.
7. Put saffron in remaining almond milk. Let steep for a few minutes then add to wheat, stir through well.
8. Serve.

NOTES:

• On Porpoise! Yes porpoise, as in 'yum, dolphin meat.' No, not the fish, mahi mahi, that is called dolphin by so many, they mean the seafaring mammal.  Porpoise.  Seems odd, but not really shocking.  Why not, it was one more option for fish days and probably was pretty good.  I guess Flipper made us all see them as friends not food, but really people have long eaten sea mammals, and some still do. 
• Ingredients
• Almond milk- the recipe calls for second and first milk. The first milk being richer, used for finishing the furmente and the second for cooking.  First milk is simply the milk from the first use of the almonds, second milk is the milk made from the strained out almonds from the first milk.
• Water- if you are serving this as a savory side- use stock, whatever kind is appropriate with the other dishes.  I like chicken for it for the same reasons I like it with the rice.  I can't imagine fish fume being very good in it, though a shrimp or shellfish stock might do well in it if you serve in along with seafood. (mmm, shrimp furmente with broiled lobster tail all drizzled with buerre blanc or a white wine-mornay sauce, maybe with a little fresh tarragon... sweet salivation!)  In the case of the  wheat berries, perhaps don't use stock in place of the water- it would be a bit of a waste- use half stock and half almond milk for the latter parts.
•  Wheat-  a coarser grain (like bulgur or just barely cracked wheat berries) lends it self better to a drier grain like consistency, like rice or tabbouleh (which is bulgur.)  For this result, simply dont add so much almond milk to finish.   The finer ground wheat works better as a porridge, like grits, creamy polenta, or oatmeal that hasn't been turned into a rubbery lump. Other grains will work here too, quinoa, oats, or barley, maybe do pasta instead and use couscous...
• The process-  the process in the original recipe takes raw wheat, cracks it, blows off the hulls and finer bits and soaks/soften/expands it before the final cook which is in almond milk, then almond milk is added at the end to stop the cooking, reach desired consistency and blend the saffron through.  With bulgur and farina you have sort of skipped to the final cook step.  The bulgur is dry so it must have time to re-absorb the moisture, which isn't a factor in the original recipe.  The farina is also dry, but is fine enough that it can absorb all the moisture it needs while it is cooking.  When you are working with whole wheat berries, you should remove the hulls, or at least break them up, or they can be a bit unpleasant.  You have total control of how you want them if you work from wheat berries, you can do them whole or just split , or grind them down to a farina consistency. Remember that the finer you grind them, the less volume you have, and the harder it becomes to separate the hulls. I personally have a preference for the whole grains.

Makrows

Forme of cury Pg 46r
'Makrows'
Ryland Collection

Makrows Tak and make a thỹne foyle of dowh & kerue it on pecys and cast hỹ on boylỹg wat’ & seeþ it wel. Take cheſe & grate hit & butt’ moſt cast bynethen & a boue as lofeyns and s’ue hit forth.
From “loſeyns”...tak flo’ of payndmayn & make þ’of past wt wat’ and make þ’of thynne foyles as paÞ wiþ a roller. Drye hit hard & seeþ hit ī broth...

Makrows

Take and make a thin leaf of dough & cut it in pieces and cast them in boiling water & seeth it well.  Take cheese & grate it & butter mostly, put beneath and above as loseyns and serve it forth.

From "Loseyns" ('Lasangna')

... take white bread flour & make thereof paste (pastry dough) with water and make thereof leaves(sheets) thin as paper with a roller. Dry it hard & boil it in broth...

My Recipe:

Makrows

4c bread flour 

over 1c luke warm water

1/4c butter

1/4c grated hard cheese

Procedure:

1. Working either in a large bowl or on a large board, slowly integrate a small sprinkle of the water into the edge of the flour, bringing it together with your fingers or a fork into a loose dough, as with a pastry dough. Pull the moistened part away and repeat. Continue doing this until all of the flour has been moistened. You should probably use a bit more than a cup of water- this varies with weather and flour.
2. Bring all the dough together on the board or clean floured work surface and begin kneading.  Fold the dough toward you, press down and forward, turn it a quarter turn and repeat. When the dough has come together as a mass (not just crumbling apart,) set the dough aside for a bit and scrape your surface clean of dry bits of dough and clumps, and dust the board with flour.
3. Knead the dough for 5 or 6 minutes, dusting the board with flour as needed.  The dough should be just slightly sticky. When the dough becomes elastic, you're about halfway there.
4. Wrap the dough up and let it rest for 10 or 5 minutes.
5. Clean your surface again and dust well with flour. using a rolling pin dusted with flour, roll your dough into a thin sheet, between 1/8' and 1/16" thick.  
6. Cut into strips the size you desire, or random like strappata. Let them dry just a bit.
7. To cook get a large pot of lightly salted water boiling.  Drop the pasta in and let in boil for a few minutes, the thinner it is the faster it will cook.  It will be soft and heated all the way through.  It should not taste raw or doughy. 
8. Toss in butter and grated cheese and serve.

NOTES:

• Ingredients:
• Flour-  the original recipe calls for flour which is fine white bread flour.  This and gluten content are why I have called for bread flour, but AP may serve just as well.
• Butter- I prefer working with unsalted, then adjusting salt as needed, the cheese will be salty so wait until it is added to adjust salt.
• Cheese- I think a hard cheese is the best option here. Parmesan would be excellent. It may well mean just a simple cheese like a farmers cheese, it must have been pressed, dried and likely aged in order to be grated, so it does not mean a fresh cheese or curds.  In modern terms this is macaroni and cheese so while I don't recommend a modern cheese, go with your taste on it. The cheese for loseyns is specified, likely referring to a type of aged cheese that has some similarity to brie, but that isn't the case with this dish.
• Building a dough- the classic method is to make a mound of flour with a well in the center for a liquid and to slowly integrate the flour inward.
• Sticky? It will be a bit at first. if it is really bad just continue to work the flour into it.  It will get drier as you knead.
• The need to knead- this is an eggless pasta, which means you need to use the protein in the wheat to form some structure, because the eggs aren't there to do it. You also don't have any shortening (fat) to keep it tender. This is both good and bad. We knead the dough in order to work the proteins into a good structure to hold it together. Otherwise we would just end up with a pot full of floury water and some tiny little dumplings.  This is why we want the dough to become elastic. the less you work the dough, the easier it will be to roll and the more tender the pasta will be, however, the less you work it, the more it will fall apart. So make sure it becomes elastic, but don't go wild on it.
• Rolling-  be patient with the dough, and keep rolling ALL of it.  Keep changing the direction of your roller, flip the dough every once in a while.  Keep your board dusted so it doesn't stick too much, but in the end, once you've cut it, you can probably scrape it off just fine, it doesn't need to be whole like a pie crust.  Concentrate on thinning out the thick parts, because an elastic dough will stretch in the middle and get paper thin while the edges are 1/2" thick.  For a thick pasta I wouldn't go thicker than 1/8" (roughly 2.7mm) unless you want to cook them a little differently, say boil them then saute in butter, etc. no need to go thinner than 1/16"(about 1.5mm) but you can, especially if you decide to use semolina and dry your pasta before you cook it.
• I mentioned it earlier, but did you perhaps guess about the etymology of the name of this dish? Makrows- macaroni. Macaroni served with butter and cheese- familiar to most every American child for sure, and likely others.

So today we have covered rice, cream of wheat and mac & cheese.  Everyday medieval...

 I did the transcriptions and created the recipes and pulled all the information from memory.

Citations:

Aside from the recipes and images from "Forme of cury" c.1390 from the Rylands Collection, this one is all me. 

Category: Medieval side dishes