The Forme of Cury: A Roll of Ancient English Cookery Compiled (Forgotten Books)

Forme of Cury was the name given by Samuel Pegge to a roll of cookery written by the Master Cooks of King Richard II of England. This name has since come into usage for almost all versions of the original manuscript. It is by far the most well known medieval guide to cooking.

The roll was written in late Middle English on vellum and details some 205 recipes (although the exact number of recipes varies slightly between different versions).

The following is a sample of a recipe taken from Pegge's 18th Century edition of the roll.

SAWSE MADAME. XXX.

Take sawge. persel. ysope. and saueray. quinces. and peeres, garlek and Grapes. and fylle the gees perwith. and sowe the hole pat no grece come out. and roost hem wel. and kepe the grece pat fallith perof. take galytyne and grece and do in a possynet, whan the gees buth rosted ynouh; take an smyte hem on pecys. and pat tat is withinne and do it in a possynet and put perinne wyne if it be to thyk. do perto powdour of galyngale. powdour douce and salt and boyle the sawse and dresse pe Gees in disshes and lay pe sowe onoward.

Samuel Pegge was a vicar in Old Whittington in Derbyshire for many years and is buried there. (Quote from wikipedia.org)

About the Author

Samuel Pegge (1704 - 1796)
Samuel Pegge the elder (1704-1796) was an antiquary, born on 5 November 1704 at Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He was the son of Christopher Pegge and his wife Gertrude, daughter of Francis Stephenson of Unstone, near Chesterfield. Christopher Pegge (d. 1723) belonged to a family that had lived for several generations at Osmaston, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, was a woollen dealer in Derby and later a lead merchant in Chesterfield. Samuel's father was mayor of Chesterfield