Title page of the Forme of Cury
The 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 ŝerwith. and sowe the hole ŝat no grece come out. and roost hem wel. and kepe the grece ŝat fallith ŝerof. take galytyne and grece and do in a possynet, whan the gees buth rosted ynouh; take an smyte hem on pecys. and ŝat tat is withinne and do it in a possynet and put ŝerinne wyne if it be to thyk. do ŝerto powdour of galyngale. powdour douce and salt and boyle the sawse and dresse ŝe Gees in disshes and lay ŝe sowe onoward.