Image: Master chef of Richard II of England · Public domain
Forme of Cury (Pegge edition)
- Year
- 1780
- Era
- 18th century
- Origin
- England · Europe
- Language
- Middle English
- Category
- Medieval European
The Forme of Cury, edited by antiquary Samuel Pegge and published in 1780, presents the celebrated late fourteenth-century roll of recipes compiled by the master-cooks of Richard II. Pegge's edition brought one of the earliest substantial English culinary manuscripts into print for the first time, making accessible a vital record of medieval courtly cookery, its spicing, sauces, and elaborate set-pieces, and establishing a foundation for subsequent scholarship on English gastronomic history.
Cooking from this book
Blancmange
Signature dishAmong the most emblematic dishes preserved in this royal compilation is blancmange, a refined pottage of shredded capon simmered with rice and almond milk, sweetened and often finished with fried almonds and anise comfits. Far removed from the cold pudding the name later described, it embodies the medieval English court's taste for pale, delicate, spiced dishes. Its repeated appearance across the manuscript has made it a touchstone of Richard II's kitchen repertoire.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
