Compost
Original
One of the best-documented Forme of Cury recipes. The full Middle English text from Hieatt & Butler, Curye on Inglysch (EETS, 1985), and the Pegge edition:
COMPOST. Take rote of parsel, pasternak of rasenns, scrape hem waisthe hem clene. Take rapes & caboches ypared and icorne. Take an erthen panne with clene water & set it on the fire. Cast all þise þerinne. Whan þey buth boiled cast þerto peeres & parboile hem wel. Take þise thynges up & lat it kele on a fair cloth, do þerto salt whan it is colde in a vessel take vineger & powdour & safroun & do þerto. & lat alle þise thinges lye þerin al nyzt oþer al day, take wyne greke and hony clarified togider lumbarde mustard & raisouns corance al hool. & grynde powdour of canel powdour douce. & aneys hole. & fenell seed. Take alle þise thynges & cast togyder in a pot of erthe. and take þerof whan þou wilt & serue forth.
ONION FINDING: The original Forme of Cury text contains NO ONION. The vegetables are parsley root, parsnip, radishes, turnips, cabbage, and pears. Some modern bloggers add onions in their versions, but the original is clean.
Translation
Take root of parsley, parsnip, radishes, scrape and wash them clean. Take turnips and cabbages, pared and cut. Put in an earthen pan with clean water on the fire and boil. When boiled, add pears and parboil well. Take up and cool on a fair cloth. Add salt when cold. Put in a vessel with vinegar, powder [spices], and saffron. Let lie overnight or all day. Take Greek wine and honey clarified together, Lombard mustard, whole currants, ground cinnamon, poudre douce, whole anise, and fennel seed. Cast all together in an earthen pot. Take thereof when you will and serve forth.
My Redaction
Daniel Myers, medievalcookery.com provides a tested redaction:
- Root vegetables (parsley root/parsnip, turnip, radish, cabbage) + pears, parboiled
- Salted, cooled, then soaked overnight in vinegar, pepper, saffron
- Dressed with: 1 cup Greek wine (sweet Marsala), ½ cup honey, 1 Tbsp mustard, ½ cup currants, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp poudre douce, 1 tsp anise seed, 1 tsp fennel seed
- Serve cold
Source: medievalcookery.com/recipes/compost.html
Give It Forth provides a feast-scaled version with detailed method adapted from Myers, including tips for batch scaling (multiply by 4–5 for 50 servings). Source: giveitforth.blogspot.com/2017/10/compost-forme-of-cury-c-1390.html
For hospitality service: Outstanding make-ahead item. Prepare 2–3 days before the event — it improves with time. The sweet-sour mustard-spiced dressing is distinctive and documents the English palate beautifully. Serves well from a ceramic crock. No cooler needed if served within a few hours (the vinegar preserves it), but refrigerate for longer holds.