Book XIV, chapters 1–7: Cookery

THE FOURTEENTH BOOK OF Natural Magick: I shall shew some choice things in the Art of Cookery.

THE PROEME.

THe Cooks Art hath some choice Secrets, that may make Banquets more dainty and full of admiration: These I purpose to reveal, not that so I might invite Gluttons and Parasites to Luxury, but that with small cost and expence, I might set forth the curiosities of Art, and may give occasion to others thereby to invent greater matters by these. The Art consists about eating and drinking. I shall first speak of Meats, then of Drinks; and by the way I shall not omit some merry pass-times, that I may recreate the Guests, not onely with Banquets, but also with Mirth and Delights.

CHAP. I.

How Flesh may be made tender.

I Shall begin with Flesh, and shew hot it may be made tender, that Gluttons much desire. I shall do it divers ways; Some that proceed from the kind of their death; others from the secret properties of things: and they will grow so tender, that they will almost resolve into broth. Then how whilest the creatures are yet alive, they may be made tender. For example:

How to make Sheeps flesh tender.

The Flesh of creatures killed by their enemies, especially such as they hate and fear, will be very tender. Zoroaster in his Geoponicks saith, that Sheep killed by Wolves, and bitten, their flesh will be more tender, and so the sweeter. Plutarch in Symposiacis gives the cause of it. Sheeps Flesh, he saith, bitten by a Wolf becomes the sweeter, because the Wolfe by biting, makes the Flesh more flaggy and tender. For the breath of the Wolfe is so hot, that the hardest bones will consume in his stomach, and melt; and for this cause, those things will the sooner corrupt, that the Wolfe bites. And both Hunters and Cooks can testifie, that creatures killed divers ways, are diversly affected. Some of these are killed at one blow, that with one stroke they lye for dead: yet others are hardly killed at many blows. And which is more wonderful, some by a wound given with the Iron weapon, have imprinted such a quality upon the creature, that it presently corrupted, and would not keep sweet one day; and others have killed them as suddenly, yet no such quality remain'd in the flesh that was killed, and it would last some time. Moreover, that a certain vertue, when creatures are slain or dye, comes forth to their skins, and hair, and nails, Homer was not ignorant of, who writing of skins and thongs; A thong saith he of an ox slain by force, for the skins of those creatures are tougher and stronger, when they dy not by old age or of diseases, but are slain. On the contrary, such as dye by the bitings of Beasts, their hoofs will grow black, and their hairs fall off, and their skins will wither and flag. Thus far Plutarch. But I think these things are false; for how should Sheeps flesh grow tender by the Wolfes breath, I understand it not: For other creatures that are killed by their enemies, and flesh of a contrary nature doth also grow tender, where there are no hot vapours. But I think that the absence of blood, makes the flesh tender, for these reasons. Quails and Pheasants killed by Hawks, are very tender, but their hearts are found full of blood, and hard within them. Deer and Bores, killed by Dogs, are more tender; but harder if by Guns: and about, the heart the parts are so hard, that they can scarce be boiled. Fear of death drives the blood to the heart; the other parts are bloodless, as shall appear by the following experiments. As

How Geese, Ducks, Pheasants, Quails, and other Birds become most tender.

This is easily done, if we hunt them and fly Hawks, and other birds of prey, at them; for whilst they fight, they strive to be gone, and they are sometime held in the Falcons Tallents, and are wounded with divers strokes; and this makes them so tender that it is wonderful: Wherefore, when we would eat crammed Birds, we should purposely fly a Hawk at them, and being killed by them, should grow more tender to be desired. So

That Ox-flesh may grow tender,

especially of old Oxen; for they are dry and hard, and will not easily boil. The Butchers set hounds at them, and let them prey upon them, and they will for some hours defend themselves with their horns: at last, being overcome by multitudes of Dogs, they fall with their ears torn, and bit in their skin; these brought into the shambles, and cut out, are more tender than ordinary. Some of them fighting openly with Bears, and sometimes kill'd by them, if any of the body be left, it will be so tender that it will melt in a mans mouth. We may do the same, if we keep creatures sometime in fear of death, and the longer you keep them so, the tender they will be. For

To make Hens tender,

we fright them off from high Towers; so we do Turkies, Peacocks: and when they cannot fly away by the weight of their bodies, for fear of death, with great pains and shaking of their wings, they fall down, that they may take no hurt by falling. Those that are so killed with fear of death, grow very tender. So old Pigeons that by chance had fallen into deep pits, when they had long laboured, struggling with their fluttering wings above the waters to save themselves from drowning, with strugling and fear of death they grew very tender; and by this accident we have learned, that when we would have them very tender, we purposely drive them in. Horace in Serm, saith almost the same.

How a Cock may grow tender,

if you must suddenly set him before your friends, and cannot help it. If that a guest do come by chance at night, and if the cock be tough, not fit to eat, drown'd him alive in Muscadel out right, and he will soon come to be tender meat. We use to hang up Turkies alives by the bills, at the sadle-bow, when we ride; and these being thus rack't and tossed with great pains, at the journeys end you shall find them dead, and very tender.

CHAP. II.

How flesh may grow tender by secret propriety.

SOme things there are, that by secret propriety make flesh tender. I shall record two prodigious miracles of Nature. One, that hung on a fig-tree,

Cocks flesh grows tender,

and so short, that it is wonderful: Another, that wild Cocks bound to a fig-tree, will grow tame, and stand immoveable. Plutarch in his Symposiacks, gives the reason, why the Sacrifices of Cooks hung to a Fig-tree did presently grow tender and short, when the Cook of Aristian, amongst other meats, offered to Hercules a tender dunghil-Cock, newly slain, that was extream short: Aristio gives the reason of this tenderness to be the Fig-tree; and he maintaned, that these killed, though they be hard, will grow tender, if they be hanged up on a Fig-tree. It is certain, as we may judge by sight, that the Fig-tree sends forth a vehement and strong vapour. This also confirms that which is commonly spoken of Bulls, that the fiercest of them bound to a Fig-tree, will grow tame presently, and will endure to be touched with your hand, and to bear the yoke; and they puff out all their anger, and lay aside their courage that thus fails them: for so forcible is the acrimony of the vapour of that Tree, that though the Bull rage never so much, yet this will tame him. For the Fig-tree is more full of Milky juice, then other Trees are; so that the Wood, Boughs, Figs, are almost all full of it: wherefore, when it is burnt, the smoke it sends forth, doth bite and tear one very much; and a lixivium made of them burnt, is very detergent, and cleansing: also Cheese is curdled with Fig-tree milk, that comes forth of the Tree, if you cut the green bark. Some would have the heat to be the cause, that the Milk curds, by the juice of the Fig-tree cast in, which melts the watry substance of the humour; wherefore the Fig-tree sends forth a hot and sharp vapour, and that is digesting, and dries and concocts the flesh of Birds, so that they grow tender. So

Ox flesh may be made tender,

If you put the stalks of wilde Fig-trees into the pot, wherein Ox flesh is boil'd, they will be boil'd much the sooner, by reason of the wood. Pliny. I gave you the reason of it before from Antipathy. The Egyptians alluding to this, when they would describe a man that was punished to the height, they painted a Bull tied to a wilde Fig-tree: For when he rores, if he be bound to a wilde Fig-tree, he will presently grow tame. If we will have

Pulse grow tender,

because I see that there is great antipathy between Pulse and Choke fitch, that destroys and strangles them. Some call this Lions Herbe: for as a Lion doth with great rage and furiously kill Cattle and Sheep, so doth choke fitch all Pulse: wherefore this Herbe put to Pulse, when they boil, will make them boil the sooner. But

To make meats boil the sooner,

All kinds of Docks, though they be dry and juiceless, will do it, that all flesh will grow tender, and become fit to eat. Wherefore the Antients always fed on it, that it might digest the meat in their stomacks, and loose their bellies. Also the root of wilde Nettles boil'd with flesh, will make them tender. Pliny.

CHAP. III.

How Flesh may be made tender otherwise.

THere be other ways to make flesh tender: First, if flesh killed be hung in the open Air, for they will grow tender, as beginning to corrupt, but they must not stay there so long till they corrupt indeed. Wherefore you must know their quality, which will keep longest, and which not. For example

Peacocks, Partridge, Pheasants to be made tender.

Isaac saith, That a Peacock killed will be kept two days, and three in winter, that the hard flesh of it may grow soft. Haliabas hangs them up three days, hanging stones to their feet. Savanrola hangs them up ten days without weights. Simeon Sethi saith, That Patridge newly killed are not to be eat, but after a day or two, that they may lose their hardness. Pheasants in Summer hung up two days, and three days in winter, after they are killed, will be fit meat. Arnoleus. And to avoid tediousness, the same must be done with other flesh. The like

That Birds may grow tender.

If you hang those in Moon-light, that were killed in the night, they will grow more tender by boiling: For the Moon hath great vertue to make flesh tender, for it is but a kind of corruption. Therefore wood, cut by Moon-light, will sooner grow rotten, and fruit sooner grow ripe. Daphnis the Physitian in Athenaus.

CHAP. IV.

How Shell-creatures may grow more tender.

BEfore I end to speak of ways to make flesh more tender; It will not be amiss to make Crabs tender, and by another way then I shew'd before. How we may make

Crab-fish tender shel'd.

At Rome they do so, and it becomes pleasant and excellent meat for Noble mens Tables. I speak of those Crabs bred in fresh waters: For at Venice I have eaten them that bred naturally tender in salt-waters; they call them commonly Mollecas: but they are not so sweet, as they are made at Rome; and they ask a Julius apiece. The way is, in the Moneths of June, July, August, and September, the Crabs use to cast their shels, and put off their old coat; at that time fisher-men search about the banks of Rivers, where they find their holes and caves half stopt, and by that they know the time is come to cast their shells; for the more their shells grow tender, the more they shut up their holes. They grow tender first about the feet, and by degrees it ascends over their whole bodies. When they have taken them, they bring them home, and put them every one in several earthen pots; and they put in water, that it may cover half their bodies, and so they let them remain eight or ten days, changing the water every day, and their shells will grow more tender every day. When it is all soft, that it is transparent as Crystal, they fry them with butter and milk, and bring them to the Table. So

Squils grow tender.

We must do as we did to Crabs, for they cast their shells as Crabs do: and Nature did this for some end; for when their shells are grown too thick and weighty, they can scarce crawl; wherefore by the excrements that go into it, that are consumed to make a new shell within, the former that was made is broken, and falls off.

CHAP. V.

That living Creatures may be made more fat and well tasted.

I Shall endeavour to shew how living Creatures may be made more fat and well tasted, that we may set more favory meats before our guests. The Antients were not negligent in this matter: Wherefore you shall find many ways, not onely amongst Cooks, but such as write concerning Husbandry. Liccorish Gluttons found out the ways to fat Cattle, that they might feed on them more plentifully and daintily. Hence they called them cram'd, because they were full fed, and had gross bellies. Those were called Bird pens, where they fatted all sorts of Birds. M. Lelius Strabo, was the first that appointed this; and he appointed Crammers to take care of them, and ordered how much every crammed bird should eat. They will fat better in winter than in summer, because Birds at that time of the year are best, being not so much wasted with yong; and Cocks will fat better then Hens, and such as never trod nor made eggs. In summer, when it is at an end, and the sowre Grapes hang yet upon the Vines, they are at the best. I shall therefore teach

How Hens and other Birds must be crammed.

Choose a place that is hot and obscure; shut them all up apart, and so close in their pens, that they cannot come together, nor turn; and make two holes; one for their heads to put forth, and the other for their tails, that they may both at their meat and shite it out again when it is digested. Lay soft hay under them; for if they lye hard, they will never fat. Pull off all the feathers from their heads, thighs, and […] under their wings, there, that it may breed no lice; here, that the dung corrupt it not. For meat, give them gobbets of Barley-Meal, made up with water; at the first for some time, more sparingly, then after give them as much as they can digest; and you must give them no new meat, till you feel their c[…]ops that all the old is digested. When the Bird is full, let him go a while, not to wander abroad; but if there be any thing that urgeth him, he may pick it off with his bill. Let him not be set to fatting before five, or after twenty Moneths old. Yong Pigeons or Chickens, will fat better with their dams, if you pull off a few of their feathers, and bruise their legs, that they may stay in their places; and if you give meat plentifully to their dams, that they may feed themselves, and their yong ones sufficiently. Turtles are best fatted in summer: give them nothing but meat, especially Millet-seed, for they much delight to eat that; but Geese in winter: They must be put up to fat four Moneths, you need give them nothing else but Barley-Meal, and Wheat-meal three times a day; so that you give them water enough to drink, and no liberty to walk about; thus they will fat in two Moneths. But tender Pullers will not be made fat in forty days. Ducks will grow fat with all nutriment, if it be abundance; especially with Wheat, Millet-seed, Barley, and with Water-squils, Locusts, and Creatures found in Lakes. Columella. Pheasants, Partidges, Heath-cocks, and Turky-hens, will fat being shut up; and the first day they eat meat, the next set them water or good strong wine to drink: Let their meat be raw Barley-Meal, made up with water, giving them it by degrees; or else broken and ground Beans and Barley sod with water, and whole Millet-seed, Linseed boil'd and dry, mingled with Barley-meal: to these you may add Oyl, and make gobbets of them, and give them to eat to the full, and they will grow fat at longest in sixty days. Now I shall shew how

Four-footed Beasts are fatted.

The Sow will soonest fat, for in sixty days she will be far. First kept hungry three days, as all the rest must be. She grows fat with Barley, Millet, Acorns, Figs, Pears, Cucumbers; rest, and not wandring. But Sows will grow fatter by wallowing in the mire. Figs and Chick-peason, will fat them soonest; and they desire change of meats. Varro. The Sow is fed with Beans, Barley, and other Grain; for these will not onely fat them, but give them a good rellish. The Olive, wilde Olive, Tares, Corn in straw, Grass: and they are all the better sprinkled with brine; but the more effectual will they be, if she fast three days before. Aristotle. Beanhusks, and Coleworts are pleasant meat for them; Salt put to them, will make them have a stomack, which in summer put into their troughs will season their meat, and make them eat it up; and by that seasoning of it, they will drink and eat the more. Colunmella. Oxen will grow fa[…] with Corn and Grass, Tares, ground Beans, and Beanflalks: Also with Barley, whole or broken, and parted from the hulls: also by sweet things, as pressed Figs, Wine, Elm-boughs, and with a Lotion of hot water. Aristotle. We feed them at home with Wine of Surrentum, or else we put Calfs to two Cows, and thus being fed with abundance of Milk, they can scarce go for fat. Also in their cra[…]ches we strew Salt stones, that they may lick them, and so drink, and they will grow exceeding fat and tender.

CHAP. VI.

How the flesh of Animals is made sweeter.

NOw shall I shew with some Meats, and Arts, How not onely the parts of Animals, but their whole bodies are made fat, tender, and more delicate, And first,

How to fat the Livers of Geese.

Out wise Ancestours, saith Pliny, who knew the goodness of a Goose liver, taught how by cramming to make it grow great; also taken forth, it is augmented by sweet Milk. And it is not without cause demanded, who was the first man that found out so profitable a thing: Whether it were Scipio Metellus, that was Consul, or Mar, Sejus, that in the same age was a Gentleman of Rome. Palladius taught the way how; when Geese have been fatting thirty days, if you desire to have their livers tender, you shall bruise old Figs, and steep them in water, and make gobbets of them, and feed the Geese with them twenty days together. But Quintilius way is, when they grow fat, you shall break dry wilde Radish in small pieces, and tempering them with water, give them this to drink for twenty days. Some, that the liver may be made great, and the Geese fat, feed them thus. They shut up the Goose, and cast to him Wheat sleeped in water, or Barley the same way. Wheat makes him fat quickly, but Barley makes the flesh white. Let her be sed with the said grain, but severally with them both, for twenty days, giving to her twice a day a moyst Medicament made thereof; so that seven of those meats, may be given her for the first five days, and by degrees the days following, increase the number of these meats, until twenty five days be past; that the days in the whole may be thirty: and when they are over, heat Mallows, and in the decoction thereof, being yet hot, give her leaven moystned therewith; do so for four days, and in the same days give her water and honey; changing it thrice every day, not using the same again: and do this the days following, till sixty days: mingle dry Figs, bruised all this time with the said leaven, and after sixty days you may eat the Goose, and its liver, that will be white and tender. Which being taken forth, must be put into a large vessel, wherein there is hot water, that must be changed again and again. But the Bodies and Livers of the females are best, but let them be Geese not of one year, but from two years old to four. Horace in Serm. speaks of this,

Fat Figs do make the Goose white, Liver great.

And Juvenal, Satyr 5.

A Goose's Liver fed before him stood,
As big as a Goose, and to eat as good.

And Martial,

The Liver's greater then the Goose, that's true,
But now you l wonder where this Liver grew.

Athenaus writes, That this was of great account at Rome. When you kill the Goose, take out the Liver quickly and cast it into cold water, that it may be solid; then fry it in Goose-grease, in a frying pan, and season it with spices. It is a dish for a Prince, and highly commended by many. So is

A Sows Liver fatted.

Pliny. There is art used for Sows Livers, as well as for Geese. It was the invention of Marcus Apicius, when they are fat with dry Figs, give them sweet wine to drink, and kill them presently. Apicius. Add to the Liver of a Sow fatted with Figs, Wine-pickle, Pepper, Time, Lovage, Suet, and a little Wine and Oyl. Aetius. If, saith he, any man feed that creature with dry Figs, the Sows Liver is preferred before all meat. I said out of Aristotle, that Figs and Chick peason will fat a Sow best. Galen. As whilst Sows are living, their Livers are fed for delight with dry Figs; so for Geese, I see their meats are moystned with milk, that their Livers may be not onely most pleasant meat, but may be fed exceedingly, and be most delicate. If you will

That Cattle may be more excellent to eat.

Cattle that use to feed on Masterwort, and to be first cleansed, will grow very fat, and their flesh will be exceeding sweet. Pliny. Whence it is that this Benjamin is not for many years to be found in Cyrene, because the Farmers, that hire the grounds, finding more gain by it, devour them by their Cattel. Moreover in India, and chiefly in the Country of the Prasil, it rains liquid honey; which falling down on the grass, and the tops of Reeds in the Lakes, is admirable food for Sheep and Oxen; and the Shepherds drive them thither, where most of this sweet dew falls from the Air, and there they are feasted with it, as with pleasant bankets: and they recompence their Shepherds with a pleasant reward; for they milk very sweet milk from them, and they have no need, as the Grecians do, to temper honey with it. Aelian. But

How Pullets are made most white, tender, and delicate,

Such as I use to set before my friends: The way is. I shut them up five days in chambers or cellars, and I give them a dish full of chippins of bread, wet with milk, and sometimes with honey: fed thus, they will grow as fat as great Sappers in Fig time, and so tender, that they will melt in your mouth, and they taste better by far then Pheasants, Heath-cocks, or Thrushes. And it seems the Antients knew this: For saith Pliny, when a crammed Hen was forbid to eat at supper, by the Laws of the Antients, they found out this evasion, to feed Hens with meats wet in milk; and so they were far more delicate to set on the Table. And Columella. They that will make Birds not onely fat, but tender, they sprinkle the foresaid Meal with water and honey new made; and so they fat them. Some to three parts of water, put one of good wine, and wet Wheat-bread, and fat the Bird; which beginning to be fatted the first day of the Moneth, will be very fat on the twentieth day.

CHAP. VII.

How the Flesh of Animals may be made bitter, and not to be eaten.

AGain, if we will that Flesh shall be rejected for the bitterness, and ill taste of it, we must do contrary to what hath been said: Or if we will not take the pains, we must wait the times that these creatures feed on such meats, as will do it, whereby sometimes they become venemous also. As if we would have

Deers flesh become venemous,

Simeon Sethi saith, That Deers flesh, that is catcht in summer, is poyson; because then they feed on Adders and Serpents; these are venemous creatures, and by eating of them they grow thirsty: and this they know naturally; for if they drink before they have digested them, they are killed by them: wherefore they will abstain from water, though they burn with thirst. Wherefore Stags-flesh, eaten at that time, is venemous, and very dangerous. Sometimes also

Partridge are nought,

Namely, when they eat Garlick. The Chyrrhaei will eat no Partridge, by reason of their food; for when they have eaten Garlick they stink, and their flesh is stinking meat, that the Fowler will not eat them. So also

Quails, and Stares, are rejected,

at that time of the year, that black Hellebour is the meat they like onely. Wherefore, when Quails feed on Hellebour, they put those that feed on them into so great danger of their lives, that they swell and suffer convulsions, and are subject to vertigo's: Wherefore Millet-feed must be boil'd with them. Also

Birds are not to be eaten,

when the Goose-berries are ripe; for their Feathers will grow black thereby, and men that eat them, fall into scowrings. Dioscorides.

The Eggs of the Barbel, or Spawn, not to be eaten

in May, because they are dangerous; but the Eggs are not dangerous of themselves, nor do they breed such mischiefs. For they do not do it always; for often you may eat them without danger: but they are onely then hurtful, when they feed on Willow-flowers, that fall into the waters. So are

Snails to be rejected,

when they stick fast to briars and shrubs, for they trouble the belly and the stomack, and cause vomiting. Dioscorides. And not onely these Animals themselves cause this mischief, but their excrements, as milk, honey, and the like. For

Milk must not be eaten,

when Goats and Sheep feed on green food, because it will loosen the belly the more: but Goats-milk doth not try the belly so much, because these Cattle feed on binding meats, as on the Oak, Mastick, Olive-boughs, and Turpentine-tree. But in such places where Cattle eat Scammony, black Hellebore, Perwincle, or Mercury, all their milk subverts the belly and stomack; such as is reported to be in the mountains of Justin[…]: for Goats that eat black Hellebore, that is given them when the yong leaves come first out, their milk drank will make one vomit, and causeth loathing and nauseating of the stomack. Dioscorides. Also there is found

Honey that is venemous,

That which is made in Sardinia, for there the Bees feed on Wormwood. At Heraclia in Pontus, some times of the year, by a property of the flowers there, Honey is made, that they which eat it grow mad, and sweat exceedingly. Dioscorides. There are

Eggs laid that stink.

When there are no fruits nor herbs to be seen, then Hens feed on dung, and so do other Birds that lay Eggs. But then those raste best that feed on fat things, and eat Wheat, Millet, and Panick: but such as eat Wormwood, their Eggs are bitter.