Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany - 95 Lech lumbard

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163)

This manuscript is dated about 1460.

The 200 (approx.) recipes in the Wagstaff miscellany are on pages 56r through 76v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the Yale University Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2014 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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95. Lech lumbard
Claryfye hony put ther to poudyr lat hit boyle longe put ther to almonds [f.67r] cut smal and gradyd bred that hit be chargeaunt stere hit well to gedyr lat hit nought boyle to longe for brennyng of the almondys take gratyd bred & strew on a clene borde take hit out of the pott & lay ther on & strew on more gratyd bred and couch hit to gynger gedyr that hit ren nought a brod when hit ys cold cut hit in brod leches & serve forth ij or iij yn a dysch & strew on poudyr of gynger If thu may hete hit have smal konenys by fore & poure hit ther yn & serve hit in the stede of cold bakemete or yf thu wilt poure hit by hit sylf and crem of almonds or els mylke a stondyng potage of quynsys or of fruet colourd yolow & fil hit up that othir syde & strew ther on anneys in confyte & othir dragge what thu wylte & serve hit forth cold.

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There is a recipe for Leche Lombard in A Noble Boke off Cookry (recipe 22), but it seems to be missing the a portion at the beginning.

Boile gadur of the skome and set it to the fyere agayne put ther to pouder of pepper canelle and grated bred and stirre it well to gedur colour it withe saffron and sanders and in the settinge doun do ther to a litill venygar mellid with pouder of guinger and stirr it and let it be stif then gadur it up in a clothe and splat it some dele abrod and couer it with the same clothe till it be colde and lay ij or iij lesks in a dyshe and straw ther on pouder of guinger mellid with sugur and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

There are several other recipes with the same title in surviving cookbooks, but most include ingredients like dates or pork that would make for a very different final product.  The closest to the Wagstaff version is the following one from Ancient Cookery.

Leche lumbarde. Take honey clarified, and vernage, or other wyne, and let hit boyle togeder, and colour hit with faundres and saffron, and cast therto pouder of pepur, or of greynes, and a lytel pouder of canel, and in the boylynge cast therto grated bred to make hit thik; and when hit is sul boyled, that hit be thik ynogh in the fettynge doune, put therto a lytel vynegur, medelet; with pouder of ginger, and stere hit togeder; and then poure al on a faire canevas, and let hit'kele; and when hit is colde, cut hit in faire brode leches, and lay hom in dishes, and strawe above sugre, and pouder of ginger medeled togeder; and serve hit forth.  [Arundel 334 (England, 1425)]