[MR] baby eating

[rangernealson at aol.com]

 All this talk of baby eating at events is making me hungry!
I have slightly modified a recipe found in the Liber Cure Cocorum to take into account the use of babies for a food source.  
Please note; I do not cook period food.  I eat it.
Submitted respectfully,
Dunstan LeHeryngmongere


Viande de Infante.
Take braunne of infants or toddlyrs þou shalle;
Parboyle and drye hit with alle;
Hew hom smalle, bray in mortere,
As smalle as bred, þat myed were;
Take good almonde mylke anone
And lye hit up with tarrygon
Or with floure of ryse, þou may;
Coloure hit with safron, I þe say;
Boyle hit after yche adele,
Charge hit with infant flesshe brayed wele;
Seson hit with sugur and þen þy dysshe
With onyones set þou schalle florysshe


CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH TRANSLATION


Meat of Baby: 
Take flesh of babies or toddlers you shall; 
Parboil and dry it withal; 
Hew them small, pound in mortar, 
As small as bread, that was grated; 
Take good almond milk anon 
And mix it up with tarragon
Or with flour of rice, you may; 
Color it with saffron, I say [to] you; 
Boil it after each part, 
Thicken it with baby flesh pounded well;
Season it with sugar and then your dish 
With scallions set you shall garnish.

 
Redactions/Changes;  basically, Isubstituted baby meat for capons and hens. I decided on the use of tarragon rather than amidon because in myexperience it compliments the taste of small human so well, although Gerarddoes not place tarragon’s use in England until the mid 1500s, so fortrue authenticity one might revert back to amidon.  I also substituted scallions for almonds,which makes the dish a more savory than sweet one, but I find nothing saystrue cannibalism like a little scallion on the side.  Note that in line one it specifically states that toddlers are usable, but I find that babies are much more tender and they struggle less.

ENJOY!