Kervyng of flesh

“Son, take þy knyfe as y taught þe while ere,

kut bravne in þe dische riȝt as hit liethe there,

and to þy souereynes trenchoure / with þe knyfe / ye hit bere:

pare þe fatt þer-from / be ware of hide & heere.

Thañ whan ye haue it so y-leid / oñ þy lordes trenchoure,

looke ye haue good mustarde þer-to and good licoure;

Fatt venesoun with frumenty / hit is a gay plesewre

youre souerayne to serue with in sesoun to his honowre:

Towche not þe venisoun with no bare hand

but withe þy knyfe; þis wise shalle ye be doande,

withe þe fore part of þe knyfe looke ye be hit parand,

xij. draughtes with þe egge of þe knyfe þe venison crossande.

[Fol. 176 b.]

Thañ whañ ye þat venesoun so haue chekkid hit,

with þe fore parte of youre knyfe / þat ye hit owt kytt,

In þe frumenty potage honestly ye convey hit,

in þe same forme with pesyñ & bakeñ whañ sesoun þer-to dothe sitt.

Withe youre lift hand touche beeff / Chyne / motoun, as is a-fore said,

& pare hit clene or þat ye kerve / or hit to your lord be layd;

and as it is showed afore / beware of vpbrayde;

alle fumosite, salt / senow / Raw / a-side be hit convayde.

In sirippe / partriche / stokdove / & chekyns, in seruynge,

with your lifft hand take þem by þe pynoñ of þe whynge,

HOW TO CARVE LARGE ROAST BIRDS, SWAN, CAPON, &C.

& þat same with þe fore parte of þe knyfe be ye vp rerynge,

Mynse hem smalle in þe siruppe: of fumosite algate be ye feerynge.

Good soñ, of alle fowles rosted y telle yow as y Cañ,

Every goos / teele / Mallard / Ospray / & also swanne,

reyse vp þo leggis of alle þese furst, y sey the thañ,

afftur þat, þe whynges large & rownd / þañ dare blame þe no man;

Lay the body in myddes of þe dische / or in a-nodur chargere,

of vche of þese with whynges in myddes, þe legges so aftir there.

of alle þese in .vj. lees / if þat ye wille, ye may vppe arere,

& ley þem̅ betwene þe legges, & þe whynges in þe same platere.

Capoñ, & hen of hawt grees, þus wold þey be dight:—

Furst, vn-lace þe whynges, þe legges þan in sight,

Cast ale or wyne oñ þem̅, as þer-to belongeth of ryght,

& mynse þem̅ þañ in to þe sawce with powdurs kene of myght.

Take capoun or heñ so enlased, & devide;

take þe lift whynge; in þe sawce mynce hit eueñ beside,

and yf youre souerayne ete sauerly / & haue þerto appetide,

þañ mynce þat oþur whynge þer-to to satisfye hym̅ þat tyde.

Feysaunt, partriche, plouer, & lapewynk, y yow say,

areyse þe whynges furst / do as y yow pray;

In þe dische forthe-withe, boþe þat ye ham lay,

þañ aftur þat / þe leggus / without lengur delay.

wodcok / Betowre / Egret / Snyte / and Curlew,

heyrounsew / resteratiff þey ar / & so is the brewe;

þese .vij. fowles / must be vnlaced, y telle yow trew,

breke þe pynons / nek, & beek, þus ye must þem shew.

[Fol. 177.]

Thus ye must þem vnlace / & in thus manere:

areyse þe leggis / suffire þeire feete stille to be oñ there,

þañ þe whynges in þe dische / ye may not þem forbere,

þe body þañ in þe middes laid / like as y yow leere.

HOW TO CARVE THE CRANE, FAWN, VENISON, &C.

The Crane is a fowle / þat stronge is with to fare;

þe whynges ye areyse / fulle large evyñ thare;

of hyre trompe in þe brest / loke þat ye beware.

towche not hir trompe / euermore þat ye spare.

Pecok / Stork / Bustarde / & Shovellewre,

ye must vnlace þem in þe plite / of þe crane prest & pure,

so þat vche of þem̅ haue þeyre feete aftur my cure,

and euer of a sharpe knyff wayte þat ye be sure.

Of quayle / sparow / larke / & litelle / mertinet,

pygeoun / swalow / thrusche / osulle / ye not forgete,

þe legges to ley to your souereyne ye ne lett,

and afturward þe whyngus if his lust be to ete.

Off Foweñ / kid / lambe, / þe kydney furst it lay,

Þañ lifft vp the shuldur, do as y yow say,

Ȝiff he wille þerof ete / a rybbe to hym̅ convay;

but in þe nek þe fyxfax þat þow do away.

venesoun rost / in þe dische if youre souerayne hit chese,

þe shuldir of a pigge furst / þañ a rybbe, yf hit wille hym plese;

þe cony, ley hym oñ þe bak in þe disch, if he haue grece,

while ye par awey þe skyñ oñ vche side / & þañ breke hym̅ or y[e] sece

betwene þe hyndur leggis breke þe canelle booñ,

þañ with youre knyfe areyse þe sides alonge þe chyne Alone;

so lay your cony wombelonge vche side to þe chyne / by craft as y conne,

betwene þe bulke, chyne, þe sides to-gedure lat þem be dooñ;

The .ij. sides departe from þe chyne, þus is my loore,

þen ley bulke, chyne, & sides, to-gedire / as þey were yore.

Furst kit owte þe nape in þe nek / þe shuldurs before;

with þe sides serve youre soueranyne / hit state to restore.

Rabettes sowkers, þe furþer parte from þe hyndur, ye devide;

þañ þe hyndur part at tweyñ ye kut þat tyde,

pare þe skyñ away / & let it not þere abide,

þañ serue youre souerayne of þe same / þe deynteist of þe side.

[Fol. 177 b.]

The maner & forme of kervynge of metes þat byñ groos,

afftur my symplenes y haue shewed, as y suppose:

yet, good soñ, amonge oþer estates euer as þow goose,

HOW TO CARVE LARGE AND SMALL BIRDS.

as ye se / and by vse of youre self / ye may gete yow loos.

But furþermore enforme yow y must in metis kervynge;

Mynse ye must iiij lees / to ooñ morselle hangynge,

þat youre mastir may take with .ij. fyngurs in his sawce dippynge,

and so no napkyñ / brest, ne borclothe, in any wise enbrowynge.

Of gret fowle / in to þe sawce mynse þe whynge this wise;

pas not .iij. morcelles in þe sawce at onis, as y yow avise;

To youre souerayne þe gret fowles legge ley, as is þe gise,

and þus mowe ye neuer mysse of alle connynge seruise.

Of alle maner smale bryddis, þe whyngis oñ þe trencher leyinge,

with þe poynt of youre knyfe / þe flesche to þe booñ end ye brynge,

and so conveye hit oñ þe trenchere, þat wise your souerayne plesynge,

and with faire salt & trenchoure / hym̅ also oft renewynge.