[Decoration]

_On the Unparalell'd Piece of Mr. May His Cookery._

See here a work set forth of such perfection, Will praise it self, and doth not beg protection From flatter'd greatness. Industry and pains For gen'ral good, his aim, his Countrey gains; Which ought respect him. A good English Cook, Excellent Modish Monsieurs, and that Book Call'd Perfect Cook, Merete's Pastery Translated, looks like old hang'd Tapistry, The wrong side outwards: so Monsieur adieu, I'm for our Native Mays Works rare and new, Who with Antique could have prepar'd and drest The Nations quondam grand Imperial Feast, Which that thrice Crown'd Third Edward did ordain For his high Order, and their Noble Train, Whereon St. George his famous Day was seen, A Court on Earth that did all Courts out-shine. And how all Rarities and Cates might be Order'd for a Renown'd Solemnity, Learn of this Cook, who with judgment, and reason, Teacheth for every Time, each thing its true Season; Making his Compounds with such harmony, Taste shall not charge with superiority Of Pepper, Salt, or Spice, by the best Pallat, Or any one Herb in his broths or Sallat. Where Temperance and Discretion guides his deeds; Satis his Motto, where nothing exceeds. Or ought to wast, for there's good Husbandry To be observ'd, as Art in Cookery. Which of the Mathematicks doth pertake, Geometry proportions when they bake. Who can in paste erect (of finest flour) A compleat Fort, a Castle, or a Tower. A City Custard doth so subtly wind, That should Truth seek, she'd scarce all corners find; Platform of Sconces, that might Souldiers teach, To fortifie by works as well as Preach. I'le say no more; for as I am a sinner, I've wrought my self a stomach to a dinner. Inviting Poets not to tantalize, But feast, (not surfeit) here their Fantasies.

James Parry.

_To the Reader of (my very loving Friend) Mr. Robert May his incomparable Book of Cookery._

See here's a Book set forth with such things in't, As former Ages never saw in Print; Something I'de write in praise on't, but the Pen, Of Famous Cleaveland, or renowned Ben, If unintomb'd might give this Book its due, By their high strains, and keep it always new. But I whose ruder Stile could never clime, Or step beyond a home-bred Country Rhime, Must not attempt it: only this I'le say, Cato's Res Rustica's far short of May. Here's taught to keep all sorts of flesh in date, All sorts of Fish, if you will marinate; To candy, to preserve, to souce, to pickle, To make rare Sauces, both to please, and tickle The pretty Ladies palats with delight; Both how to glut, and gain an Appetite. The Fritter, Pancake, Mushroom; with all these, The curious Caudle made of Ambergriese. He is so universal, he'l not miss, The Pudding, nor Bolonian Sausages. Italian, Spaniard, French, he all out-goes, Refines their Kickshaws, and their Olio's, The rarest use of Sweet-meats, Spicery, And all things else belong to Cookery: Not only this, but to give all content, Here's all the Forms of every Implement To work or carve with, so he makes the able To deck the Dresser, and adorn the Table. What dish goes first of every kind of Meat, And so ye're welcom, pray fall too, and eat. Reader, read on, for I have done; farewell, The Book's so good, it cannot chuse but sell.

Thy well-wishing Friend,

John Town.

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The most Exact, or A-la-mode Ways of Carving and Sewing.

Terms of Carving.

Break that deer, leach that brawn, rear that goose, lift that swan, sauce that capon, spoil that hen, frust that chicken, unbrace that mallard, unlace that coney, dismember that hern, display that crane, disfigure that peacock, unjoynt that bittern, untach that curlew, allay that pheasant, wing that partridge, wing that quail, mince that plover, thigh that pidgeon, border that pasty, thigh that woodcock; thigh all manner of small birds.

Timber the fire, tire that egg, chine that salmon, string that lamprey, splat that pike, souce that plaice, sauce that tench, splay that bream, side that haddock, tusk that barbel, culpon that trout, fin that chivin, transon that eel, tranch that sturgeon, undertranch that porpus, tame that crab, barb that lobster.

Service.

First, set forth mustard and brawn, pottage, beef, mutton, stewed pheasant, swan, capon, pig, venison, hake, custard, leach, lombard, blanchmanger, and jelly; for standard, venison, roast kid, fawn, and coney, bustard, stork, crane, peacock with his tail, hern-shaw, bittern, woodcock, partridge, plovers, rabbits, great birds, larks, doucers, pampuff, white leach, amber-jelly, cream of almonds, curlew, brew, snite, quail, sparrow, martinet, pearch in jelly, petty pervis, quince baked, leach, dewgard, fruter fage, blandrells or pippins with caraways in comfits, wafers, and Ipocras.

Sauce for all manner of Fowls.

Mustard is good with brawn, Beef, Chine of Bacon, and Mutton, Verjuyce good to boil'd Chickens and Capons; Swan with Chaldrons, Ribs of Beef with Garlick, mustard, pepper, verjuyce, ginger; sauce of lamb, pig and fawn, mustard, and sugar; to pheasant, partridge, and coney, sauce gamelin; to hern-shaw, egrypt, plover, and crane, brew, and curlew, salt, and sugar, and water of Camot, bustard, shovilland, and bittern, sauce gamelin; woodcock, lapwhing, lark, quail, martinet, venison and snite with white salt; sparrows and thrushes with salt, and cinamon. Thus with all meats sauce shall have the operation.

Directions for the order of carving Fowl.

Lift that Swan.

The manner of cutting up a Swan must be to slit her right down in the middle of the breast, and so clean thorow the back from the neck to the rump, so part her in two halves cleanly and handsomly, that you break not nor tear the meat, lay the two halves in a fair charger with the slit sides downwards, throw salt about it, and let it again on the Table. Let your sauce be chaldron for a Swan, and serve it in saucers.

Rear the Goose.

You must break a goose contrary to the former way. Take a goose being roasted, and take off both his legs fair like a shoulder of Lamb, take him quite from the body then cut off the belly piece round close to the lower end of the breast: lace her down with your knife clean through the breast on each side your thumbs bredth for the bone in the middle of the breast; then take off the pinion of each side, and the flesh which you first lac't with your knife, raise it up clear from the bone, and take it from the carcase with the pinion; then cut up the bone which lieth before in the breast (which is commonly call'd the merry thought) the skin and the flesh being upon it; then cut from the brest-bone, another slice of flesh clean thorow, & take it clean from the bone, turn your carcase, and cut it asunder the back-bone above the loin-bones: then take the rump-end of the back-bone, and lay it in a fair dish with the skinny-side upwards, lay at the fore-end of that the merry-thought with the skin side upward, and before that the apron of the goose; then lay your pinions on each side contrary, set your legs on each side contrary behind them, that the bone end of the legs may stand up cross in the middle of the dish, & the wing pinions on the outside of them; put under the wing pinions on each side the long slices of flesh which you cut from the breast bone, and let the ends meet under the leg bones, let the other ends lie cut in the dish betwixt the leg and the pinion; then pour your sauce into the dish under your meat, throw on salt, and set it on the table.

To cut up a Turkey or Bustard.

Raise up the leg very fair, and open the joynt with the point of your knife, but take not off the leg; then lace down the breast with your knife on both sides, & open the breast pinion with the knife, but take not the pinion off; then raise up the merry-thought betwixt the breast bone, and the top of the merry-thought, lace down the flesh on both sides of the breast-bone, and raise up the flesh called the brawn, turn it outward upon both sides, but break it not, nor cut it not off; then cut off the wing pinion at the joynt next to the body, and stick on each side the pinion in the place where ye turned out the brawn, but cut off the sharp end of the Pinion, take the middle piece, and that will just fit the place.

You may cut up a capon or pheasant the same way, but of your capon cut not off the pinion, but in the place where you put the pinion of the turkey, you must put the gizard of your capon on each side half.

Dismember that Hern.

Take off both the legs, and lace it down to the breast with your knife on both sides, raise up the flesh, and take it clean off with the pinion; then stick the head in the breast, set the pinion on the contrary side of the carcase, and the leg on the other side, so that the bones ends may meet cross over the carcase, and the other wings cross over upon the top of the carcase.

Unbrace that Mallard.

Raise up the pinion and the leg, but take them not off, raise the merry-thought from the breast, and lace it down on each side of the breast with your knife, bending to and fro like ways.

Unlace that Coney.