Pokerounce Master John le Burquillun (Les Shelton)

Original recipe source: Austin, Thomas. Two Fifteenth Century Cookery-books: Harleian Ms 279 (ab. 1430) and Har. Ms. 4016 (ab. 1450) With Extracts from Ashmole Ms. 1429, Laud. Ms. 553 & Douce Ms. 55, Early English Text Society, N. Trubner & Co., London, 1888.

Harleian Ms 279,–xxxvj Pokerounce Take Hony & caste it in a potte tyl it wexe chargeaunt y now take & skeme it clene Take Gyngere Canel & Galyn gale & caste Jer to take whyte Brede & kytte to trenchours 2 & toste ham take Jin paste whyle it is hot & sprede it vppe 3on Jin trenchourys wi tA a spone & plante it with Pynes & serue f orth

Translation:  Take honey and heat it in a pot until it stiffens, then skim it. Add ginger, cinnamon and galingale to the honey.  Take white bread and cut it into trenchers and toast. While the honey is hot, spread it upon the trenchers with a spoon, add pine nuts, and serve.


Redaction (for a table of 8):

1 loaf dense bread
1 cup honey
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp galingale
2 tbs pine nuts

Slice and toast the bread. Toast the pine nuts in a medium oven or toaster until golden brown.  Warm honey on medium heat and skim if needed. Stir in the spices and then add the pine nuts. Spoon onto toast slices.
       
Comments:

Can be served as a first course (as an alternative to the standard bread and honey butter) or as a dessert.  The original recipe doesn’t call for the pine nuts to be toasted but I think it gives it a much better flavor.  If you can’t find galingale you can double the amount of ginger. I’ve seen an alternative redaction that uses nutmeg and cardamom in the recipe instead of galingale.