Recipe Manuscript

A Sauce For Fish

Name: A Sauce For Fish
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT15M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 3–4 anchovy fillets (about 20 g); 120 ml beef or chicken stock; 120 ml dry red wine (Claret style); 45 ml (3 tbsp) brine from pickled oysters (or substitute as above); Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped (about 10 g); Handful fresh sorrel, finely chopped (about 10 g, or substitute with baby spinach & lemon zest); A few chives, finely chopped (about 5 g); Small handful spinach leaves, finely chopped (about 10 g); A few violet leaves or petals (optional); Small amount fresh fennel fronds, finely chopped (about 2 g); A few fresh winter savory leaves (about 2 g, or substitute with thyme/oregano combo); A few fresh pennyroyal leaves (not recommended; use a mix of mint/oregano in trace amounts); 25 g unsalted butter; Fresh carp blood (optional, for carp dishes; or omit); 1 lemon, thinly sliced

1626

From the treasured pages of Medicinal and cookery recipes of Mary Baumfylde

Written by Mary Baumfylde

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1626

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

A Sauce For Fish

"Boyle 3 or 4 Anchovies in about a quarter of a pint of gravy as mutt Claret and Dor 3 spoonfulls of the liq of pickled oysters and when it hath boyled a while put in a little parsly sorrell and vives a little spinnage a few volate leaves a little finis winter savory penyryall all shied very small then sture in Butter and beat it very thuck if it be a Carp besure to Save the blood of fish to put into the Sauce rather than onion and lay sliced Lemmon over it."

Note on the Original Text

Early modern English recipes are written conversationally, often without exact measures or times, relying on the cook’s skill and ingredient familiarity. Spelling of herbs and techniques was highly variable (‘vives’ for chives, ‘volate’ for violet, ‘finis’ for fennel, ‘pennyryall’ for pennyroyal, etc.). Instructions are frequently embedded within the ingredient list, and the expected audience would know key techniques such as ‘boyling’ and ‘sturing in’ butter to thicken. This style reflects a world where recipes were as much reminders or prompts for experienced cooks as detailed guides.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Medicinal and cookery recipes of Mary Baumfylde - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Medicinal and cookery recipes of Mary Baumfylde (1626)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Mary Baumfylde

Era

1626

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A sumptuous journey into early 17th-century English cookery, this delightful volume offers a tantalizing glimpse into the recipes, flavors, and culinary secrets that once graced aristocratic tables. Prepare for a taste of history, presented with wit and wisdom!

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from Mary Baumfylde, an early modern English gentlewoman writing in the first half of the 17th century (circa 1626). The period was marked by a love of robust, complex sauces, especially for fish, as new ingredients like anchovies and wine became popular among the fashionable elite. The approach here typifies high-status English cooking of the Restoration era: layers of savory and tart flavors, lavish use of fresh herbs, and ingredients like pickled oysters that spoke of both prosperity and a taste for the cosmopolitan. The use of fish blood with carp especially points to a continental influence and a desire for depth of flavor.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In Mary Baumfylde’s kitchen, preparations like this sauce would have been made in small copper or iron pots over an open hearth. A mortar and pestle were essential for mincing herbs and blending pastes. Knives were used for slicing lemons and chopping greens. A wooden stirrer (spoon) would thicken in the butter and finish the sauce. Fine straining could be done with linen cloth if a smooth finish was needed.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Servings

Ingredients

3–4 anchovy fillets (about 0.75 oz)
4 fl oz beef or chicken stock
4 fl oz dry red wine (Claret style)
1.5 fl oz (3 tbsp) brine from pickled oysters (or substitute as above)
Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped (about 0.35 oz)
Handful fresh sorrel, finely chopped (about 0.35 oz, or substitute with baby spinach & lemon zest)
A few chives, finely chopped (about 0.2 oz)
Small handful spinach leaves, finely chopped (about 0.35 oz)
A few violet leaves or petals (optional)
Small amount fresh fennel fronds, finely chopped (about 0.07 oz)
A few fresh winter savory leaves (about 0.07 oz, or substitute with thyme/oregano combo)
A few fresh pennyroyal leaves (not recommended; use a mix of mint/oregano in trace amounts)
1 oz unsalted butter
Fresh carp blood (optional, for carp dishes; or omit)
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Instructions

To make this historical fish sauce, start by simmering 3 or 4 anchovies in about 4 fl oz (a quarter pint) of either beef or chicken stock.
Add a similar measure of dry red wine, such as Claret.
Stir in 3 tablespoons (about 1.5 fl oz) of the brine from pickled oysters (if unavailable, use liquid from commercial pickled mussels or a splash of fish sauce mixed with brine).
Allow the mixture to boil gently for several minutes.
Finely chop a handful each of fresh parsley, sorrel, chives, spinach, and a few violet leaves (if you have them; pansy petals or omit if not available).
Also, add small amounts of fennel, winter savory, and pennyroyal (substitute a mix of mint and a touch of oregano, as pennyroyal is not recommended for consumption).
Add these herbs to the sauce and simmer briefly.
Finish by stirring in a small amount (about 1 oz) of butter to thicken the sauce.
If serving with carp, collect the fish’s blood and stir into the sauce for richness and depth of flavor—this was traditional in the period.
Lay thin slices of lemon over the fish before serving, rather than adding onions.

Estimated Calories

70 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You can prepare the sauce ingredients quickly, mostly by chopping the herbs. Cooking takes under 15 minutes, including simmering and finishing with butter. The recipe makes enough for about 4 servings as a sauce for fish. Each serving has around 70 calories.