ABOUT MAKING OF BRAWN

It must be a very large oven, that so it may contract the stronger heat, and keep it the longer.  It must be at least eight hours heating with wood, that it be as hot as is possible.  If the Brawn be young, it will suffice eight hours or a little more in the oven.  But if old, it must be ten or eleven.  Put but two Collars into each pot, for bigger are unwieldy.  Into every pot, put twelve corns of whole Pepper, four Cloves, a great Onion peeled and quartered, and two bay-leaves, before you put them into the oven.  Before they are set in, you do not fill them with water to the top, least any should spill in sliding them in; but fill them up by a bowl fastned to a long Pole.  No water must be put in, after the oven is closed (nor the oven ever be opened, till after all is throughly baked) and therefore you must put in enough at first to serve to the last; you must rowl your Collars as close as may be, that no air may be left in the folds of them:  and sow them up in exceeding strong cloth, which a strong man must pull as hard as He can in the sowing.  Their cloths must not be pulled off, till the Collars have been three or four days out of the oven, least you pull off part of the Brawn with them.  You may put the same proportion of Pepper, Cloves, &c. into the Souce drink as you did in the baking them; which at either time (especially at first) give them a fine taste.  The Souce-drink is made of six shillings Beer, and Thames or River-water, of each an equal quantity, well boiled with Salt.  When boiled and cold, put in to it two or three quarts of skimmed Milk, only to colour it; and so change it once in three Weeks.  Tender Brawn sliced thin, and laid Sallet-wise in a dish as the sliced Capon, and seasoned with Pepper, Salt and Vinegar and Oyl, with a little Limon, is a very good Sallet.

SALLET OF COLD CAPON ROSTED

It is a good Sallet, to slice a cold Capon thin; mingle with it some Sibbolds, Lettice, Rocket and Tarragon sliced small.  Season all with Pepper, Salt, Vinegar and Oyl, and sliced Limon.  A little Origanum doth well with it.

MUTTON BAKED LIKE VENISON, SOAKING EITHER IN THEIR BLOOD

Take a large fat loin of Mutton (or two) boned after the manner of Venison.  Season it well to your taste with Pepper and Salt.  Then lay it to steep all night in enough of the sheep’s blood, to cover it over, and soak well into it.  Then lay it into the past, with all the clotted thick blood, under it, upon it, and hanging about it.  You may season the blood with Pepper and Salt, before you lay the meat in it.  But though you do not, it will not be amiss, so as the meat be seasoned high enough.  Then bake it as you do an ordinary Pasty; and you may put gravy of Mutton or strong broth into it.  You may do it in a dish with past; as My Lady of Newport doth Her Venison.  This way of steeping in blood before you bake it, is very good also for Venison.