Egerdouce

Egerdouce (EG-uh-doos, EG-er-doos) sauce is a medieval recipe, dating at least from the time Marco Polo was exploring Asia. However, the French name, aigre-doux, which means "sour-sweet," indicates that it arrived in England from France. The name was Anglicized in various ways, including eager-dulce and even egg-douce, though it had no eggs in it. It was made from vinegar or young red wine, dried fruit, and honey or sugar. The word can also apply to an entree, like boar, goat or rabbit, served in such a sauce.

In medieval Europe, the meats on spits were perioedically dusted with spices and herbs. Since forks were still almost unknown the slices of meat were eaten in the fingers but accompanied by sauces. These were laid in small dishes (sauc-ers) along the tables, and diners would dip the little finger of the right hand only into the sauce and spread it on their meat. This finger was never licked but carefully wiped on a napkin out of respect for fellow diners.

Ancient Cookery. A. D. 1381

L. FOR TO MAKE AN EGGE DOWS [1].
Tak Almaundys and mak god mylk and temper wyth god wyneger clene tak reysynys and boyle hem in clene water and tak the reysynis and tak hem owt of the water and boyle hem wyth mylk and zyf thow wyl colowr yt wyth safron and serve yt forth.
[1] Vide ad Part II. No. 21. There are no eggs concerned, so no doubt it should be Eger Dows. Vide Gloss.

Ancient Cookery. A. D. 1381

I. FOR TO MAKE EGARDUSE [1].
Tak Lucys [2] or Tenchis and hak hem smal in gobette and fry hem in oyle de olive and syth nym vineger and the thredde party of sugur and myncyd onyons smal and boyle al togedere and cast thereyn clowys macys and quibibz and serve yt forthe.
[1] See No. 21 below, and part I. No. 50. [2] Lucy, I presume, means the Pike; so that this fish was known here long before the reign of H. VIII. though it is commonly thought otherwise. V. Gloss.

Forme of Cury (1390)

Egurdouce. XXI. Take Conynges or Kydde and smyte hem on pecys rawe. and frye hem in white grece. take raysouns of Coraunce and fry hem take oynouns parboile hem and hewe hem small and fry hem. take rede wyne suger with powdour of peper. of gynger of canel. salt. and cast þerto. and lat it seeþ with a gode quantite of white grece an serue it forth.

Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7] (1390)

.xxj. Egredouce. Take counynges or kydde & smyte hem on pecys rawe & fry hem in white grece, take raysouns of coraunce & fry hem, take oynouns perboyle hem & hewe hem smal & fry hem, take rede wyne, suger with poudour of peper, of ginger, and canel salt & cast therto, & lat hit seeth with a gode quantite of white grece & serve it forth.

Forme of Cury (1390)

EGURDOUCE OF FYSSHE. XX.VI. XIII. Take Loches oþer Tenches oþer Solys smyte hem on pecys. fry hem in oyle. take half wyne half vynegur and sugur & make a siryp. do þerto oynouns icorue raisouns coraunce. and grete raysouns. do þerto hole spices. gode powdours and salt. messe þe fyssh & lay þe sewe aboue and serue forth.

Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7] (1390)

.Cxxxj. Egredouce of fysche. Take loches other tenches other sooles & smyte hem on pecys. fry hem in oyle. take half wyne half vyneger. sugur & make a syryp. do therto oynouns y corve, ratsiybs corauns & grete raysouns do ther to hole spyces good poudours & salt. messe the fysche & lay the sewe a bove and serve hit forth.

Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)

Browne in egurdouce. (Note: D. calls this "Braune en peueruade," it is recipe 56 there) Take mighti broth of beef or of Capon, or take faire fressh brawne, and seth hit, but not ynow, And then leche hit, And cast hit into the broth; then take hole oynones, pike hem, (Note: D. pile, i.e. peel) And cast hem al hole there-to; then take Vynegre and Canell, and sette on the fire, and hete hem, and drawe hem thorgh a Streynoure, and cast hit there-to. Then take clowes, Maces, powder of peper, and cast thereto, and a litull Sawndres, And sette hit ouer the fyre and lete boyle til the oynones and the brawne ben even sodde, and not to moche; then take licour made of brede, vynegre, and wyn, and seson it vppe, and caste thereto a litul saferon to coloure hit, and salt, And serve it forth.

Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)

Cxl - Egredouncye. Take Porke or Beef, whether the lykey, and leche it thinne thwerte [correction; sic = MS. ywerte.] ; then broyle it broun a litel, and then mynce it lyke Venyson; choppe it in sewe, then caste it in a potte and do ther-to Freyssh brothe; take Erbis, Oynonys, Percely and Sawge, and other gode erbis, then lye it vppe with Brede; take Pepir and Safroun, pouder Canel, Vynegre, or Eysel Wyne, Brothe an Salt, and let 3et (Note: It) boyle to-gederys, tylle they ben y-now, and than serue it forth rennyng [correction; sic = rennyg].

Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)

Egredoucetes. Tak luy3s or tenges, kerf hem in mosselis, fri hem in oille: nym vynegre / and ye thrudde perty sugur, mynce oynons, and boille smal, and clous, maces, and qibibus, and dresse hit forth.