Made Dishes

From The Monthly Review, April 1834, London, "History of the Liveries of London" The article describes some of the medieval dishes that were served: Leche-Lombard, Mottrews, Doucettes, and Pawn Puff (Payn Puff).

. . . the 'made dishes' at these dinners were several of them absolutely epicurean, and afford no contemptible specimens of ancient cookery. We may instance their 'Leche-Lombard,' mortrewes, doucettes with little parneux, fritters, payn puff, and others: a slight account of which will be sufficient to give us an idea of these old-fashioned dainties.

"Leche-Lombard, the principle dish in the first course of the brewers' feast 1442, we are told by Randle Holme, was 'a kind of jelly made of cream, isinglas, sugar, and almonds with other compounds;' . . . 'Mottrews' (white) was a rich stew or soup, commonly made of pork and poultry, pounded in a mortar and strained; whence the word is written, by Skynner and Tyrrwhit, mortress or mortreuse, as expressive of that preparation. The mortrews, white or black, is ordered in the Form of Cury, p. 29, No. 46, to be compounded with blanched almonds and the milk and white flour of rice. Doucettes with little parneux, fritters, and payne-puff, formed side-dishes and garnish to these larger articles. The first were little sweetmeats and confections, and small rich preparations of bread, like pastry, for garnish; as were likewise fritters, still in general use, and derived from the French friture, a frying. The 'frytours of pasternake,' or pastry are, in the Form of Cury, those made of apples; besides which, there were 'frytours of meylke, and frytours of erbes (herbs.)' Pawn puff is explained by Phillips to be 'a certain mess' proper for side-dishes, so call as being made of bread stuffed with several sorts of forces and ragouts. In the Form of Cury, p. 89, No. 196, it is directed to be made of marrow, yolkes of eggs, dates minced, raisins, and salt, in a delicate paste, moulded of an orbicular form. - pp81, 82

Orbicular means having the shape of a flat ring or disk, or having a rounded convex or globular shape.