Mawmenny

Mawmenny, or malmeny, is essentially chicken with almonds and wine (the origins of these names is obscure).

From British Food: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of History:

Other favourite dishes where the main ingredient and the sauce mingled so that they were so thick they could be moulded were: mortrews, Blanc Dessore, mawmenny. These are all different names for much the same dish: pork or chicken ground to a pulp mixed with breadcrumbs and egg yolks, spiced and coloured, then moulded, and served cold with powdered ginger. A white mortrew was combined with almond milk and rice flour.

Blanc Dessore could be eaten with a sweet, spicy red wine sauce. Mawmenny tended to be made from richer ingredients: pheasant, partridge or capon mixed with pine nuts and spices. A red wine sauce with added currants and chardequince (marmalade) reinforced with aqua vitae would be poured over it and set alight, then served flaming.

Mawmeny

Recipe by Daniel Myers

This dish looks very similar to any number of Indian recipes, small chunks of meat in a reddish-brown gravy. The fact that I tried it served over rice most likely added to this mental association. At a proper medieval dinner though, this would have most likely been served in a bowl over bread or toast.

1 pound chicken
2 cups almond milk
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. rice flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. galingale
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. mace
pinch saffron

Chop the chicken finely and place in a large pot. Whisk together almond milk egg yolks and rice flour, and add to chicken. Add spices and bring to a low boil. Simmer until thick, and serve hot.

British Library MS Royal 12.C.xii, Two Anglo-Norman Culinary Collections, (1320 - 1340)

7. Maumenee.
Vyn, braoun de chapoun moudree tot a poudre e puis mis leynz pur boillyr ou le vyn; alemaunz moudrez tot seks e mys leynz; la poudre des clous mys ou tot frimailles d'alemaundes deivent estre mys leynz, e y doit estre char grosse moudree, sucre par abatre la force de l'especerie; colour, sorré ou ynde.

7. Maumenee.
Wine, capon meat ground all to powder and then put therein to boil in the wine; ground almonds all dried and put therein; powder of cloves put to all, little bits of almonds must be put therein, it must be coarsely ground meat, sugar to cut the strength of the spices; color, red or light blue.

This is an excerpt from Forme of Cury, (England, 1390)

XXX - FOR TO MAKE MANMENE. Tak the thyys other the flesch of the caponys fede hem and kerf hem smal into a morter and tak mylk of Almandys wyth broth of fresch Buf and do the flesch in the mylk or in the broth and do yt to the fyre and myng yt togedere wyth flour of Rys othere of wastelys als charchaut als the blank de sure and wyth the zolkys of eyryn for to make it zelow and safroun and wan yt ys dressyd in dysches wyth blank de sure straw upon clowys of gelofre and straw upon powdre of galentyn and serve yt forthe.

Forme of Cury, S. Pegge (ed.), (1390)

FOR TO MAKE MAWMENNY. XX.IX. XIIII.
Take þe chese and of Flessh of Capouns or of Hennes. & hakke smale in a morter. take mylke of Almandes with þe broth of freissh Beef, oþer freissh flessh. & put the flessh in þe mylke oþer in the broth and set hem to þe frye. & alye hem up with flour of Ryse. or gastbon. or amydoun. as chargeant as with blanke desire. & with zolkes of ayren and safroun for to make it zelow. and when it is dressit in disshes with blank desire styk above clowes de gilofre. & strewe Powdour of galyngale above. and serue it forth.

Note: chargeant = Very thick. Chargeant seems to be somewhere between "thick" and stonding in consistency.

Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7], (England, 1390)

.Clxlij. For to make mawmany. Take the chese & of fleysch of capouns or of hennes and hak smale and grynde hem smale in a morter. take mylke of almaundes with the broth of freysch fleysche, or beef & put the fleysche in the mylke or in the broth. set hem to the fyre and lye hem with flour of rys or gastboun of amydounas chargeaunt as the blank desyre and with yolkes of ayroun and safroun for to make hit yelow & whan hit ys dressyt in dysches with blank desyre: styke a boveclowes de gylofre. and straw poudour of galyngale above & serve forth.

Forme of Cury, S. Pegge (ed.), (1390)

Mawmenee. XX.
Take a pottel of wyne greke. and ii. pounde of sugur take and clarifye the sugur with a qantite of wyne an drawe it thurgh a straynour in to a pot of erthe take flour of Canell. and medle with sum of the wyne an cast to gydre. take pynes with Dates and frye hem a litell in grece oþer in oyle and cast hem to gydre. take clowes an flour of canel hool and cast þerto. take powdour gyngur. canel. clower, colour it with saundres a lytel yf hit be nede cast salt þerto. and lat it seeþ; warly with a slowe fyre and not to thyk, take brawn of Capouns yteysed. oþer of Fesauntes teysed small and cast þerto.

Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7], (England, 1390)

.xx. Mawmene. Take a potel of wyne greke & ij. pounnde of sugur, take and clarifye the sugur with a quantite of wyne & drawe it thorow a straynour in to a pot of erthe, take flour of rys & medle with sum of the wyne & cast to geder, take pynes with dates & frye hem a litul in grece other in oyle & cast hem to geder, takeclowes & flour of canel hole & cast therto, take poudour ginger, canelle, clowes, colour hit with saundres a litul if hit be nede cast salt therto & lat hit seeth warly with a slow fyre & not to thicke, take brawne of capouns y teysid other of fesauntes teysid smal & cast therto.

Original manuscript image: f18v / f19r

Libro di cucina / Libro per cuoco, (Italy, 14th/15th c. - Louise Smithson, trans.)

XLIV - Malmoma, etc. If you want to make malmoma for 12 persons, take the thing in that way that you take for the blancmange save that it must be very sharp with juice of orange or of lemon, and with all these things that are in blancmanger and for enough persons similarly.

Ancient Cookery [Arundel 334], (England, 1425)

Mawmene for xl mees. Take a galone of vernage or of clarre, and fethe hit into three quartes, and take a pynte therof, and putte therto ii lb. of sugre, a quartrone ofreyfyns of corance, a quartrone of a pounde of pynes, a quatrone of gynger mynced, di. Ib. of poudre of canell, and drawe hit with wyn thurgh astraynour; a half of quartrone of clowes, a half quartrone of pouder of gynger, a half pounde of past roiale, a halfe pounde of chardecoynes, and take and putte al this togedur in a potte, and alway travaile (keep Jhaking) hit wel over the fy re; and thenne take braune of capons fothen, or of fayfauntes, or of the roiale of larkes, and kutte the braune overthwert (cross-wise), and rolle hit in a clothe tyl hit be smal; and then take flour of rys, and drawe hit thurgh a straynour with wyne, and putte hit in the fame pot with saffron, and travaille hit wel: and qwen hit is boylet, set hit doune of the fyre, and bete in the braune therto, and putte a litel vynegre therin, and dreffe hit in dysshes flatt. And for to make a fyrupe for to dresse hit with, that hit cleve not to the fame dysshe that hit schal be dreffet in ; take vernage, sugre, faffrone, and pouder of gynger, and chauf hit over the fyre, and let hit renne thurgh a clothe, and thenne dyppe a saucer therin, and strawe the dysshes therwith be the fydes, that the pottage stonde flatte, and cleve noght (and does not adhere). And if thow wol have the potage renuynge, putte theron a litel aqua vite; and qwhen hit is dresset in dyshes, as hit is beforefayd, thenne light hit with a waxe candel, and serve hit forthe brennynge.

Liber cure cocorum [Sloane MS 1986], (England, 1430)

For to make momene. Take whyte wyne, I telle þe, And sugur þerto ry3t grete plenté. Take, bray þo brawne of a3t capon. To a pot of oyle of on galon, And of honya qwharte þou take. Do hit þer to as ever þou wake, Take powder þo mountenaunce of a pownde, And galingale ginger and canel rownde, And cast þer to, and styre hit. þenne Alle in on pot sethe hit, I kenne.

Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books, T. Austin (ed.), (1430)

Malmenye Furne.
Take gode Milke of Almaundys, & flowre of Rys, & gode Wyne crete, or the brawn of a Capoune, other of Fesaunte, & Sugre, & pouder Gyngere, & Galyngale, & of Canelle, & boyle y-fere; & make it chargeaunt, & coloure it with Alkenade, other with Saunderys; & if it be Red, a-lye it with olkys of Eyroun; & make smal cofyns of dow, & coloure hem with-owte, & bake on an ovyn, & coloure with-ynne & wyth-oute; then haue Hony y-boylid hote, & take a dyssche, & wete thin dyssche in the hony, & with the wete dyssche ley the malmenye & the cofyns; & whan they ben bake, & thou dressest yn, caste a-boue blaunche pouder, Quybibe, mace, Gelofre; & thanne serue it forth.

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

Mawmene. Take vernage, or other strenger wyne of the best that a man may finde, and put hit in a potte, and cast there-to a gode quantite of powder Canell, And sette hit ouer the fire, And yif hit a hete; And then wring oute softe thorgh a streynour, that the draff go not oute, And put in a faire potte; take and pike newe fairepynes, And wassh hem clene in wyne, And caste of hem a grete quantite there-to; And take white sugur ynowe, as moche as thi licour is, And cast there-to; and take confeccions or charge (Note: ? MS.; for chare) de quyns, a goode quantite, and cast thereto; and drawe a few saundres with stronge wyne thorgh a Streynour, and cast there to; And put al in a potte; And cast there-to a good quantite of Clowes, and sette hit ouer the fire, and gif hit a boyling; And take Almondes, (Note: D. amydons) and drawe hem with mighti wyne thorgh a streynour; And at the first boiling, a-ley hit vp, and yeve hit a boyle; and (Note: D. omits from a-ley . and) ley hit vp with ale, and gif hit a boyle, and sette hit fro the fire; and caste thereto tesid brawne of Fesaunte, partrich, or capon, a good quantite, and ceson hit vppe with pouder of ginger ynogh, and a litull saffron and salt; And if hit be stronge, (Note: Douce MS. to stondyng) aley hit with vinegre of (Note: Douce MS. vernage or.) swete wyn, and dresse hit flatte with the bak of a Saucer or A ladell; And as thou dressest hit with the saucer in vinegre (Note: Douce MS.vernage) or mighty wyne, wete the saucer or ladell fore cleving, and loke (Note: Added from Douce MS) that hit haue sugur right ynogh, And serve hit forth.

A Noble Boke off Cookry, (England, 1468)

To mak mamony, tak whit wyne and sugur then bray the braun of viii capons with a gal on of oile and a quart of hony put ther to poudur of pepper galingalle guingere and canelle and stirre it welle and serue it.

MS Harley 5401, S. Wallace (trans.), (15th century)

Mawmeny.
Recipe brawne of capons or of hennys & dry þam wele, & taise þam small; þan take thyk mylk of almonds & put þe saide brawne þerto, & styr it wele ouer þe fyre, & seson it with suger & powder of canell, with mase & quibibs & anneys in confete, & serof it forth.

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book, (England, 1485)

Mawmene. Tak a pond of sugre & a qwart of water & an half & do it in a pot with sugre & tak amydoun & lye it ther with & tak a tendre chese & grynd it in a morter & tempre it up with almounde melk & do it in a pot & set it on the fyer & styre it wele & tak fleysch of chykenys & hew & grynd it & tempre it up with almaunde melk wel thykke & qwan thi pot is wel boylled tak it of the fyer & lye it up with fleysch & do ther to god poudre of ginger or of canel & wyth grece & dresse it & plant it.

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book, (England, 1485)

Maumene. Tak fyggys & reysings & lese hem & grind hem & good melk of almaundys & braun of capouns & of hennys nouth outhr in yche grounden for that sal ben the colour than do there to ginger clowes gelofres & greyn de parys & sugre & salt.