Soupes dorye
A milk sop from "Two fifteenth-century cookery-books. Harleian ms. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. ms. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole ms. 1429, Laud ms. 553, & Douce ms. 55" by Thomas Austin.
Note: Dorye could be a misspelling of Dorée the French word for "golden" which takes the place of our English "browned" --making the name of this dish "Golden Sops."
One reason dairy alternatives became important during the middle ages were the regulations imposed by the Church. At its strictest, more than half the year was governed by rules regarding fasting and abstaining from food. During this time meat and dairy products were not to be eaten. On days of fasting, no food was to be consumed before "Vespers" (after sunset).
There were three specific fasting periods totaling 120 days; Easter (Lent), St. Martin's day to Christmas, and Pentecost. Shorter fasts also occurred on Ember days--days specifically ordered by the Church as days of abstinence and fasting; the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the Feast of Saint Lucy (December 13), the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14), the first Sunday in Lent and Pentecost, Additionally, Fridays were fast days commemorating the death of Jesus.
The fast for the 40 days of Pentecost fell out of favor sometime around the 11th Century. Eventually the Christmas fast was shortened to the days of the Advent. The meal was moved to the hour of "none", or approximately 3:00 in the afternoon and was supplemented by additional food in the morning and evening. However, the rules for Lent remained in place and some are still observed today.
Cooks were especially challenged to provide substitutes for meat, eggs, butter and milk during these extended periods of fasting. Butter, cheese and milk could be made from almonds, and were used in place of milk, butter, cheese, eggs or bone marrow in cooking. I imagine that a sop of bread and milk would have been the kind of meal that would have been consumed prior to retiring to bed during times of abstinence.
Two fifteenth-century cookery-books
.xxvij. Soupes dorye.—Take gode almaunde mylke y-draw wyth wyn, an let hem boyle to-gederys, an caste þer-to Safroun an Salt; an þan take Paynemayn, an kytte it an toste it, an wete it in wyne, an ley it on a dysshe, an caste þe syrip þer-on. And þan make a dragge of powder Gyngere, Sugre, canel, Clowes, Maces, an caste þer-on When it is y-dressid, an serue þanne forth for a potage gode.
27. Soup Dorye - Take good almond milk drawn with wine, an let them boil together, an caste there-to Saffron an Salt; an than take bread, an cut it an toast it, an wet it in wine, an lay it on a dish, an caste the syrup there-on. And then make a dredge of powder ginger, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, maces, an caste there-on. When it is dressed, an serve than forth for a pottage good.
GODE COOKERY TRANSLATION:
Sops dorye. Take good almond milk made with wine, and let it boil together, and add there-to Saffron and Salt; and then take Payndemayne (very good white bread), and cut it and toast it, and wet it in wine, and lay it on a dish, and add the syrup there-on. And make a dredge of powdered Ginger, Sugar, Cloves, Mace, and strew there-on when it is dressed, and serve forth for a good pottage.
DIRECTIONS:
Slowly heat almond milk made with wine to a low boil; add saffron and a little salt to taste. Lightly toast a slice of white bread in an oven or broiler; dip the toast in a little red wine and place on a serving dish or plate. Pour the almond milk over the bread. Combine the spices and sprinkle on top of the bread & sauce. Serve forth!
Interpreted Recipe
Serves 1 as a main, 2 as a side dish
1 C. Almond Milk made with wine -or- 1 C. commercially prepared almond milk flavored with a tablespoon of wine (I used white wine and commercially prepared almond milk)
1-2 Tbsp. wine (I used white)
Pinch of Saffron (opt)
Salt to taste
1 thick slice of bread (I used Rastons but you could easily substitute Manchet or French)
Sweet Spices to taste
Because I used commercially prepared almond milk, I added the wine to the milk and then heated it on medium-low heat upon the stove top. If I were going to use my own almond milk, I would use a similar ratio of wine to water. I'm not a fan of "curdled" almond milk so I wanted to keep the curdling to a minimum. This ratio thickens the milk without making noticeable curds--yay me! Add saffron and salt to taste.
While the almond milk is heating, toast your bread. Sops were cut into thin strips after being toasted unless otherwise specified (some recipes will specify to cut the sops into rounds). After the bread has been toasted and cut, place it in a bowl and add enough wine for the bread to soak it up (mine took about 2 tablespoons) without leaving a puddle in the bottom of the dish.
Add the heated almond milk to the bread slowly. You want the bread to drink up the milk without becoming a soggy mess. Sprinkle with your sweet spices and serve immediately.
Similar Recipes
Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7] (England, 1390)
.lxxx. Sowpes doree. Take almaundes y brayed, drawe hem up with wyne, boyle hit cast theruppoun safroun & salt, tak brede y tosted in wyne lay therof a leyne & a nother of that sewe & do alle to gyder, florysch hit with suger, poudour ginger, & serve it forth.
Forme of Cury (England, 1390)
VI - FOR TO MAKE SOWPYS DORRY. Nym onyons and mynce hem smale and fry hem in oyl dolyf Nym wyn and boyle yt wyth the onyouns roste wyte bred and do yt in dischis and god Almande mylk also and do ther'above and serve yt forthe.
Liber cure cocorum [Sloane MS 1986] (England, 1430)
Sowpus dorre. Take almondes, bray hem, wryng hom up. Boyle hom with wyn rede to sup. Þen temper hom with wyn, salt, I rede, And loke þou tost fyne wetebrede, And lay in dysshes, dubene with wyne. Do in þis dysshes mete, þat is so fyne. Messe hit forthe, and florysshe hit þenne With sugur and gynger, as I þe kenne.
Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)
Soupes dorrees. Nym oynons, mynce hem, frie hem in oille de olyue: nym oynons, boille hem with wyn, tost whit bred, and do it in dishes / and cast almand mylke theron, and ye wyn and ye oynons aboue, and gif hit forth.
Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (England, 1430)
.xxx. Soupes dorroy. Shere Oynonys, an frye hem in oyle; þanne take Wyne,an boyle with Oynonys, toste whyte Brede an do on a dysshe, an caste þer-on gode Almaunde Mylke, & temper it wyth wyne: þanne do þe dorry a-bowte an messe it forth.
A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)
To mak soupes dorrey tak almondes and bray them asid wring them up and boile them with wyn and temper them with wyne and salt then toost whit bred and lay it in a disshe and enbane it with wyne and pour it ouer the met and florisshe it with sugur and guingere and serue it.
John Crophill's Commonplace Book (Harley MS 1735), This manuscript is dated before 1485.
[18.] Soppes Dorre
Tak minced onyowns & oyle de oyle & sethz hem to gidre sithen tak wyn or ale & boille it ther with than tak tosted bred & poure the sewe ther on & melk of almondys above.
