I find medieval recipes a pleasure to adapt though some of the results are not so friendly to the modern palate. A typical example is the notorious posset. A combination of milk & wine (or beer), it's been enjoyed since the late Middle Ages in health as well as illness. Nothing was better than a mug of steaming posset for those who suffered from a cold. Essentially, posset was curdled milk, hence the second definition of the word as badly digested milk by infants. The drinker was nourished and conforted at the same time, as we can tell from references in European literature. C. S. Lewis mentions posset in The Silver Chair, among other beloved edibles like comfits. And Shakespeare has Lady Macbeth put Duncan's guards to sleep by drugging their (regular) cup of posset.
A sign of refined taste
A sign of refined taste
The beverage was consumed by rich and poor alike. Several recipes existed, depending on the ingredients a person could afford. Early versions of posset date from the 15th century when only milk, spice & alcohol were needed. Whole eggs and biscuit crumbs might be added for thickening, ending in a luxurious treat. As Early Modern cuisine has seen a revival in the past few decades, perhaps you have already come across the lemon-flavored posset that is adapted from 16th century versions. The difference is that modern recipes omit wine (or beer) altogether. In fact, the possets served today have more in common with the syllabub that was enjoyed cold.
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Posset was drunk from cups of every kind. However, the mixing and pouring of the beverage was done in containers that were specially designed for this purpose. They were similar to modern teapots but used a very narrow snout placed near the bottom, which helped not only draw liquid from that part as well but also pour it from high in order to make froth. Posset sets were a common gift among the well-to-do: in this instance, they could be made from extravagant materials and kept in the family for years, as was the custom with old-fashioned samovars in Russia. Beautifully glazed earthenware for posset is now kept in several museums of the English-speaking world. The most famous set is perhaps the one given to Mary I of England and King Philip II of Spain for their betrothal in 1554. Possibly the work of Benvenuto Cellini, it was made of gold, crystal, enamel & precious gems.
"To make a posset"
What follows is an extract from a 1654 cookbook whose title sums up the merits of its author, its content, and its readers: The art of cookery refin'd and augmented containing an abstract of some rare and rich unpublished receipts of cookery / collected from the practice of that incomparable master of these arts, Mr. Jos. Cooper, chiefe cook to the late king; with severall other practices by the author; with an addition of preserves, conserves, &c., offering an infallible delight to all judicious readers.
"Take a quart of new Cream, a quarter of an ounce of Cyna|mon, Nutmeg quartered, and boyl it till it taste of the spice, and keep it always stirring, or it will burn to; then take the yolks of 7 Eggs beaten well together with a little cold Creame; then put that into the other Creame that is on the fire, and stir it till it begin to boyle; then take it off and sweeten it with Sugar, and stir on till it be indifferent coole; then take somewhat more than a quar|ter of a pinte of Sack (half a pinte will be too much) sweeten that also, and set it on the fire till it be ready to boyle; then put it in a convenient vessel, and pour your Creame into it, elevating your hand to make it froath, which is the grace of your Posset; and if you put it thorow a tunnell, it is held the more exquisite way."
This was possibly a beverage served to Charles I of England who ruled from 1625 until his execution in 1647. A man of fragile health, the King would have enjoyed his possets, served from the duck-shaped container that helped make a froth. His master chef's description leaves no space for doubt as to the quality of this recipe, as much for the ingredients as for the method.
POSSET
This is almost exactly Joseph Cooper's recipe, divided by 3. Sherry is probably the closest equivalent of the old-fashioned Sack but I think any type of vin blanc sec will do. If you can't drink much of the resulting beverage, serve it with apple tart instead of custard.
I n g r e d i e n t s
300ml full cream
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
2 large egg yolks
60g brown sugar
60ml vin blanc sec
M e t h o d
Heat 250ml cream with the spices. Beat the yolks, sugar and 50ml cream, then add to the saucepan and mix with a wooden spoon. Remove when bubbles are formed and set aside to cool. Add the wine and heat again. Serve in glass mugs pouring from high to make froth - "the grace of your posset".
"To make a posset"
What follows is an extract from a 1654 cookbook whose title sums up the merits of its author, its content, and its readers: The art of cookery refin'd and augmented containing an abstract of some rare and rich unpublished receipts of cookery / collected from the practice of that incomparable master of these arts, Mr. Jos. Cooper, chiefe cook to the late king; with severall other practices by the author; with an addition of preserves, conserves, &c., offering an infallible delight to all judicious readers.
"Take a quart of new Cream, a quarter of an ounce of Cyna|mon, Nutmeg quartered, and boyl it till it taste of the spice, and keep it always stirring, or it will burn to; then take the yolks of 7 Eggs beaten well together with a little cold Creame; then put that into the other Creame that is on the fire, and stir it till it begin to boyle; then take it off and sweeten it with Sugar, and stir on till it be indifferent coole; then take somewhat more than a quar|ter of a pinte of Sack (half a pinte will be too much) sweeten that also, and set it on the fire till it be ready to boyle; then put it in a convenient vessel, and pour your Creame into it, elevating your hand to make it froath, which is the grace of your Posset; and if you put it thorow a tunnell, it is held the more exquisite way."
This was possibly a beverage served to Charles I of England who ruled from 1625 until his execution in 1647. A man of fragile health, the King would have enjoyed his possets, served from the duck-shaped container that helped make a froth. His master chef's description leaves no space for doubt as to the quality of this recipe, as much for the ingredients as for the method.
POSSET
This is almost exactly Joseph Cooper's recipe, divided by 3. Sherry is probably the closest equivalent of the old-fashioned Sack but I think any type of vin blanc sec will do. If you can't drink much of the resulting beverage, serve it with apple tart instead of custard.
I n g r e d i e n t s
300ml full cream
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
2 large egg yolks
60g brown sugar
60ml vin blanc sec
M e t h o d
Heat 250ml cream with the spices. Beat the yolks, sugar and 50ml cream, then add to the saucepan and mix with a wooden spoon. Remove when bubbles are formed and set aside to cool. Add the wine and heat again. Serve in glass mugs pouring from high to make froth - "the grace of your posset".
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