White dish of Capon or Kid

A 16th century Italian Recipe, translated into English by Shannon Wanty

From Rosselli, Giovanne: Epulario: qual tratta del modo di cucinare ogni carne, vccelli, pesci, & ultra qualita di viuande (Altobello Salicato, Vinegia, 1596)

p9v-10r Per far bianco mangiare de caponi, de capretti, e farne dodeci menestre. (To make white dish of capon, of kid, and to make ten dishes.)

Take two pounds of almonds, and almonds very well that as well most white steeping them one day, and one night in fresh water, and then pounding [them] very well, and when they are well ground take a little fresh water that what [is] not [faccino] smelling then take a breast of capon, and grind it with these almonds, and take the crumbs of a white bread and put it in a lean capon broth, and crush it together with these things, and take a little of verjuice¹ of ginger that will be well peeled and that will be white and half a pound of sugar and distemper all these things with lean broth of capon and pass through a strainer in a good pipkin and put over the slow burning coals of the fire stirring many times with the spoon and leaving [it] to cook for the space of half an hour, and when [it] is cooked take three ounces of rose water and then make the dish. Note either cover the capon or other bird when the said meat and almonds are on the table, and if you do not put the capon for more beauty place over grains of pomegranate. Note if you want that this meat be in two colours take egg yolks, and a little saffron and mix these things together with one part of the meat and take a little sour unripe grapes that are not white and in this way is called flower pottage. Note that if you have two covered pots one of the white and the other of yellow.

1 "Agresto" can be both verjuice and unripe grapes. However, in most cases it seems to be verjuice. I think the "peeling" later in the sentence is intended to be associated with the ginger only, although earlier I interpreted it to also refer to the term "agresto" and therefore translated this as grapes.