A Jelly

Translation of a 16th century Italian Recipe.

From Christoforo di Messisbugo, Banchetti composizioni di vivande e apparecchio generale (Lucio Spineda, Venice, 1610)

p102v. A fare gelatia da donzena. (To make maiden's¹ jelly.)

Take five calves' feet, or the same allowance of capons', or pork, or mutton, of one and the other together, and put them in a vessel with a lot of water, that they are just below these feet.² Then add much vinegar, and white wine, that fills the said vessel, the vessel convenient for the quantity that you would make. And if the white wine is sweet, it will be better, and take it to boil, well skimming off the scum, and the fat. Then have half an ounce of cinnamon, and half an ounce of pepper, and a quarter of mace, a one pound of sugar, or well-clarified honey, and make these things all boil together, and until it has ceased boiling as high, strain it through a sieve. Then to colour it throw in to the pot much saffron, that gives it colour, and when it will be strained put it in your plates over the meat that you would like, and leave it to cool.

1. I'm unsure of this term. Messisbugo uses "donzena", which is not in Florio at all - the only words around this portion of the dictionary are words to do with maidens or bachelorhood. This might make sense, as this is one of only a couple of jelly recipes he provides where the wine is adulterated with other liquids.

2. I assume that this means that the water should come to just below the level of the feet in the vessel.