Medieval meatloaf and buttered cauliflower

 This week's dinner was also served with a simple salad of greens tossed with an herbed and salted oil and vinegar dressing.

Mortreus de Chare (Pork and Ale Loaf)

Take pork, and seth it ynow; and take it vppe, and bawde hit, and hewe it and grinde it, and in a morter; And cast thereto grated brede, and then drawe the same broth thorgh a streynour, And temper hit with ale, and do al into a potte, and lete boile, and aley hit with yolkes of egges, And then let it boile no more, And cast thereto powder of ginger, Salt, And put hit in disshes in maner of Mortrewes, And cast thereto powder of ginger, & serue it forth.
- Austin, Thomas. Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books.

1 pound ground pork
1 1/2 C ale or beer
1 C white bread crumbs
3 raw egg yolks
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

Sauté pork in a saucepan until brown. Add ale or beer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about ten minutes.

Stir in bread crumbs, salt, ginger, and egg yolks. Continue simmering over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is very thick.

Scoop mixture into a lightly oiled mold or bowl. Allow to cool, and turn out onto a plate for serving, and garnish with powdered ginger.

Serves six to eight.

NOTES: This dish tasted much better than it looked. It is not unlike a pork pate and I think would go really well with some crusty bread to spread it on. I think it's the sort of dish that would look better coming out of a fancy mold so that it looks like something more than a pile of goo. Failing that, serving it on a bed of greens would have been a nice touch.

Buttered Colle-flower (Cauliflower With A Sweetened Cream Sauce)

Take a ripe Colle-flowre and cut off the buddes, boyle them in milke with a little Mace while they be very tender, then poure them into a Cullender, and let the Milke runne cleane from them, then take a ladle full of Creame, being boyled with a little whole mace, putting to it a ladle-full of thicke butter, mingle them together with a little Sugar, dish up your flowres upon sippets, poure your butter and creame hot upon it strowing on a little slict Nutmeg and salt, and serve it hot to the table.
- Beebe, Ruth Ann . Sallets Humbles & Shrewsbery Cakes

1 lb cauliflower, chopped
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg or mace
2 tbs butter
1/4 cup cream
1/2 to 1 tbs sugar

Mix milk and nutmeg or mace and bring to a simmer. Add cauliflower and cook until cauliflower is tender but not mushy. Strain milk and set cauliflower aside in serving bowl.

In saucepan, heat butter, cream, and sugar until butter is melted and mixture is very warm. Pour over cauliflower and sprinkle the top with nutmeg. Serve warm.