Peeres in confyt (recipe)

Period Recipe

From the Forme of Cury. PEERES IN CONFYT. XX.VI. XII.

Take peeres and pare hem clene. take gode rede wyne & mulberes oþer saundres and seeþ þe peeres þerin & whan þei buth ysode, take hem up, make a syryp of wyne greke. oþer vernage with blaunche powdour oþer white sugur and powdour gyngur & do the peres þerin. seeþ it a lytel & messe it forth.

Notes

• Peeres. pears.
• mulberes. mulberries, for colouring.
• Vernage. Vernaccia, a sort of Italian white wine. V. Gloss.

Modern Recipe

Pears in Red Wine

Serves 6 normally or 10 at feast

Ingredients

• 6 Pears, peeled, cored and quartered
• 2 cups Red Wine
• 2 cups Blueberries
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cloves
• 1 teaspoon Grains of Paradise
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 3 teaspoons Galingal

Method

1. Soak pears in the red wine and blueberries for a couple of hours.
2. Take out the pears and add sugar and spices. Simmer over low heat for an hour to reduce and thicken into a light syrup
3. Strain the syrup to remove the grains of spices and blueberry skins.
4. Add pears and return to simmer for an hour.

To serve, add a good spoonful of double cream and some candied lemon zest.

YiS to medieval cooking,
Nicolette Dufay

Notes

The historical version of this recipe was taken from the Project Gutenberg e-text of the Forme of Cury.