Caboches in Potage

Ingredients:

2 Cabbages Salt, to taste

2 Large Onions 4 quarts of broth (Chicken or Vegetable)

2 white Leeks Sweet Spice Blend (Powder Douce)

Steps:

• Bring the broth to a simmer.

• While the broth is heating, rough chop/slice the cabbages, mince the onions, and thinly slice the white Leek.

• Once the broth has come to a simmer, place all of the prepared aforementioned ingredients into the broth and let the cabbage cook until it is softened and tender

• Season with salt and Sweet Spice to preferred taste.

Powder Douce Spice Blend:

½ cup of powdered ginger 1 ½ tsp. of ground Grains of Paradise

2 Tbsp. of Cinnamon 1 ½ tsp. of ground Cloves

1 Tbsp. of Sugar

Steps:

As all the ingredients are already ground, one simply needs to mix the spices together in a mixing bowl and then store in a sealed jar, if one wishes, for later use.

The recipe for Caboches in Potage or, as we would understand it today, cabbage soup, was rewritten in the 1780 work The Forme of Cury, A Roll of English Cookery, Complied, about A.D. 1390, by the Master-Cooks of Richard II, Presented afterwards to Queen Elizabeth, by Edward Lord Stafford, and now in the Possession of Gustavus Brander, Esq. Illustrated with Notes, And a copious Index, or Glossary. A rather long title to accompany a fairly simple soup. As the title notes, the recipe was utilized by the cooks of Richard II and was therefore a recipe for royalty or those deemed worthy of dining in a royal court. The use of spices also indicates the dish’s upper-status use. Interestingly, the word “Potage,” which is clearly of French origin, marks the lasting effects of French culture on English cuisine during the 14^th century.

The recipe listed, however, has been adapted for modern audiences who may have difficulties deciphering the language of the original text and so that different cooking techniques can be used. Whereas the original recipe calls for quarted chunks of cabbage, the modified one allows for rough chopped or sliced cabbage for convenience. Additionally, the use of “Powder Douce” or Sweet Spice Blend has been adapted from several potential variations of blends. Cooks may have blended the spices found in Powder Douce to personal preference or to better accompany and accentuate the flavors of a particular dish. The spices also would have been more than likely freshly ground for the dish. It should likewise be noted that this dish was most likely made during a time at which the ingredients would be fresh or available, making it a late fall to early spring dish. It has been suggested that this combination of ingredients is a unique blend of savory and sweet which may be unique to modern palates.

Lastly, several variations of the dish were made by those who were not part of Richard II’s court. While spices and other additives like meats may have been difficult to obtain, the main ingredients of vegetables and broth could be afforded by the lower-classes in society. While the particular recipe presented in Forme of Cury may not be representative of similar dishes prepared by lower-class people in England, Potage was generally a staple food for all of England. A similar dish of French origin to compare or infuse with this recipe would be Soupe aux Choux.

Works Cited

“Caboches in Potage - Medieval Cuisine.” Accessed April 7, 2020. http://www.medievalcuisine.com/Euriol/recipe-index/caboches-in-potage.

“Forme of Cury.” Accessed April 7, 2020. http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/foc/FoC053small.html.

Jennifer. “Food Through Thyme: Caboches In Potage.” Food Through Thyme (blog), April 16, 2012. http://foodthroughthyme.blogspot.com/2012/04/caboches-in-potage.html.

Lord Stafford, Edward. Forme of Cury. J. Nicholas, Printer to the Society of Antiquaries, 1780. http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/foc/FoC053small.html.

“Powder Douce - Medieval Cuisine.” Accessed April 7, 2020. http://www.medievalcuisine.com/Euriol/recipe-index/powder-douce.

Stephane. “Classic Soupe Aux Choux (Cabbage and Pork Soup).” French Cooking Academy, November 24, 2018. https://www.thefrenchcookingacademy.com/cabbage-soup/.

Jacob M, Zach N, Nick B, Steve S