Take figs, and cast them in a pot, And cast thereto wine or Ale and let them boil, And take them up, and bray them in a mortar; And then take bread, and steep in the same liqueur, and cast thereto and draw them through a strainer, and cast it in a fair pot with wine or ale; and then take figs, and cut them small, pine nuts, sandalwood, powder of pepper, a little saffron and salt, and cast thereto, and serve standing.

serves 4

200 g dried figs (+ 2 figs)

about 4 dl red wine (+ ½ dl wine)

1 piece of white bread without the crust

2 tablespoon pine nuts

(pinch of sandalwood)

pinch of pepper

pinch of saffron

pinch of salt

Put 200 g figs to a saucepan with 4 dl wine to boil. Let them boil as long as the figs are soft. Add more wine or water to the saucepan if needed. When the figs are done take them from the sauce and grind them finely. Add the bread to the sauce and when the liquid has been absorbed, grind the bread finely too. Mince 2 figs. Take a sauce pan and put fig paste there and minced figs, ½ dl red wine, pine nuts and spices. Heat the mixture and let it simmer about 5 minutes stirring well all the time. Serve warm example with pork.

Comments: I decided to use red wine because I didn’t have that sandalwood that makes the food reddish. Otherwise I would have used white wine for this dish. As the recipe says you can use ale too.

(Take a thousand eggs or more, II Volume, Harleian MS. 4016, c. 1450)