Payn Ragonn is a traditional Medieval recipe for a classic sweetmeat or candy made from a blend of sugar, honey, pine nuts, breadcrumbs and ginger that, in Medieval times, was used as an accompaniment to fried meat or fish. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Medieval version of: Payn Ragonn.
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Original Recipe
Payn Ragonn
(from A Forme of Cury)
Take hony sug9 cypɼ9 +̅ clarifye it to gyd9 +̅ boyle it with exsye fyr9 +̅ kepe it wel fom bre̅ny̅g +̅ whan hit hath y boyled a while tak vp a dɼope þ9 of wt þ^y fyng9 +̅ do hit in a litel wat9 +̅ loke yf it hong to gid9 +̅ tak hit fɼo þe fyre +̅ do þ9to pyn9 þe þryddendel +̅ poudo9 ȝ̅ȝ̅ · +̅ xsteɼ9 it to gyd9 tyl hit bigy̅ne to thyk and caxst it on a wete table · lexsshe hit +̅ s9ue hit foɼth wt fɼyed mete · on flexssh day or on fyxssh dayes·
Translation
Take honey, Cypriot sugar and clarify them together and boil it over a gentle fire, ensuring that it does not burn and when it has boiled a while take out a drop of it with your finger and add to a little water and ensure it hangs together and take it off the heat and add to it a third part [of bread] and ground ginger and stir it together until it begins to thicken and pour it on a wet table. Slice it and serve it forth with fried meat on a flesh day or on fish days.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
200g white sugar
4 tbsp clear, runny, honey
125ml water
1 1/2 tbsp pine nuts, coarsely ground
100g soft white breadcrumbs (must be very fine)
1 tsp ground ginger
Method:
Combine the sugar, honey and water in a pan. Bring to a simmer and skim the surface then continue boiling until a confectioner's thermometer reads 110°C. Immediately turn the mixture into a heat bowl and whisk briskly for about 3 minutes then beat in the pine nuts, breadcrumbs and ground ginger until completely incorporated.
Turn the resultant mixture onto a greased shallow baking tin (or a marble slab moistened with water) and allow to harden. Cut into small slices and serve.
Today this would be considered a 'sweetmeat' and served as a snack or treat, but in Medieval times it seems that it was served as an accompaniment to fried fish or meat.
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