Clarissa and the King's Cookbook

Self-confessed medieval foodie Clarissa Dickson Wright tracks down Britain's oldest known cookbook - The Forme of Cury. This 700-year-old scroll was written during the reign of King Richard II from recipes created by his own master chefs. Clarissa unravels recipes fit for a king - sourcing authentic ingredients, discovering medieval gastronomic techniques and cooking in a period kitchen to recreate this regal fare. In doing so, she creates a historical portrait of the lush extravagance that surrounded the young king. The huge variety of dishes that Clarissa finds in the book - from venison and beaver to pike and lamprey, indicates this really was the golden age of the omnivore. As she prepares food using traditional techniques, she wonders what our modern palate will make of the unusual combinations of flavours. The King's Cookbook is a culinary journey through medieval history, reawakening recipes that have lain dormant for centuries. But equally interesting is the discovery that many dishes are still prepared and eaten the same way today.