Middle English Grilling Tips

Bored with the same-old same-old on your backyard gas grill? Here's a 15th century recipe for barbecued peacock that will have them talking about your cook-out for weeks afterward! Of course, you'll need a spit attachment, and a real fire with real coals is so much more authentic.

Pecok rosted. Take a Pecok, breke his necke, and kutte his throte, And fle him, þe skyn and the ffethurs togidre, and the hede still to the skyn of the nekke, And kepe the skyn and the ffethurs hole togiders; drawe him as an hen, And kepe þe bone to þe necke hole, and roste him, And set the bone of the necke aboue the broche, as he was wonte to sitte a-lyve, And abowe the legges to þe body, as he was wonte to sitte a-lyve; And whan he is rosted ynowe, take him of, And lete him kele; And þen wynde the skyn wið the fethurs and the taile abought the body, And serue him forthe as he were a-live.