A subtlety (also sotelty or soteltie) was an entertainment dish used in the Middle Ages. It was a type of entremet used in medieval England. Among the popular ingredients for subtleties were various kinds of fowl, especially peafowl and swans. The birds would often be plucked and skinned and their meat seasoned, and then baked, grilled, or boiled; stuffed with fillings of all kinds; and finally redressed with their own skins. Supported by concealed wooden struts and decorated with their original plumage, the birds would be served in lifelike poses. There were also or hunting scenes and similar tableaux made of sugar.^[1]

See also

• Entremet
• Medieval cuisine

Notes

1. ^ Thomas L. Coles. "Dining in State: A High Cuisine Guide" (html). The Richard III Society, American branch. “With great ceremony and flourish, the subtlety is presented. Tonight, it is a spun and hardened sugar hunting scene.”

References

• Adamson, Melitta Weiss (2004) Food in Medieval Times ISBN 0-313-32147-7
• Strong, Roy (2003) Feast: A History of Grand Eating ISBN 0-7126-6759-8

External links

Look up subtlety in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• How to Cook Medieval - A modern guide on how to make Western European medieval cuisine and subtleties

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