This is my version of an old Italian recipe which my friend Gillian Riley translated for me from a work of Bartolomeo Scappi, published in 1570. I have adapted it somewhat to suit present-day tastes, with about one-twelfth of the quantity of butter that Scappi apparently enjoyed. Don’t be put off by the rather lengthy preparation and cooking times. The result is delicious.
The meats and stocks should b