plum pottagen.

1574 J. Baret Aluearie sig. P 555 Plumme potage, or potage made thicke with meate or crummes of bread. Puls, pultis.

1608 R. Armin Nest of Ninnies sig. E4 Buy any flawne, pasties, pudding pyes, plum pottage, or pescods O, it was death to Iack to doe it.

1658 J. Harrington Prerogative Pop. Govt. i. xi. 92 We, who have been used to our Plum-pottage, are like enough to make faces (as did the King of Pontus) at the Lacedemonian black broth.

1682 G. Wheler Journey into Greece i. 43 Christmas pies, Plum-potage, Cake and Puddings.

1741 Family Mag. ii. 46 To make Plum-pottage. Take two gallons of strong broth, put into it two pounds of currans, two pounds of raisins, [etc.].

1864 R. Chambers Bk. of Days II. 755/2 In old times, plum-pottage was always served with the first course of a Christmas-dinner. It was made by boiling beef or mutton with broth, thickened with brown bread; when half-boiled, raisins, currants, prunes, cloves, mace and ginger were added.

1973 C. A. Wilson Food & Drink in Brit. vi. 228 Not long afterwards stewed broth became known as Christmas broth or pottage, or as plum pottage.

2002 Bristol Evening Post (Nexis) 7 Dec. 13 A Christmas dinner of 1,500 called for one boar's head, two roast herons, some venison, a couple of peacocks, plum pottage and a tankard or two of wassail and mead.