"Take funges, and pare hem clene and dyce hem. Take leke, and shred hym small and do hym to seeth in gode broth. Color it with safron, and do there-inne powder fort."
Wash and chop about 1 1/2 pounds of mushrooms (crimini, portabella, or simiar) and 1 large leek, the white and light green parts. Simmer them tender in a cup or less of chicken broth. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper or less, and 1/4 tsp. ginger. The saffron is superfluous, and expensive. A sprinkle of sugar is nice too.
I'm sure any other member of the onion family would be good here in lieu of leeks.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Perrey of Peson (fresh pea soup)
"Take peas and boil them until they are soft. Cover them until they burst. Then take them out and strain them through a cloth. Take onions and mince them and boil them in the same stew, adding oil. Cast on sugar, salt, and saffron, and boil them well after that and serve them forth." from an Anglo-Norman recipe collection.
2 lbs. frozen peas
1 quart chicken broth
1 large onion
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
tiny pinch saffron
drizzle of oil or butter is optional. The broth probably contained some fat.
boil the peas and minced onion in the broth until very soft, puree in a blender, then season to taste with the remaining ingredients or more if you like.
This is very tasty as it stands, but other possible seasonings might include a bit of mint, tarragon, or basil, pepper, coriander....
2 lbs. frozen peas
1 quart chicken broth
1 large onion
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
tiny pinch saffron
drizzle of oil or butter is optional. The broth probably contained some fat.
boil the peas and minced onion in the broth until very soft, puree in a blender, then season to taste with the remaining ingredients or more if you like.
This is very tasty as it stands, but other possible seasonings might include a bit of mint, tarragon, or basil, pepper, coriander....
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Quince Pottage
From The Art of Cooking by Maestro Martino of Como
"Cook the quinces in lean meat broth. Then crush and thin with some almond milk made with meat broth or good fatty pullet broth, if the season permits; and pass through a stamine and put into a pot with sugar, ginger, and cinnamon, and a bit of saffron; and set it to boil away from the flame on hot coals so that it will not burn, and stir often with a spoon. And it would be best to add a little butter or fresh rendered lard. Then, when it appears to be done, serve in bowls, topped with sweet spices and sugar."
Hurray for modern blenders! This is simpler than pestles and stamines (a sort of strainer).
Cook 1 large or two small quinces in 5 cups of broth with sea salt to taste( I used chicken) until quite soft. Use another cup of broth to blend a cup of peeled, slivered almonds to a smooth paste. Combine with the quinces and add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. ginger and 1 tsp. cinnamon, with a tiny pinch of saffron. Blend in batches (there will be too much probably for one blender) and return to the pot to simmer a little while, stirring very frequently. Add 2 Tbsp. of butter. The garnish of cinnamon sugar in the bowls is superfluous but pretty.
This was popular at my work Christmas party.
"Cook the quinces in lean meat broth. Then crush and thin with some almond milk made with meat broth or good fatty pullet broth, if the season permits; and pass through a stamine and put into a pot with sugar, ginger, and cinnamon, and a bit of saffron; and set it to boil away from the flame on hot coals so that it will not burn, and stir often with a spoon. And it would be best to add a little butter or fresh rendered lard. Then, when it appears to be done, serve in bowls, topped with sweet spices and sugar."
Hurray for modern blenders! This is simpler than pestles and stamines (a sort of strainer).
Cook 1 large or two small quinces in 5 cups of broth with sea salt to taste( I used chicken) until quite soft. Use another cup of broth to blend a cup of peeled, slivered almonds to a smooth paste. Combine with the quinces and add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. ginger and 1 tsp. cinnamon, with a tiny pinch of saffron. Blend in batches (there will be too much probably for one blender) and return to the pot to simmer a little while, stirring very frequently. Add 2 Tbsp. of butter. The garnish of cinnamon sugar in the bowls is superfluous but pretty.
This was popular at my work Christmas party.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Chickpeas in almond milk
from Libre de Sent Sovi
"If you want to prepare tender chick peas with almond milk, do it thus: Take the chick peas and clean them well. And take almond milk and set them to cook with the milk and with oil and salt; and add onion scalded in boiling water. And when they should be cooked, add parsley and basil and marjoram and other good herbs and a little ginger and verjuice And when you add the chick peas, they should be washed in hot water and they will cook more quickly."
My comments and redaction:
If you really want them to cook more quickly, it is better to soak them overnight, not just wash them.
You can make the almond milk by putting about equal parts almonds and water in a blender and pureeing the heck out of them. Then thin a measured amount of the resulting paste to the consistency you want. If you put all the water in at first, they don't puree as well.
If you like dairy or can't tolerate nuts, this will work with cream. Cook the garbanzos most of the way in water before adding heavy cream.
Put 1 cup garbanzos to soak in warm water overnight. Drain and place in large pan with 4 cups thin almond milk and 1 medium onion, chopped. Add salt to your preference. (I can't picture what the oil would be for.) Cook until tender. Add 1 Tbsp. parsley, 1 tsp. basil, 1/2 tsp. each marjoram, ginger, and savory, 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm.
"If you want to prepare tender chick peas with almond milk, do it thus: Take the chick peas and clean them well. And take almond milk and set them to cook with the milk and with oil and salt; and add onion scalded in boiling water. And when they should be cooked, add parsley and basil and marjoram and other good herbs and a little ginger and verjuice And when you add the chick peas, they should be washed in hot water and they will cook more quickly."
My comments and redaction:
If you really want them to cook more quickly, it is better to soak them overnight, not just wash them.
You can make the almond milk by putting about equal parts almonds and water in a blender and pureeing the heck out of them. Then thin a measured amount of the resulting paste to the consistency you want. If you put all the water in at first, they don't puree as well.
If you like dairy or can't tolerate nuts, this will work with cream. Cook the garbanzos most of the way in water before adding heavy cream.
Put 1 cup garbanzos to soak in warm water overnight. Drain and place in large pan with 4 cups thin almond milk and 1 medium onion, chopped. Add salt to your preference. (I can't picture what the oil would be for.) Cook until tender. Add 1 Tbsp. parsley, 1 tsp. basil, 1/2 tsp. each marjoram, ginger, and savory, 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Chicken in Sage Sauce
from Le Menagier de Paris
"Take your chicken and quarter it and set it to cook in salt and water, then set it to get cold. Then bray ginger, cinnamon powder, grain of paradise, and cloves and bray them well without straining, then bray bread dipped in chicken broth, parsley (the most), sage, and a little saffron in the leaf to color it green and run it through a strainer (and some there be that run therewith yolk of egg) and moisten with good vinegar, and when it is moistened set it on your chicken, and with and on the top of the aforesaid chicken set hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters and pour your sauce over it all."
For one whole cooked chicken I mixed 1/4 tsp. of ginger and cloves, 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon and grain of paradise, then mixed about a cup of bread crumbs with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, a tablespoon of dry parsley and a teaspoon of chopped fresh sage. Fresh parsley would have been better. I added a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, but it took at least 2 or 3 more tablespoons plus some water to thin it after it was cold. More broth would have worked well.
I have no idea what "saffron in the leaf" could mean. It appears that one species of crocus sativa does have edible leaves, but it isn't the saffron crocus. To color the sauce greener, I could have added more parsley, or some chard or spinach.
The spices could have been stronger and it would have been good but it was good like this.
This recipe is directly descended from an earlier Anglo-Norman one called Saugee:
"Take good spices, that is, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and galingale, and grind them in a mortar; than take a handful of sage and grind well in the same mortar with the spices; then take eggs and hardboil them, remove the yolk and grind with the sage; blend with wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or malt vinegar; take the egg white and chop finely and add to the sage mixture; put in pig's trotters or other cold meat and serve."
"Take your chicken and quarter it and set it to cook in salt and water, then set it to get cold. Then bray ginger, cinnamon powder, grain of paradise, and cloves and bray them well without straining, then bray bread dipped in chicken broth, parsley (the most), sage, and a little saffron in the leaf to color it green and run it through a strainer (and some there be that run therewith yolk of egg) and moisten with good vinegar, and when it is moistened set it on your chicken, and with and on the top of the aforesaid chicken set hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters and pour your sauce over it all."
For one whole cooked chicken I mixed 1/4 tsp. of ginger and cloves, 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon and grain of paradise, then mixed about a cup of bread crumbs with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, a tablespoon of dry parsley and a teaspoon of chopped fresh sage. Fresh parsley would have been better. I added a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, but it took at least 2 or 3 more tablespoons plus some water to thin it after it was cold. More broth would have worked well.
I have no idea what "saffron in the leaf" could mean. It appears that one species of crocus sativa does have edible leaves, but it isn't the saffron crocus. To color the sauce greener, I could have added more parsley, or some chard or spinach.
The spices could have been stronger and it would have been good but it was good like this.
This recipe is directly descended from an earlier Anglo-Norman one called Saugee:
"Take good spices, that is, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and galingale, and grind them in a mortar; than take a handful of sage and grind well in the same mortar with the spices; then take eggs and hardboil them, remove the yolk and grind with the sage; blend with wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or malt vinegar; take the egg white and chop finely and add to the sage mixture; put in pig's trotters or other cold meat and serve."
medieval hummus
Puree of Chickpeas with Cinnamon and Ginger
from Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World by Lilia Zaouali
"Cook the chickpeas in water then mash them in a mortar to make a puree. Push the puree through a sieve for wheat, unless it is already fine enough, in which case this step is not necessary. Mix it then with wine vinegar, the pulp of pickled lemons, and cinnamon, pepper, ginger, parsley of the best quality, mint, and rue that have all been chopped and placed on the surface of the serving dish. Finally, pour over a generous amount of oil of good quality."
Puree together:
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp pulp of pickled lemons
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. powdered rue (optional, hard to find)
adjust seasoning to taste.
chop 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, 2 Tbsp. fresh mint and sprinkle over the mixture in the serving dish. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. olive oil or sesame oil.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
ancient vs. modern sauce or pudding
I enjoy finding medieval equivalents to my modern favorites, and vice versa. I understand a medieval recipe better when I have spotted its approximate type in modern terms. For instance, Ein Buch von Guter Speise has an entry it calls a "lattwerk" of cherries. After reading it carefully, I said, "oh, fruit leather!" and it made perfect sense.
I very much enjoy Warm Lemon Curd over Strawberries from Peter Berley's Fresh Food Fast. I serve it at the group home where I work and the clients love it too. So I was intrigued to find How to Make a Verjuice Pottage in The Art of Cooking by Maestro Martino of Como.
There is no verjuice in the recipe. The orange juice listed would have been bitter (Seville) orange, so today we use half orange and half lemon.
"Pottage" normally means soup, but this would hardly be eaten by itself in any quantity. It is more of a sauce, possibly a pudding for dessert.
"Take four fresh egg yolks, a half ounce of cinnamon, four ounces of sugar, two ounces of rose water, and four ounces of orange juice, and beat together, and cook as you would a sauce, and this pottage should be made yellow with some saffron. This pottage is best during summer."
I treated the "half ounce" as fluid ounce measure, i.e., a tablespoon.
For comparison, Berley's recipe uses whole eggs, not just yolks; honey instead of rose water for the floral note, lemon juice and zest in lieu of bitter orange juice, no spices, a dash of salt, and 6 tablespoons of butter beaten in late in the cooking. Proportions remain the same.
We tried both of these side by side at our May meeting. Martino's is very cinnamony, scarcely any other flavor detectable, and several members preferred it as to taste, but the texture is rather gummy. Berley's is much more like a pudding or a dip. Both were good on the strawberries, on toast, and Martino's was good on meat and sweet potatoes too.
The next question is, which of Berley's tweaks is responsible for the improved texture? The whole eggs, or the butter? The honey? To settle this, I will try Martino's recipe with each of these changes separately -- when I have a lot more eggs again. The hens are really good at Hide the Egg.
February 18, 2015
Tried Martino's recipe with butter beaten in, this seems to be the key to texture. Should be a great apple dip.
I very much enjoy Warm Lemon Curd over Strawberries from Peter Berley's Fresh Food Fast. I serve it at the group home where I work and the clients love it too. So I was intrigued to find How to Make a Verjuice Pottage in The Art of Cooking by Maestro Martino of Como.
There is no verjuice in the recipe. The orange juice listed would have been bitter (Seville) orange, so today we use half orange and half lemon.
"Pottage" normally means soup, but this would hardly be eaten by itself in any quantity. It is more of a sauce, possibly a pudding for dessert.
"Take four fresh egg yolks, a half ounce of cinnamon, four ounces of sugar, two ounces of rose water, and four ounces of orange juice, and beat together, and cook as you would a sauce, and this pottage should be made yellow with some saffron. This pottage is best during summer."
I treated the "half ounce" as fluid ounce measure, i.e., a tablespoon.
For comparison, Berley's recipe uses whole eggs, not just yolks; honey instead of rose water for the floral note, lemon juice and zest in lieu of bitter orange juice, no spices, a dash of salt, and 6 tablespoons of butter beaten in late in the cooking. Proportions remain the same.
We tried both of these side by side at our May meeting. Martino's is very cinnamony, scarcely any other flavor detectable, and several members preferred it as to taste, but the texture is rather gummy. Berley's is much more like a pudding or a dip. Both were good on the strawberries, on toast, and Martino's was good on meat and sweet potatoes too.
The next question is, which of Berley's tweaks is responsible for the improved texture? The whole eggs, or the butter? The honey? To settle this, I will try Martino's recipe with each of these changes separately -- when I have a lot more eggs again. The hens are really good at Hide the Egg.
February 18, 2015
Tried Martino's recipe with butter beaten in, this seems to be the key to texture. Should be a great apple dip.
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