Recipe 9: armored capon

Libre del Coch, 1529 Ruperto de Nola, Spain, Translation by Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Found on Stefan’s Florilegium. Florilegium. Org, Guisados1-art - 1/13/09

Original: recipe Nr. 34

ARMORED CAPON
CAPON ARMADO

Bard (27) a capon, and roast it; and when it is half-roasted remove the barding fat.  And take egg yolks beaten with parsley and sugar, and let them be very well-beaten, and put these eggs all over the capon; and take pine nuts and peeled almonds, and while you put on the egg yolks, put on the pine nuts and almonds bit by bit in such a way that they will adhere to the sauce.  And then put the barding fat back on over the eggs and the capon. And it shall be upon the fire until it is completely roasted.

My redaction

1 whole chicken (about 2 kg)

6 Egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons parsley

75-100 gm Pinenuts or almonds ( slivers or slices) or a combination

150 gm Fatty bacon

Weave the bacon into a blanket

Place over the chicken

Roast 45 min to an hour

Remove from oven set “blanket” aside

Brush egg yolk mixture over the chicken

Apply but so that they stick

Gently replace the blanket

Roast another 45 min

Remove blankets and roast until nuts have slight color about 10 minutes

This must be cooked in a dry oven! If there is moisture the armor (nuts) will slide off the birds!!!

Recipe 8: rice casserole

Libre del Coach, 1529 Ruperto de Nola, Spain, Translation by Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Found on Stefan’s Florilegium. Florilegium. Org, Guisados1-art - 1/13/09

Original: recipe Nr. 58

RICE CASSEROLE IN THE OVEN
ARROZ EN CAZUELA AL HORNO

Clean the rice well of stones and filth, and wash it with two or three [changes of] cold water and then with hot water.  And after it is well-washed, set it to dry on a wooden chopping block in the sun or by the heat of the fire. And when it is dry, clean it again in such a manner that it is very clean; then take a very clean casserole and cast in good meat broth which is fatty, and set it to boil on the fire; and when it begins to boil, put in two or three threads of saffron so that the broth becomes quite yellow.  And when the broth is quite yellow, cast in the rice bit by bit, stirring it with a stick or with a large spoon; and when the rice is in the casserole cast in whatever quantity of broth that seems necessary to you to so that it cooks no more. and taste it to see that it is well-salted and fatty; and put it to cook in the oven; and a little before it finishes cooking, remove it from the oven and cast some whole fresh egg yolks over the rice.  And then return the casserole to the oven to finish cooking; and it is cooked when you see that the rice has made a good crust on top; and then prepare dishes, and in each one put one or two of the egg yolks which were upon the rice; and if by chance the oven was not prepared, put the casserole on a coal fire and put an iron lid full of coals on it; and in this manner it will come out of there as if it had been cooked in the oven, and perhaps better because it remains nearer for sampling, and this is good rice.

My redaction (without saffron due to allergy)

500 ml fatty meat broth

200 gm long grain rice

60 gm butter

4 eggs yolks

Cook rice in broth until almost done, approximately 50 min

Butter a casserole dish.

Melted the rest of the butter in a separate bowl

Pour rice into the casserole dish

Top with melted butter

Place egg yolks on top

Bake about 10 – 15 min at 200c until the top of the rice is crisp.

Recipe 7: Pickled Game

Koge Blog, 1616 Salomone Sartorio, Denmark

PDF from medievalcookery.com

Original: Page 11, recipe 11

Several kinds of game roasts to pickle

Take the game as it is larded/dripping’ed and well fried, let it go cold. Thereafter take as much vinegar as can cover the same game, and also honey that is cleared, scummed and well cleaned. Put as much of the same honey in the vinegar as you want it to be sweet. In the same manner put in half crushed pepper, whole cloves and nutmeg flowers crushed between the hands. Let it seethe well together half an hour. Thereafter pass the same decoction through a hair sieve or a clean cloth. Take some of the same herbs with thyme, marjoram, half crushed pepper and sprinkle in the bottom of the vessel the Vildbrand should be put into. And then a layer of roast, then herbs again, and then another layer of which you have any left, and put the decoction over it. Keep it well covered with a lean cloth. When you want to use the roast don't pick it up with bare hands, but with a fork so that what remains isn't spoiled and ruined. When you want to put the roast on the table then pour the same sauce over it, as much as is needed.

My redaction

Pickled game meats

1 kg roast ( boar, deer, moose, elk, etc)

1 liter Vinegar

1 liter Honey

100 gm Peppercorns

30 Cloves, whole

1 Tablespoons Mace

2 Tablespoon Thyme, dry

2 Tablespoon Marjoram, dry

Roast the meat in the normal fashion

Cool and slice

Half crush half the peppercorns with the cloves add with made to the honey and vinegar

Simmer for ½ of an hour and strain

½crush the rest of the pepper and  mix with the thyme and marjoram

Sprinkle the bottom of your container ( non metal‼‼ ) with the new spice blend

Layer meat with a sprinkle of spice between each layer.

Cover with cooled vinegar mixture. Make sure the meat is completely submerged. Cover with a cloth.

To serve: remove the meat and serve with a bit of the brine.

Note: it is not stated explicitly in the recipe if this is Served cold or warmed. My assumption is that it is served at room / cellar temperature.

Recipe 6: may eggs

Ouveture de Cuisine, 1604 Master Lancelot de Casteau Montios, France, Translation based on tanscription by Thomas Gloning.

PDF downloaded from medievalcookery.com

Original: page Nr 32

To make may eggs

Take eggs & put them to boil that they will be soft: then make an hole in the egg at both sides with a point or skewer of wood, that the hole is for putting a pea therein: then blow the yolks out, & chop parsley very finely, & mix it with the egg yolks, a little salt & pepper therein, & put again an egg yolk or two, or more, & refill the eggs with the point of a knife thereon, that it will be layered thereon with a little white bread, that it does not run at all: then have a cauldron of boiling water, & cast the eggs therein, & letcthem boil hard, afterwards take them out & peel, & cut them in half, & put thereon melted butter and juice of sorrel.

May eggs

12 eggs

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Sorrel ( or spinach with a bit of lemon juice)

Butter

Place 10 eggs in boiling water for 3 minutes!

Remove eggs and cool as fast as possible!

Make a hole in both ends of the egg. Use a skewer or a straw to go all the way from on to the other

Drain the runny yolks into a bowl

Add parsley and the yolks from the other 2 eggs

Add salt and pepper

Carefully restuff the cavity of the eggs

With pieces of bread close up the holes

Return to boiling water and boil 7 to 10 minutes

Peel and cut the eggs in half

Dress with melted butter and sorrel

Note: 7

This is frustrating and fussy but totally worth it!

In lieu of sorrel, juice of Spinach and a bit of lemon can be substituted.

Recipe 5: To boil quail

The Good Housewife’s Jewel, Thomas Dawson, England, 1597

Original page 16

To boil quails

First put them into a pot with sweet broth and set them on the fire. Then take carrot root and cut him in pieces and put into the pot. Then take parsley and sweet herbs and chop them a little and put them into the pot. Then take cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and pepper, and put n a little verjuice, and so season it with salt. Serve them upon stops and garnish them with fruit.

My redaction

To boil quail

1.5 liter Broth vegetable (amount will vary by size of pot used. Enough to cover the quail)

40 gm Parsley

½ Tablespoon each Marjoram, Thyme and Rosemary

1 Tablespoon each of Cinnamon, Ginger and Pepper

1 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

500 ml Verjuice

500 gm carrots

Large pot with enough broth to cover the quail.

Bring to a boil.

Add spices adjusting to taste.

Add Verjuice.

Simmer until done.

Serve upon sops (pieces of toast) garnished with fresh fruit of the season.

Notes:

½ quail per person

Spices are per 4 liters of liquid

50 gm carrot per ½ quail

Recipe 4: spinach fritters

The Good Housewife’s Jewel, Thomas Dawson, England, 1597

Original

To make fritters of spinach

Take a good deal of spinach and wash it clean. Then boil it in fair water. When it is boiled take it forth and let the water run from it. Then chop it with the back of a knife, and put in some eggs and grated bread. Season it with sugar, cinnamon, ginger and pepper, dates minced fine and currants. Roll them like a ball and dip them in batter made of ale and flour.

Spinach fritters

1 kg frozen spinach ( once squeezed of water will weigh about ½)

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon each Ginger, Pepper, cinnamon

1 egg

50 gm breadcrumbs

50 gm dates and Currants ( chop small!)

Oil for trying

250 ml Beer ( light in color, pilsner or the like)

130 gm Flour

Squeeze the excess water from the spinach

Add sugar and spices

Add dates and Currants

Add egg

Add breadcrumbs, not all at once you may need less

Form into balls ( can be made ahead , use scoop and cut in half)

Mix flour and beer to make a batter ( not too thick or thin)

Dip balls in batter and fry til golden brown

Drain on paper towels

Makes approximately 22