(German) Schwarzwaelder Schinken - Smoked Pork

 First published on Patreon Oct 3, 2022

Das Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin (c. 1553)

Schwarzwaelder Schinken - Smoked pork in the middle, behind toothpicks, Bratwurst (Bottom left) and Zervalet (Top Right)  with Sweet and Spicy Mustard

How was food preserved in the middle ages?

It might be surprising to learn that many of the methods that are used today were also used to preserve food in the middle ages.

The most common methods are salting, sugaring/honeying, pickling/fermenting, smoking, and drying.  Each of these preservation methods inhibits the growth of microbes, bacteria, or fungi that would make you ill.

Today's recipe features two of my favorite methods of preserving food, salt curing, and smoking.

How does salt curing preserve food?

Salt curing dehydrates the food so that moisture-loving pathogens cannot thrive on it.  There are two different kinds of ways to salt cure food.  This is oftentimes the first step to additional methods of curing.

• Dry curing: Food is immersed in a mixture of salt and flavorings.
• Wet Curing:  Food is soaked in a salty solution.  This is also known as brining.

What is "pink salt"?

Curing salt, also known as pink salt is a combination of table salt and sodium nitrite, or, sodium nitrate.  It may also be known as Prague powder #1, and Prague Powder #2.  These are dyed pink so they are not confused with regular table salt.  They are highly concentrated and should be used correctly.  In addition to slowing the growth of pathogens, it is believed that pink salt inhibits botulism.

• Prague Powder #1 - 93.75% table salt & 6.25% sodium nitrite - Best used with wet curing, short-term curing times, and with food that will be cooked.
• Prague Powder #2 - 89.75% table salt, 6.25% sodium nitrite & 4% sodium nitrate - Must be used with food that is dry cured for a long period of time.

What about saltpetre?

Also known as saltpeter or nitrate of potash, potassium nitrate was a common ingredient in food preservation.  The use of saltpetre has declined because of inconsistent results. It is an ingredient of gun powder and has been in use since the 15th Century.

How does smoking preserve meat?

Meat that has been exposed to wood smoke develops an acidic coating that inhibits the growth of bacteria. As with curing, there are two different ways to smoke meat.

• Hot Smoking - involves temperatures in excess of 150 degrees and cooking the food in addition to smoking it.  This process should be used when longer periods of smoking are required.
• Cold Smoking - involved temperatures lower than 100 degrees and is used when you want to flavor the food and create a smoke barrier without cooking it.

Original Recipe

Schweinin flesch digen machen

So nempt ain fiertel von ainer saú vnd saltzen es fast woll,

das es gleich weisß werd vor saltz, vnnd land das saltz daran

ergan jn ainem keller, vnnd wan es ergangen jst, so segen das

wasser herab/ vnnd giessen es wider dariber, das thent ain

tag 2 oder .3. mall, vnnd wan es vier wúchen jn dem saltz jst

gelegen, so hengt es aúff vnd rechen es fein gemach/ bis es

woll drúcken wirt vnnd fein resch/ last es achtag jm rach

hangen, darnach hengt es jn ain kamer, da der lúfft zú kan,

es bleibt eúch das ganz jar.

Interpreted Recipe

To make smoked pork.

Take a quarter of a pig and salt it especially well, so that it is entirely white with salt, and let the salt dissolve in a cellar. And when it is dissolved, then skim off the water and pour it over again, do that two or three times a day, and when it has laid in salt for four weeks, hang it up and smoke it fairly slowly, until it becomes thoroughly dry and fairly hard. Let it hang in the smoke for eight days, after which hang it in a chamber into which air comes. It keeps for the entire year.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds pork ( I prefer loin)

4 ounces kosher salt

2 ounces sugar

1/2  tsp. pink salt #1

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

2 tablespoons juniper berries

10 whole bay leaves

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

1-quart water

Instructions

1. Place your black peppercorns, juniper berries, and coriander seeds into a small pan, you want to warm them enough to release their fragrance.  Remove the spices from the pan and coarsely grind them in a mortar.
2. Put your pork into a ziplock bag and add the coarsely ground spices, crumbled-up bay leaves, dried marjoram, sugar, and salt.  Slowly pour in water being sure to cover the pork completely.  Note: The pork needs to brine for a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of five to seven days.
3. Soak wood chips for a minimum of three hours the day you are going to smoke your pork. I use a mixture of apple and cherry.
4. Remove the pork from the brine, rinse off the salt solution, pat the pork dry and place it into a tray for your smoker.  Note:  You can lightly oil the pork if you wish.
5. Smoke the pork for a minimum of 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 225 degrees, or until the internal temperature reads 150 degrees. Remove from smoker and allow to cool before cutting into thin slices.

Thoughts

This is a very forgiving recipe with great returns.  The pork was moist and smokey and very flavorful after marinating in the brine overnight.  Note: I did not use the pink salt for this because the time I was planning on marinating it in the brine was so short.  It was enjoyed by many of the guests. It also kept well and I enjoyed the leftovers for several days afterward.  This marinade would also do well with chicken if you choose. If you do not have a smoker, simply cook the pork in the oven.  Highly recommended for camping events as well as dayboards.

Sources

"Das Kochbuch Der Sabina Welserin (C. 1553)". Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 2022, https://www.uni-giessen.de/fbz/fb05/germanistik/absprache/sprachverwendung/gloning/tx/sawe.htm. Accessed 3 Oct 2022.

"Medieval Food Preservation Methods". Thoughtco, 2022, https://www.thoughtco.com/medieval-food-preservation-1788842. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

"Sabrina_Welserin.Html". Daviddfriedman.Com, 2022, http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Sabrina_Welserin.html. Accessed 3 Oct 2022.

"Saltpetre And Salt Prunella". British Food: A History, 2021, https://britishfoodhistory.com/2021/06/29/saltpetre-and-salt-prunella/. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

Sloan, Alisha. "Preserving Meat Long-Term, The Old-Fashioned Way - Off The Grid News". Off The Grid News, 2014, https://www.offthegridnews.com/off-grid-foods/preserving-meat-long-term-the-old-fashioned-way/. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

"What Is The Difference Between Prague Powder #1 And #2? - Bradley Smokers North America". Bradley Smokers North America, 2021, https://www.bradleysmoker.com/blog/2021/08/19/what-is-the-difference-between-prague-powder-1-and-2/. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

(German) Rote Ruben - Pickled Beets

 First Published on Patreon Oct 4, 2022

Ein New Kochbuch, Marx  Rumpolt, 1581

Pickling is a form of fermentation that includes placing food into an acid, for example, sour wine (vinegar) or beer to preserve it. The use of vinegar is ancient, it is mentioned numerous times in the bible, and traces of vinegar were found in Egyptian urns (3000 B.C.).  When mixed with water, it was known as posca or poor man's wine in ancient Rome.

How does vinegar preserve food?

Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is known to have antibacterial and antifungal properties which inhibit the growth of microorganisms that would spoil food.

What kinds of acids are found in wine?

Wine has tartaric, malic, and citric acids.

Tartaric acid lowers the PH level of food to a level that bacteria cannot live. It also acts as a firming agent and adds a tart flavor to wine and food.

Both malic and citric acids inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, mold, and yeast while helping food retain its color, flavor, and texture.

Original Recipe

3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniß/

Coriander/ vnd ein wenig Kuͤmel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/

gesotten mit halb Wein vnd halb Essig.

Interpretation

3. Red turnips made with chopped horseradish/ anise/

coriander/ and a little cumin/ especially when the beets are cut/

boiled with half wine and half vinegar.

Ingredients

3 whole fresh baby beets

1/2 C red wine

1 C vinegar

1 piece horseradish root 1" long x 1" wide, slivered

1 t anise seed

2 t coriander seed

1/2 t caraway seed

Instructions

1. You can use canned beats if you want, but, fresh beets will give you a better flavor and texture.  Roast your beets in a 400-degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.

2. Allow to cool and remove the skin.  Chop your beets into bite-sized pieces and place them into pint-sized canning jars that are extremely clean!  Add slivered horseradish.

3. Bring wine, vinegar, and spices to a boil. Pour into your jars, leaving a half inch of headspace before sealing the lids. Allow the beets, spices, and horseradish to cool to room temperature before storing.

Note: The beets store well in the refrigerator. If I were planning on long-term storage, I would finish with a hot water bath, but I am unsure if it would be necessary.  I have one jar left of these beets from the event in the fridge and it is still good after several months.

Note: These should marinate for several days before being served.  I prefer at least a week to marry the flavors.  I have noticed that the flavors are not as pungent now as they were a week after being made.  They've mellowed in a very pleasant way the longer they have sat.

Thoughts

I love pickled beets and I would have no difficulty bringing them to a weekend event along with the pickled onions if I were planning on not having a cooler.  These are spicy, tart,  and delicious.  If you don't care for horseradish, don't use it, but do add the spices.

Sources

"A Short History Of Vinegar". Womersley Foods, 2022, https://womersleyfoods.com/pages/a-short-history-of-vinegar. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

"Citric Acid: Structure, Uses, Intolerance, And More". Medicalnewstoday.Com, 2022, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/citric-acid#uses. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

"Deutsches Textarchiv – Rumpolt, Marx: Ein New Kochbuch. Frankfurt (Main), 1581.". Deutschestextarchiv.De, 2022, https://www.deutschestextarchiv.de/book/view/rumpolt_kochbuch_1581/?p=418&hl=Rote. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

(FSU), Food. "Significance Of Tartaric Acid". Food Science Universe (FSU), 2020, https://foodscienceuniverse.com/significance-of-tartaric-acid/. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

Palmer, Sharon. "Ein New Kochbuch". Academia.Edu, 2022, https://www.academia.edu/6272538/Ein_New_Kochbuch. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

Of assorted sugar comfits

 Originally published on Patreon Oct 5, 2022

Thomas Dawson lists comfets (comfits) as one of the "necessaries appertaining to a banquet". Comfits were often served at the end of the feast to freshen the breath, act as a digestive, as decoration, and sometimes used in the treatment of specific illnesses.

Aromatic seeds such as anise, fennel, or caraway were coated with sugar and colored using beet, spinach, or saffron. They can also be made using almonds or ginger. Comfits can still be purchased today, for example, Jordan almonds or pastilles. They are a bit time-consuming to make but oh so much tastier than the ones you purchase!

The easier comfits to make are the ones with seeds such as caraway, fennel, or anise. Making cinnamon comfits is a bit of a process. To start I will walk you through the process of candying seeds such as anise, caraway, coriander, fennel, or other seeds or nuts.

Many of the cookbooks that were published in the 1700s and after suggest coating the seeds with a solution of gum arabic. To create your solution use 1 tsp. of gum arabic, to 3 tsp. rosewater. I let mine sit overnight and it becomes a thick, honey-colored gel. If you are going to use gum arabic to coat your seeds, the first few coats (charges) will need to use this solution. Then you can move on to your sugar.

For more information on making these historic treats, please visit Historic Comfits Using Modern Equipment by Dame Alys Katharine (Elise Fleming).

Original Recipe

CLXXIX

Von allerley Zucker Confect

Ausz der Apotecken.

Of assorted sugar comfits

(as) from the apothecary

I. Almonds coated.

2. Anise coated.

3. Cinnamon-bark coated.

4. Cloves coated.

5. Coriander coated.

6. Caraway coated.

7. Fennel coated.

8. Pinion nut coated

9. Walnuts coated

10. Hazelnut (Filbert) kernels coated.

11. Peach kernel coated (I assume only the soft kernel inside the pit)

12. Citron peel coated.

13. Apricot kernel coated.

14. Assorted plum kernel(s) coated.

15. Assorted cherry kernels coated (is there a soft center to a cherry pit?)

16. Chestnuts coated.

17. (Sauer) Orange peel coated.

18. Lime peel coated (there is debate if Limonien were limes or lemons)

19. Eichorium (unsure what this is... perhaps oak???) root coated.

20. Pimpernell (Pimpinella saxifraga L) root coated. (greater Burnett???)

21. Glockenwurtz or Helmenkraut (Inula helenium L) root coated. (Elecampane is an expectorant, root also dyes blue)

22. Sugar root coated (sugar beet root)

23. Violet (or pansy) (Viola odorata L, Viola tricolor L) root coated.

24. Ginger coated.

25. Of assorted roots/ that have a well tasting scent/smell.

If you wish such comfits to coat with sugar/ so take a clean copper vessel/ that has two handholds/ hang it in the height on a rope at both handholds/ set a glow kettle with glowing coals thereunder/ put the comfits into the vessel/ and make it fine warm/ pour nice clarified (clean) sugar thereto/ and stir it often therewith/ till the confits the sugar takes to it/ so it becomes nice white and dry. Also coats one assorted grains (do they really mean wheat, rye, etc? or are they talking about kernels as in individual anise seeds?) with sugar/ and assorted spices/ so it becomes good and also welltasting.

Original Recipe How to cover all kinds of Seeds, or little pieces of Spices, or Orange or Limon Pill, with Sugar for Comfits. First of all you must have a deep bottomed Basin of Brass or Latin, with two ears of Iron to hang it with two Cords over some hot Coals. You must also have a broad Pan to put Ashes in, and hot Coals upon them. You must have a Brass Ladle to let run the Sugar upon the Seeds. You must have a Slice of Brass to scrape away the Sugar from the sides of the hanging Basin if need be. Having all these things in readiness, do as followeth; Take fine white Sugar beaten, and let your Seeds and Spice be dry, then dry them again in your hanging Basin: Take to every two pounds of Sugar one quarter of a pound of Spices or Seeds, or such like.  If it be Aniseeds, two pounds of Sugar to half a pound of Aniseeds, will be enough. Melt your Sugar in this manner, put in three Pounds of Sugar into the Basin, and one Pint of Water, stir it well till it be wet, then melt it very well and boil it very softly until it will stream from the Ladle like Turpentine, and not drop, then let it seeth no more, but keep it upon warm Embers, that it may run from the Ladle upon the seeds.  Move the Seeds in the hanging Basin so fast as you can or may, and with one hand, cast on half a Ladle full at a time of the hot Sugar, and rub the Seeds with your other hand a pretty while, for that will make them take the Sugar the better, and dry them well after every Coat. Do thus at every Coat, not only in moving the Basin, but also with stirring of the Comfits with the one hand, and drying the same: in every hour you may make three pounds of Comfits; as the Comfits do increase in bigness, so you may take more Sugar in your Ladle to cast on: But for plain Comfits, let your Sugar be of a light decoction last, and of a high decoction first, and not too hot.  For crisp and ragged Comfits make your decoction so high, as that it may run from the Ladle, and let it fall a foot high or more from the Ladle, and the hotter you cast on your sugar, the more ragged will your Comfits be; also the Comfits will not take so much of the sugar, as upon a light decoction, and they will keep their raggedness long; this high decoction must serve for eight or ten Coats, and put on at every time but one Ladle full. A quarter of a pound of Coriander seeds, and three pounds of sugar, will serve for very great Comfits. See that you keep your Sugar in the Basin always in good temper, that it burn not in Lumps, and if at any time it be too high boiled, put in a spoonful or two of water, and keep it warily with your Ladle, and let your fire be always very clear, when your Comfits be made, set them in Dishes upon Paper in the Sun or before the Fire, or in the Oven after Bread is drawn, for the space of one hour or two, and that will make them look very white. 

 Comfits 

1 tbsp. seed of choice (anise, fennel, caraway, etc.) 

1 cup sugar 

1/3 cup water

Instructions 1. If you choose to coat your seeds with gum arabic you will need to do that in the first few charges of syrup. The ratio that most of the later confectionary books used was 6:1 - 6 parts sugar syrup to 1 part gum arabic solution. It has an odd smell when you "cook" it, but that does not affect the taste  2. Heat the sugar and the water until it reaches 170 degrees for a smooth coat, or  225 degrees for a jagged coat.  3. While the sugar syrup is heating, you will want to heat your seeds or nuts in a large flat pan such as a wok or frying pan in order to release its essential oils.  If you cannot use your fingers to stir the seeds as they heat it is too hot.   4. Once the syrup has reached the temperature you want, take a teaspoon of it and pour it over the seeds in the pan. I shake the pan until the syrup has cooled enough I can smooth the seeds around with my fingers. However, you can use the back of a wooden spoon, and stir the seeds until the sugar dries.

• If the seeds stick together, you have used too much syrup.
• If the sugar forms pellets in the bottom of the pan then you have used too much syrup.
• 
  

NOTE: In the first few charges (coats) of the syrup the seed will look grayish, and then they will gradually begin to turn white.   5. After about 12 charges, you are done for the day. I prefer my comfits smaller, so I usually do not do this process a second day. However, you can, if you wish, make another solution of syrup and coat your seeds again after they have had time to dry out overnight. The larger the comfits get, the more you will need to divide your batch. You need to be able to work with the pan.

NOTE: Beet juice, spinach juice, and saffron can be used to color your comfits in the last several charges of syrup, or, you can add a few drops of food coloring if you wish.  

To Make Cinnamon Comfits

 Cinnamon comfits require an extra step. First,  you need to make sure that you are using "true" cinnamon, that is Ceylon Cinnamon, which is soft, crumbly, and brittle. When you look at it, it is "compact" and consists of many layers. Cassia cinnamon is what you normally find in the store, and it is thick, and darker in color than Ceylon cinnamon which is a light rusty brown in color. Once you have obtained Ceylon cinnamon you will need to soak it overnight in water. This is so that you can shave it down into the needle-like strips that are needed to make the comfit. Then you will need to let your cinnamon dry thoroughly.  Once the cinnamon has dried completely, proceed as above, being careful to coat the cinnamon with the gum arabic/syrup solution in the first three charges (coats). You will need to stop coating your comfits after about eight charges of syrup and let them dry overnight. Then you can make another solution of syrup and continue the next day.  Enjoy! 

 Update: Regarding cinnamon comfits,  I have been able to make these successfully without soaking ahead of time. 

 Sources

"Deutsches Textarchiv – Rumpolt, Marx: Ein New Kochbuch. Frankfurt (Main), 1581.". Deutschestextarchiv.De, 2022, https://www.deutschestextarchiv.de/book/view/rumpolt_kochbuch_1581/?p=418&hl=Rote. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

Palmer, Sharon. "Ein New Kochbuch". Academia.Edu, 2022, https://www.academia.edu/6272538/Ein_New_Kochbuch. Accessed 4 Oct 2022.

Tench (Fish) Three-Ways

Originally published on Patreon Oct 7, 2022





After some debate, I placed all three interpretations from Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 Thomas Austin for tench in sauce or broth on the same blog post. My reasoning for this is that they have more similarities than differences. The Tenche in Cyueye includes onions, the Tenche in Bruette does not and the Rapeye can be made with various fishes (including tench) and includes different raisins and spices.

The Glossary of Medieval & Renaissance Culinary Terms defines cyueye in the following way:

cive, civey(e), ciuey, cyuey, ceue, cyueye = Ragout or stew (possibly derived from a word meaning 'onion' (Plouvier). (Viandier) - Among other modern usages, this is probably a derivative of civey, which was at one time named for, and characterized by, the possibility of thickening a sauce with finely chopped onion, cooked till very soft. Some medieval recipes for civeys (for example, hare in civey) also call for blood as an additional thickener; nowadays the dish, which is now sometimes called civet, is mostly characterized by thickening and enriching the broth with the reserved blood of the critter you're cooking. It will coagulate if boiled, and turn very dark, but if heated properly it will assume a velvety texture similar to a stirred custard, and acquire a deep russet shade almost like a mole-poblano-type sauce. (Troy)

I was intrigued by the instructions to scald or boil the fish before roasting it. Scalding is a method of cleaning and killing any microorganisms that might be harmful. It involves heating a liquid (in this case water) or milk to just below boiling. If you have a thermometer 180 degrees is best. If you don't you want to keep an eye on the side of the pan. You can remove your liquid when you see small bubbles forming around the side and steam starting to wisp off the pan.

Original Recipe

.lxxxxiiij. Tenche in bruette.—Take þe Tenche, an sethe hem & roste hem, an grynde Pepir an Safroun, Bred and Ale, & tempere wyth þe brothe, an boyle it; þen take þe Tenche y-rostyd, an ley hym on a chargeoure; þan ley on þe sewe a-boue

Interpretation

94. Tench in Broth- Take the tench, and boil him and roast him, and grind pepper and saffron, bread and ale, and temper with the broth, and boil it, then take the tench roasted, and lay him on a charger; then lay on the sauce above.

Ingredients - Serves 1 as Main, 2 as side

1/4 pound fatty firm textured fish such as carp, perch, tench, bluefish or bass
1/4 tsp. pepper
pinch of saffron
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
3/4 cup ale
3 tbsp. fish broth

Instructions In keeping with the instructions, I scalded the fish by placing it in a pot with just enough water to cover it. I then heated the pan until I saw small bubbles forming around the edge of it and steam starting to form. Due to modern methods of cleaning and butchering fish, I imagine you could have skipped this step without difficulty.

I removed the fish from the pan and placed it on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roasted it in the oven until it was done. While the fish was cooking in the oven I took a few tablespoons of the broth and added the saffron to it. Once the saffron had strongly colored the water, I added it to the ale (ok confession time--I used Sam Adams Summer Shandy made with lemon peel and grains of paradise) and then soaked the bread crumbs in it. Once the bread was soggy I put it in the pot and brought it to a boil until it formed a thick sauce. After the fish had finished cooking I plated and served it.

Original Recipe

.lxxxxv. Tenche in cyueye.—Take a tenche, an skalde hym, roste hym, grynde Pepir an Safroun, Brede an Ale, & melle it to-gederys; take Oynonys, hakke hem, an frye hem in Oyle, & do hem þer-to, and messe hem forth.

Interpretation

95. Tench in Civey - Take a tench, and scald him, roast him, grind pepper and saffron, bread and ale, and mix it together; take onions, hack them, and fry them in oil, and do them there-to, and mess him forth.

Ingredients - Serves 1 as Main, 2 as side

1/4 pound fatty firm textured fish such as carp, perch, tench, bluefish or bass
1/4 tsp. pepper
pinch of saffron
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
3/4 cup ale
3 tbsp. fish broth
3 tbsp. onions
1 tbsp. oil

Instructions

To make this dish, follow the instructions above. The additional step is to lightly brown the finely chopped onion in oil, and after plating, garnish the plate with it.

Original Recipe

.Cxxxiij. Rapeye.—Take Pykys or Tenchys, oþer freysshe Fysshe, & frye it in Oyle; þen nyme crustys of whyte brede, & Raysonys & Canelle, an bray it wyl in a mortere, & temper it vppe wyth gode wyne; þen coloure it with Canelle, or a litil Safroun: þan boyle it, & caste in hol Clowys & Quybibes, & do þe Fysshe in a dysshe, & þan serue forth.

Interpretation

133. Rapeye - Take pike or tench, other fresh fish, & fry it in oil; then take crusts of white bread, and raisins and cinnamon, and grind it well in a mortar, and temper it up with good wine; then color it with cinnamon or a little saffron; then boil it, and caste in whole cloves, and cubebs and do the fish in a dish, and then serve forth.

Ingredients - Serves 1 as Main, 2 as side

1/4 pound fatty firm textured fish such as carp, perch, tench, bluefish or bass
1 tbsp. oil
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1 tbsp. raisins
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup wine
3 tbsp. fish broth
Pinch of saffron
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. cubebs

Instructions

Prepare and serve as above.

Sources

"Glossary.Html". Thousandeggs.Com, 2022, http://www.thousandeggs.com/glossary.html#C. Accessed 7 Oct 2022.

"Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books : Harleian MS. 279 (Ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (Ab. 1450), With Extracts From Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 / Edited By Thomas Austin". Quod.Lib.Umich.Edu, 2022, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/CookBk/1:6?rgn=div1;view=fulltext. Accessed 7 Oct 2022.

On Sallets - On Salads

Originally Published Oct 8, 2022

[Caveat- I did not translate the Salad's from Rumpolt. The translations belong to M. Grasse at the link found under sources.}

Click here to visit a digitized copy of  Marx Rumpolt's "Ein New Kochbuch"

SALLETS in general con∣sist of certain Esculent Plants and Herbs, improv'd by Culture, Industry, and Art of the Gard'ner: Or, as others say, they are a Composition of Edule Plants and Roots of several kinds, to be eaten Raw or Green, Blanch'd or Candied; simple, and per se, or intermingl'd with others according to the Season. The Boil'd, Bak'd, Pickl'd, or otherwise disguis'd, variously accommodated by the skilful Cooks, to render them grateful to the more feminine Palat, or Herbs rather for the Pot, &c. challenge not the name of Sallet so properly here, tho' sometimes mention'd; And therefore, Those who Criticize not so nicely upon the Word, seem to distinguish the*Olera (which were never eaten Raw) from Acetaria, which were never Boil'd; and so they derive the Etymology of Olus, from Olla, the Pot. (Acetaria a discourse of sallets)

Von allerley Kräuter Salat/ weiß und grün/ wie nachfolget

Of assorted herbal salads/ white and green/ as follows.

I. Endive salad with oil and vinegar prepared/ and with
salt.

2. White endive salad cut nicely small.

3. White head (lettuce or cabbage?) salad.

4. White head salad soaked (poached) in water/ and again cooled/
prepared with vinegar/ oil and salt/ white sugar/ that is crushed/
poured over/ is also good.

5. Green head salad that is half raw and half poached/ is in both ways good/ be it sweet or sour.

6. Green field salad (field greens) prepared / with pomegranate seed sprinkled/
is pretty and decorative.

7. Green salad/ that is small and young/ red beets cut small/ and tossed thereover/ when the salad is prepared/ and the red beets are cooked and cooled

8. Of a white head salad/ that is cut nicely small/ one part poached in cooked water/ and one part raw. And under the poached put capers.

9. Watercress salad/ created in a garden/ or grown near a running creek/ is not bad either.

10. Cooked onion salad/ or roasted (fried)/ make it sweet with a white sugar/ or with small black raisins.

11. Pimpernel Salat

12. White Rapunzel (Bot. Campanula Rapunculus. L.) Bellflower aka little turnip / the root poached/ and a part raw combined with the greens/ is in both ways good to prepare.

13. Round Rapunzzel (Bot. Campanula Rapunculus. L.) poached/ are also not bad to eat.

14. Hops salad/ that is poached.

15. Asparagus salad/ that is also poached/ and cut small/ or prepared whole/ is in both ways good. You can make it with Peabroth/ with a little butter/ pepper and vinegar/ served warm to the table.

16. Chicory root salad/ that is peeled nicely clean/ cut the pit from it/ poach it well/ but that you do not overcook it/ cool it/ make it sweet or sour/ so it is in both ways good.

17 Chicory greens salad/ that is green/ that is poached/ make it sweet or sour. If the greens are young. So one can serve it with vinegar/ oil and salt.

18. Large capers soaked and poached.

19. Small caper salad.

20. Peel the Cucumbers/ and cut them broad and thin/ season them with oil/ pepper and salt. But if they are salt-preserved/ they are also not bad/ are better than raw/ because one can salt it with Fennel and with caraway/ that both can be kept over one year. And near the Rhine-stream one calls it Cucummern

21. Take white beet stems/ peel and poach then in water/ prepare it with oil/ vinegar and salt.

22. Pale salad/ that is green and young/ poach it in water/ season it with vinegar/ oil and salt. And this salad one should not eat much of/ because it purges much.

23. Take hard boiled eggs/ serve them especially beside the salad/ sprinkle them with green parsley and salt/ and pour vinegar over.

24. Sour orange salad/ peel and cut them nicely thick/ sprinkle them with
white sugar.

25. Salad of pomegranate seeds/ sprinkle also with white
sugar.

26. Sorrell salad.

27. Take lemon salad/ cut it broad and thin/ and sprinkle it with
white sugar.

28. Nettle salad.

29. Red beet salad/ when they are cooked/ so cut them small/ long or diced/ season it with oil/ vinegar and salt/ may make it sweet or sour.

30. Artichoke with a pea broth/ good butter/ pepper/ salt/ and a little broth given to the table/ and crushed pepper on the side.

31. Artichoke cooked with beef broth/ and brought warm to the table.

32. Take endive stems/ serve them poached or raw/ cut nicely small.

33. Take a red head lettuce (red cabbage)/ cut it nicely small/ and poach it a little in
warm water/ then cool it quickly/ season it with vinegar and oil/ and when it soaks a while in the vinegar/ it gets nicely red.

34. Of the same greens the stems cut nicely small/ seasoned with vinegar and oil.

35. Take young pumpkin/ that are not large/ peel and cut them nicely long/ remove the seeds/ poach it a little/ cool it thereafter/ and season it with vinegar/ salt and oil.

36.Roman Wicken (Bot. Vicia sativa L.) (common Vetch, the seeds seem to be similar to red lentils, but may well be slightly toxic) and poach them well in their shells/ cool them/ and season them with vinegar/ salt and oil.

37. Take lemon/ chop it small/ season it with nice clean sugar/ that has been crushed/ sprinkle it with pomegranate seed/ that are nicely red/ so it is also delicate and good.

38. Curley salad/ that is nicely green.

39. Take sugar (sugar beet!)/ season it and scrape it/ so they turn white/ poach then
in water/ and cool/ season it with vineger/ oil and salt. You can also serve them
raw/ if they are clean and well peeled or scraped.

40. Salad of red leaf (red cabbage).

41. Take roman beans/ poach and cool them/ prepare them with oil/ vinegar and salt.

42. Take borage, parsley, pimpernel/ lemon balm and hyssop/ astragalus and tarragon/ so it is a combined salad of welltasting herbs/ with borage flowers tossed over/ it is pretty and decorative.

43. Take borage root/ scrape it/ and cut the core therefrom/ and dispose of it/ poach the remaining / and cool it/ season it with oil and salt/ so it is healthful and good.

44.Take radish / and cut it small/ broad and thin/ poach it in
water/ cool it / season it with oil/ vinegar and salt. You may sprinkle it with sugar or not.

45. Or take a radish/ cut in small and thin/ or fine diced/ season it with vinegar/ oil and salt/ so it is good too.

46. You can also arrange a salad in a bowl/ green white and red/ nicely made like a rose/ so it is decorative/ good and welltasting.

47. Kollis Fioris is a Spanish salad/ that one can prepare in all sorts of ways.

48. Take white salad/ that in Italian is called lettuce/ poach it in hot water/ cook it nicely clean/ and cook it with beef broth and fresh butter/ that is unmelted/ make it sweet or not.

49. Take white salad/ that has been poached/ grate a white loaf and parmesan cheese/ cut nutmeg thereunder. Take egg yolks and fresh butter/ that is unmelted/ cut beef marrow thereunder/ and put the salad thereunder/ and a little crushed ginger/ so it is wonderful and filling/ make a dough with egg whites/ work it well/ roll it nicely thin/ as a veil/ that it is translucent/ put the filling therein/ and take each a quarter of the lettuce/ wrap it in the dough with the filling/ and make krapffen (crullers) therefrom. Take a good beef broth and a little whole nutmeg-blossom (mace?)/ set over coals/ and let come to a simmer/ put the crullers one after the other therein/ and let simmer gently. So makes one Schlickrapffen of lettuce/ that are delicious to eat.

50.Take head (lettuce) salad/ cut it in quarters/ and poach it in water/ press it well (to remove water)/ and take a parmesan cheese/ that is well grated/ and grated bread/ mix it together/ and prepare it with egg yolks and fresh butter/ take also a little crushed ginger thereunder/ stir it all together/ and when you want to wrap it in dough/ so take the salad/ that you have quartered/ roll each quarter especially in the filling/ wrap it in the dough/ cook with a pea broth and butter. You may serve it dry/ or in the broth/ as you want to have it.

Source

"Acetaria A Discourse Of Sallets / By J. E. ...". Quod.Lib.Umich.Edu, 2022, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/B22628.0001.001/1:5?rgn=div1;view=fulltext;q1=salad. Accessed 8 Oct 2022.

"Rumpolt Salad". Web.Archive.Org, 2022, https://web.archive.org/web/20081002110840/http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_salad1.htm. Accessed 8 Oct 2022.

(German) Ein köstlich Marcipan von Quitten und Mandeln in hefftigem Durchlauff von schwachem Magen - A delicious marcipan of quince and almonds in a strong flow on a weak stomach

 Originally published on Patreon Oct 10, 2022

In Anna Wecker’s Köstlich New Kochbuch (1598), this recipe for marzipan made with quince sounds divine, and so it had to be tested. My previous recipe for Marzipan flavored with coriander from A Daily Exercise for Ladies and Gentlewomen, 1621, previously served at a Baronial 12th Night was well received. I had hoped that this would be no different and was eager to try it out.

What is Marzipan?

Marzipan is a confection made from almond paste, egg whites, and sugar. It is one of many dishes known as "banqueting dishes".

What is a Marchpane?

Marchpanes are baked marzipans that can be served with icing and decorated.

What was the banquet?

Similar to desserts that we enjoy today, the "Banquet" began simply as wafers and wines served in a separate room at the end of the meal when guests withdrew from the table. Eventually, this humble course became what we now know as the Banquet, a series of elaborate dishes consisting of pastries, sugar-coated spices, marmalades, fruit preserved in syrup, etc.

What was included in "the Banquet" ?

Thomas Dawson gives a comprehensive list of items in his book "The good husvvifes ievvell" published in 1596

THE NAMES OF ALL thinges necessary for a banquet. 1596
Suger. Pepper. Saffron. Anniseedes. Cinamon. Nutmegs. Saunders. Coliander. Licoras. All kinde of Cumfets. Orenges. Pomegranet. Torneseli. Prunes. Currans. Barberies conserued. Peper white and browne seedes. Lemmons. Rosewater. Raisins. Rie flowre. Ginger. Cloues and Mace. Damaske. water. Dates. Cherries conserued. Sweete Orenges. Wafers. For your Marchpanes seasoned and vnseasoned, Spinndges.

Original Recipe

Translation   

Ein köstlich Marcipan von Quitten und Mandeln in hefftigem Durchlauff von schwachem Magen

A delicious marcipan with quinces and almonds for strong diarrhea and weak stomachs Take nice quinces and steam them with quince juice in a tightly closed pot, or if you do it right they can produce the broth themselves (i.e. can be cooked without adding liquid). When they are nicely soft, remove their skin and take the best of their marrow or flesh so that no stone is added to it. Then take finely ground almonds and clean, bolted sugar as much as there are quinces and almonds. Take the half part of this and boil it into a syrup with rosewater or cinnamon water. Add the flesh of the quinces to this and let it dry or roast in a brass pan together. Then stir it well in a dish and the almonds with it, then place it on a clean table, work in the remaining sugar, and when it is like a gingerbread dough (ein teig zu Lebkuchen), shape it as you like, press in moulds, dry it in a baking oven or a stove (roehrofen). The same way, you may make pears or various kinds from pure quince flesh, or make krapfen (filled fried pastries) of this stuff, but do not work it so it becomes too stiff, leave it nicely soft. You can also fill wafers with it (for fritters).

Let the experimentation begin! 

I am trying a new method for cooking my quinces. I cut three quinces in half and placed them into a crockpot with enough apple juice to cover the bottom of the fruit (about 2 ounces). This method will take a few days, but the results I promise you, are worth it!

Set the crockpot on low and allow the quince to cook for several hours. The idea to cook the quince in a crockpot came from a blog post I had found from well-fed, flat broke "crock pot membrillo".

NOTE: I did not add sugar at this point because I want to follow the recipe as exactly as possible and I am not making quince paste.

A short while later...

The quinces smelled very good and were starting to soften but all of the apple juice has been absorbed or cooked off :-/. I added more juice, enough to come about halfway up the fruit, and continued cooking overnight.

DAY 2

Pictured above are the lovely cooked quinces. They cooked in the slow cooker for about six hours. Aren't they beautiful? Heavy, glossy, and starting to break down!? Exactly what you want to see at this point.

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I must have done it right because the pot was full of "juice".

The next step is to remove the skin, seeds, and cores, blitz them to a pulp in the blender and then return the fruit to the crock pot and continue to cook it until it reaches the color you wish. I love a deep garnet-colored paste.

Also, a small correction. I used fresh pressed cloudy apple juice that may sometimes be referred to as apple cider. It is the only juice I drink or use and I don't think a clear juice would have worked as well.

A Delicious Marcipan (Marzipan) with Quinces and Almonds

Ingredients

3 tbsp. cooked quince pulp

3/4 cup + almond flour **

9 tbps. + confectioner sugar **

NOTE: I did not have access to rosewater, but, had I access it, I would have added a tsp or two. Also, the next time I make the fruit, I will be adding cinnamon to it rather than cinnamon oil.

Mix all ingredients together until you get a dough that is similar to medieval gingerbread. Mix two tbsp. almond flour with 1-2 tbsp. confectioner sugar and sprinkle it on your countertop. Roll to approximately 1/4" and cut into shapes. Allow the marzipan to dry in a very low oven.

**Amount may vary depending on how "wet" the quince pulp is. You want to create a dough the consistency of play dough.

Thoughts

It is a lovely taste! You taste the quince, then the almonds, and towards the end of the bite, the flavors mix together and it tastes -almost- like cherries.

This was very easy to make, although it did require a lot of time. I believe I will be cooking my quinces in the crockpot instead of the stovetop in the future. The lower the heat and the longer it cooks the redder it gets.

Additionally - this stores very well in an airtight container. You can also freeze it by wrapping it in parchment paper and then sealing it in a ziplock bag which has had all the air squeezed from it. This made a huge batch of Marzipan. It is almost a year later, and I have the better part of a pound left because I'm stingy with it!  

Sources

"Crock Pot Membrillo (Quince Paste).". Well Fed, Flat Broke, 2015, https://wellfedflatbroke.com/2015/09/14/membrillo/. Accessed 10 Oct 2022.

Culina-Vetus.De, 2022, https://www.culina-vetus.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Recipes-from-Anna-Wecker-1598.pdf. Accessed 10 Oct 2022.

"Early English Books Online". Quod.Lib.Umich.Edu, 2022, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A19957.0001.001?type=simple&rgn=full+text&q1=banquet&submit=Go. Accessed 10 Oct 2022.

"'Ein Köstlich New Kochbuch Von Allerhand Speisen, An Gemüsen, Obs, Fleisch, Geflügel, Wildpret, Fischen Vnnd Gebachens : Nicht Allein Vor Gesunde: Sondern Auch Vnd Fürnemlich Vor Krancke, In Allerley Kranckheiten Und Gebresten ...' - Digitalisat | MDZ". Digitale-Sammlungen.De, 2022, https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb11111117?page=60,61. Accessed 10 Oct 2022.

(German) Weltt jr gútt prattwirst machen - If you would make good bratwurst

 Originally Published  Oct 25, 2022

Das Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin, 1553

sausage (n.)article of food consisting of chopped or minced meat, seasoned and stuffed into the cleaned gut of an ox, sheep, or pig, and tied at regular intervals, mid-15c., sawsyge, sausige, from Old North French saussiche (Old French saussice, Modern French saucisse), from Vulgar Latin *salsica "sausage," from salsicus "seasoned with salt," from Latin salsus "salted," from past participle of Old Latin sallere "to salt," from sal (genitive salis) "salt" (from PIE root *sal- "salt").

This is another recipe that needs to be given proper attribution, it belongs to the Lady Aveline Grene, and it can be found at her website "Grene Boke: The Commonplace Boke of Aveline Grene".

I did make several changes to her recipe, the first being that I did not use liquid smoke. I smoked these with the smoked pork. Secondly, I did not use sausage casings. Instead, I used the saran wrap & simmer method that I use when I plan on serving sausages cold.

It is believe that it's origin came about as a way to preserve food in a convenient package. The first mention of sausage as a food can be traced to 'The Orya", a play performed in Ancient Greece that was written about 500 BC.

Sausages were also a favored food of the Romans, with three recipes found in Apicius’s De re coquinaria; botellus, blood sausage that includes egg yolks, lucanica, sausage made with pork, pork fat, pinenuts and spices, and lastly farcmina, a generic term meaning "to stuff".

Original Recipe

Weltt jr gútt prattwirst machen

So nempt 4 pfúnd schweinis vnnd 4 pfúnd rinderis, das

last klainhacken, nempt darnach 2 pfúnd speck darúnder

vnnd hackts anainander vnnd vngeferlich 3 seidlen wasser

giest daran, thiet aúch saltz, pfeffer daran, wie jrs geren est,

oder wan jr geren kreúter darin megt haben/ múgt jr nemen

ain wenig ain salua vnnd ain wenig maseron, so habt jr gút

brattwirst/.

Interpretation

If you would make good bratwurst

Take four pounds of pork and four pounds of beef and chop it finely. After that mix with it two pounds of bacon and chop it together and pour approximately one quart of water on it. Also add salt and pepper thereto, however you like to eat it, or if you would like to have some good herbs, you could take some sage and some marjoram, then you have good bratwurst.

Ingredients

1 pound (fatty) pork

1/2 pound (fatty) beef

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4-1/2 tsp crushed caraway seed

1/2 tsp liquid smoke*

1/2-3/4 c water

sausage casing

Instructions

Grind pork and beef and mix together until uniform. Add the remaining ingredients and enough water to make the meat easy to stuff into your sausage casing. Cook in whatever manner you wish (baking, grilling, frying, boiling).

Sources

Coquinaria.Nl, 2022, https://coquinaria.nl/en/lucanian-sausages/. Accessed 17 Oct 2022.

"Das Kochbuch Der Sabina Welserin (C. 1553)". Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 2022, https://www.uni-giessen.de/fbz/fb05/germanistik/absprache/sprachverwendung/gloning/tx/sawe.htm. Accessed 17 Oct 2022.

"Sausage | Etymology, Origin And Meaning Of Sausage By Etymonline". Etymonline.Com, 2022, https://www.etymonline.com/word/sausage. Accessed 17 Oct 2022.