Comfits and Candies - Finnocchio dolce verde- Sweet Green Fennel (Candied Fennel Stalks)

 

Plates of Candies and Comfits waiting to be served 

Domenico Romoli's "La Singolare Dottrina," published in 1560, is a comprehensive guide for cooks and maîtres d'hôtel, offering insights into the selection, preparation, and service of various foods and wines. In its fourth book, Romoli presents detailed menus for each month, including the "Banquet of January." This banquet showcases a variety of dishes suitable for the winter season, reflecting the culinary traditions of 16th-century Italy.

Sweet Green Fennel from Domenico Romoli's Banquet of January

Domenico Romoli's La Singolare Dottrina (1560) offers a fascinating glimpse into Renaissance cuisine for those who love diving into historical recipes. This culinary guide, written by Romoli—nicknamed Panunto—details elaborate feasts for every month of the year. Among the dishes featured in the Banquet of the Month of January is Finnocchio Dolce Verde, or Sweet Green Fennel, a unique Renaissance treat that transforms humble fennel stalks into candied delights.

A Taste of 16th-Century Italy

Fennel was a staple in Italian Renaissance kitchens, prized for its digestive properties and aromatic qualities. This particular preparation, which candies the fennel stalks in sugar syrup, reflects the era's fascination with preserving flavors and enhancing natural sweetness. The result is a delicately flavored confection, perfect for pairing with cheeses and wine or simply enjoying as a sweet snack.

The Recipe: Sweet Green Fennel (Candied Fennel Stalks)

Yield: About 3/4 cup candied fennel and 1 cup syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 5 to 6 ounces of fennel stalks, cut on the diagonal into thin sticks (about 1 1/2 cups)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
2. Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Candy the fennel: Add the sliced fennel stalks to the syrup and reduce heat to medium. Cook until the fennel stalks become translucent.
4. Strain and bake: Strain the fennel stalks, reserving the syrup for future use (it's great for cocktails or drizzling over desserts). Spread the syrup-coated fennel slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Dry the fennel: Bake for about 30 minutes, then separate any sticking slices. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the fennel is dry yet slightly sticky.
6. Cool and serve: Allow the fennel to cool completely before serving or storing.
7. 
   

Bringing History to Your Table

The candied fennel from Romoli's Banquet of January offers a glimpse into the refined tastes of Renaissance Italy. Its delicate sweetness and herbal notes make it a versatile addition to modern dishes—try it as a garnish for cheese boards, an elegant topping for desserts, or even infused into a winter tea.

By recreating historical recipes like this one, we can appreciate how Renaissance chefs balanced sweetness, texture, and aromatic flavors. Next time you're in the kitchen, why not step back and savor the flavors of a 16th-century banquet?

Recreating a German Sausage from 1588 - Zervelat (Cervelat)

 Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin , T. Gloning (transcr.)

Wie man zerwúlawirstlach machen soll - Zervelat 

I cannot take credit for this recipe. The zervelat recipe is from a website called "The Commonplace Book of Lady Avelyn Grene". The lady herself is an excellent person and I'm so grateful that she is my friend. Please do take a moment to visit her website (linked above) and marvel at her talents.

Original Recipe

Wie man zerwúlawirstlach machen soll

Erstlich nempt 4 pfúnd schweinflesch vom zepfflin/ vnnd

2 pfúnd speck, das last klainhacken vnnd thiet 6 lott saltz

darain/ ain pfúnd geriben kesß, .3. lott pffeffer, 3 lott jmber,

wen es gehackt jst, so knetten das als darein, rerlach 3 lott,

ain 1/2 lott negellach, ain halb lott múscatnúsß, zwaý lott

zúcker, die derm músß man saúbermachen vnd nachmals

gilben, darf man nit gar ain 1/2 lott saffera, man músß sý binden

aúff baiden seitten, aúch vnngeferlich ain qúertlin frisch

wasser darangiessen, man músß aúch das saltz, jmber, pfeffer

nit gar darainthon, soll es vor versúchen vnnd darnach machen,

man soll sý sieden vnngefarlich als 2 air, das gewirtz

vnnd saltz músß man dareinton nach aines gúten gedoncken,

man músß zuúor versúchen.

Translation

24 How one should make Zervelat. First take four pounds of pork from the tender area of the leg and two pounds of bacon. Let this be finely chopped and add to it three ounces of salt, one pound of grated cheese, one and one half ounces of pepper and one and one half ounces of ginger. When it is chopped then knead the following into it, one and one half ounces cinnamon, one fourth ounce of cloves, one fourth ounce of nutmeg and one ounce of sugar. The sausage skins must be cleaned and subsequently colored yellow, for which one needs not quite one fourth ounce of saffron. Tie it up on both ends and pour in approximately one quart of fresh water. The entire amount of salt, ginger and pepper should not be added, taste it first and season it accordingly. It should be cooked about as long as to cook eggs. The seasoning and the salt must be put into it according to one's own discretion, it must be tried first.

Ingredients

1 lb. pork, ground

1/2 lb bacon, ground

4 oz grated cheese (I used butterkasse)

1 1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground clove

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Water

Instructions

1. Mix together the meat and spices, adding water until it becomes sticky.

2. Stuff your mixture into a casing of your choice. Since I serve most of my sausages at room temperature, I use saran wrap.

3. Simmer your sausage until it will hold its shape and is mostly cooked if you want to create the yellow color that you see in the picture on its skin.

4. Remove the sausage from the water, add a very generous pinch of saffron to the water and allow the saffron to steep while the sausage cools till it is cool enough to handle.

5. Remove the wrap from the sausage. Place the sausage in the saffron water and slowly bring to a simmer, allow the sausage to finish cooking. The saffron water will dye the "skin". The longer the sausage remains in the saffron water the yellower it will get.

Please Note: Boiling water will make the plastic melty -- do not boil.

For more information on where I came across this method of making sausage, please watch the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtKXCY0HudA

Sources

"Greneboke". Greneboke.Com, 2022, http://greneboke.com/recipes/zervelat.html. Accessed 14 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 14 Oct 2022.