Ceilidh XIV
February 24, 2001
VA Medical Center
Feast Menu--A Fourtenth Century Italian feast by Browyn nf
Mhaithon
*Many of my redactions for this feast have been lost to time.
Those I have remembered I have placed here. The recipes that are offered
must be attributed directly to the books from which they were first found.
First Remove
Torta d'agli-Garlic torta(boiled garlic, farmers and cream
cheese, baked in a pastry shell)
Une Vinaigrette-A Vinegar Dish (grilled beef and onions, serves
with a sauce of beef broth, red wine vinegar, ginger and pepper)
Fungi di Monte-Mountain Mushrooms (mushrooms cooked with olive
oil, and spices)
Second Remove
Del Brodo Saracenico--Saracen Chicken (Chicken cooked with white
wine, almonds, dates, prunes, raisins, fresh apples and pears)
Cretonniee de pois--peas cooked in almond milk
De Lasanis--Lasagne (noodles made from fermented dough, boiled,
and served with pepper and cheese)
Third Remove
Cormarye--Cormary (Roast pork cooked with red wine, garlic,
coriander, caraway and pepper)
Fava fresche con brodo de carne--Fresh fava beans with parsley
and mint
De la insaleggiata di cipolle--Roast Onion Salad
Dessert
Dirola--Darioles (a yellow custard tart, flavored with cinnamon
and rosewater topped with candied orange peel)
Torta Bianca--White Tart (a white tart flavored with cream
cheese and ginger, topped with candied cherries)
Torta D’agli -
For the crust:
1 ¾ cups flour (mixture of stone ground white and wheat)
9 Tbs. butter/lard mix
Water
Pinch of salt
Add butter/lard mix to the flour and mix until it resembles fine
grained sand. Add the salt to the water and stir to dissolve.
Slowly combine water to flour until it forms a stiff paste- do not
overwork. Form into a ball and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.
For the filling:
Water
5 heads (yes the whole head) of garlic
½ pound pork belly, or bacon
6 ounces farmers (cottage) cheese-whole milk
5 ounces cream cheese
3 eggs
Handful of raisins (optional)
Pinch of saffron
Spice Blend
1/3 tsp. each ground cloves, nutmeg and ginger
1 tsp. each cinnamon and pepper
Peel garlic and add to a pot. Cover with water and bring to
boil, boil over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until tender.
Drain the garlic and shock in cold water. Drain.
Grind together pork or bacon with garlic in a food processor or
crush with a pestle and mortar.
Blend together cream cheese and farmer’s cheese, then add the
garlic and pork mixture along with saffron, raisons, and eggs.
Flavor with salt and spice blend to taste.
Roll out 2/3 of pastry and line a 9” deep pie tin. Add the
filling and seal with remaining pastry. Bake in a 400 degree oven for
approximately 45 minutes to an hour.
Une Vinaigrette- (Scully,
1998)
Sauce
1 ½ cups red wine
1 cup beef broth
2 slices white bread, toasted and ground into crumbs (I used manchet
bread I had baked)
2 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. grains of paradise (I used allspice)
¼ tsp. pepper
Pinch of saffron (optional)
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
To make the sauce combine beef broth and wine and heat over
medium heat in a saucepan. Add breadcrumbs and whisk together until it
begins to thicken and sauce becomes smooth. Add remaining spices and wine
vinegar and simmer for several more minutes.
Note: It is important to strain the sauce before you serve
it. Once strained sauce can be set aside.
Meat:
1 ½ and 2 pounds beef or lamb cut into chunks
4 medium onions sliced
2-3 Tbsp. oil, butter or lard
Broil the meat in oven (I grilled it) until it is cooked
through. Do not overcook. Slice and chop the onions and sauté in the fat
until golden. Add meat to onions and cook. Alternately, if you are
grilling, you can grill the onions with the meat.
Add meat and onions to the sauce mixture and heat thoroughly
before serving. Alternatively, you can serve the meat and onions
separately (it is suggested with rice or pasta) and leave the sauce on the side
for dipping.
I served the meat with the sauce without benefit of rice or
pasta and it was well received.
Fungi di Monte - (Redon,
1998)
1 pound wild or cultivated mushrooms
1 small onion chopped
Olive oil
1 pinch each pepper, ginger and nutmeg
2 pinches ground coriander
Salt to taste
Trim and clean the mushrooms. Cook in boiling water for
about ten minutes and then drain thoroughly. Sweat the onion in olive oil
until soft and golden. Add the mushrooms to the onions and sauté. When
mushrooms start to brown, season with salt and spices. Serve when golden
brown.
Del Brodo Saracenico - (Redon,
1998)
1 capon or chicken
1/3 cup blanched almonds
1/3 cup raisins
Handful of dates and prunes cut in half
2 slices of bread (I used manchet, sourdough would work too)
1 cup white wine
Juice of 1 or 2 lemons
Juice of 1 orange
1 ounce salt pork fatback or bacon cut into 1/8 dice
1 apple and pear peeled, cored and chopped
Salt to taste
Spice Blend
¼ tsp. each nutmeg and black pepper
1 pinch of ginger and cloves
Salt the capon or chicken and roast it until brown. Try
not to overcook or it may fall apart when you simmer it. Toast the bread
and mix it with the juice of the orange, lemon and wine. When the chicken is
done, carve it into serving pieces and set aside. Pour the juice and wine
mixture into a large saucepan or casserole dish and add the chicken, spice mix,
fresh and dried fruit, almonds and bacon or salt fatback pork. Bring to a
boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Check for seasoning and serve.
Cretonniee de pois - (Redon,
1998)
12 ounces split peas
2 cups milk (I subbed almond milk)
3 egg yolks
½ tsp. ground ginger
Pinch of saffron (optional)
1 cup leftover cooked chicken (preferably dark meat), veal or
chicken livers cubed (I did not use)
1 tbsp. lard
Carefully wash the split peas, taking care to remove any stones
and leave them to soak in cold water for an hour. Cook the peas in 2 quarts of
lightly salted water until they are soft and can be crushed with light pressure.
Bring milk (or almond milk) to boil and add ginger and
saffron. Remove from heat. In a small bowl beat the egg yolks with
a whisk and pour them through a strainer into another bowl large enough to hold
the milk. Slowly pour the hot milk into the beaten yolks, whisking
constantly.
In a heavy skillet heat the lard over medium-high heat and add
the cubes of cooked meat, sauté until crisp and brown.
Reheat the peas over low heat, stirring to prevent them from
burning and slowly stir in the yolk mixture and heat till slightly thickened.
At this point do not allow the soup to boil. Check for salt. Garnish with
meat before serving. Or – serve the soup with the meat on the side and
allow guests to add to taste.
De Lasanis - (Redon,
1998)
Dough
3 cups flour (semolina, or 50/50 mix stoneground white and wheat)
1 cup warm water
1 ½ tsp. salt and yeast
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Black pepper to taste
Spice Blend:
½ tsp each cardamom, nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon & pepper
Dissolve yeast in water and let proof for 10 minutes. Mix
flour and salt and add the yeast mixture to it. Form into a pliable dough
that is elastic and not stiff. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise
at least an hour.
Towards the end of the rising time you will want to put a kettle
of water to boil, salt it as you would for any pasta.
Punch down dough and then knead it back into a ball. Divide ball
in half and roll it to an even thickness of about 1/16 of an inch. The dough is
very sticky so be sure to flour your surfaces well. Cut your dough into 2
inch squares and drop them into the boiling water. They will rise to the
surface when cooked.
Remove the cooked noodles from the water and place in a
pre-heated baking dish. You will need to layer the noodles with the cheese and
spices. On the last layer, sprinkle generously with cheese and
spices. Serve immediately.
Cormarye – (Redon,
1998)
2-3 pound pork loin, or bone in pork
1 cup good red wine
½ cup broth (I use 50/50 chicken & beef mix)
4 large cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tsp. ground caraway seeds
1/3 tsp. ground pepper
Salt to taste
Make a marinade with wine, garlic, coriander, caraway and
pepper. Tie the roast (if necessary) and pierce it all over with salt.
Place the roast in the marinade, turning to coat all over. Marinate for a
few hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and roast the pork for about 90
minutes, basting frequently. When it is done, remove the roast from the
pan and let it rest in a warm place. To make the sauce, bring pan juices
to a boil and add broth, taste for seasoning and serve on side with the meat.
Fava fresche con brodo de carne - (Redon,
1998)
2 cups beef or chicken broth, or 50/50 mix of both
4 ½ pounds fresh fava beans
4 ounces salt pork belly or pancetta
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley and mint
Shell fava beans and plunge them into boiling water for 5
seconds or so. Drain them and refresh in cold water. Using a paring
knife remove the tough outer skin of each bean. Cut the pork into tiny dice and
add the broth, beans and pork to a saucepan or casserole, bring to boil and
cook for approximately 10 minutes or until they begin to break apart. Add
parsley and mint and return to the boil and cook for a few moments. Add
salt to taste and serve.
De la insaleggiata di cipolle - (Redon,
1998)
2 pounds sweet onions
Olive oil
Wine vinegar
Scant ½ tsp. spice blend*
Salt and pepper to taste
You can bake your onions in the fire if it is hot by placing
them in the embers. If not, wrap them in foil and roast them in a 500
degree oven for about an hour.
Remove the onions from the oven and unwrap them, the
skin should be blackened and the flesh will be caramelized. When the onions are
cool enough not to burn you, slip them from their skin and cut them into very
thin slices with a sharp knife.
Works Cited
Put the onions into a salad bowl, season with salt, pepper and
spice mixture. Add olive oil an vinegar to taste, mix and serve.
Spice Blend
2 tbsp. fresh ground black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger
1 ½ tbsp. saffron crushed to a fine powder in a mortar
¾ tsp. cloves
Dirola--Darioles - (Redon,
1998)
For the crust:
1 ¾ cups flour (mixture of stone ground white and wheat)
9 Tbs. butter/lard mix
Water
Pinch of salt
Add butter/lard mix to the flour and mix until it resembles fine
grained sand. Add the salt to the water and stir to dissolve.
Slowly combine water to flour until it forms a stiff paste- do not
overwork. Form into a ball and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.
Roll out the pastry and line a 9” pie or tart pan at least 2”
deep. Line it with aluminum foil and fill with beans or pie
weights. Bake for about 15 minutes, remove the weights and the foil and
return to the oven for about 5 more minutes.
For the filling
3 cups milk
6 egg yolks
1/12 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2-3 tbsp. rosewater
Candied orange peel to garnish
Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon and salt until smooth
and glossy and then slowly beat in the milk. Pour the egg mixture into
the partly baked shell, return to the oven, and bake in a 350 degree oven for
an hour or until set but still soft enough to quiver slightly when moved.
If top is browning to quickly, cover it with aluminum foil.
When done, remove from oven, sprinkle with rosewater and garnish
with candied orange peel.
Torta Bianca - (Redon,
1998)
For the crust:
1 ¾ cups flour (mixture of stone ground white and wheat)
9 Tbs. butter/lard mix
Water
Pinch of salt
Add butter/lard mix to the flour and mix until it resembles fine
grained sand. Add the salt to the water and stir to dissolve.
Slowly combine water to flour until it forms a stiff paste- do not
overwork. Form into a ball and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.
Roll out the pastry and line a 9” pie or tart pan at least 2”
deep. Line it with aluminum foil and fill with beans or pie
weights. Bake for about 15 minutes, remove the weights and the foil and
return to the oven for about 5 more minutes.
For the filling
10 ounces softened cream cheese
6 egg whites
Scant 2/3 cup sugar
9 tbsp. softened butter
1 cup milk
Mix together cream cheese, sugar, binger, salt and butter.
Whip egg whites enough to break them apart and pour into the cream cheese mixture.
Beat in some milk until the mixture has the consistency of a thick cream.
Pour the filling into the partially baked pie crust and bake for one hour in a
375 degree oven. Monitor carefully – the crust must be thoroughly baked but it
must be light colored.
For the topping:
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. rose water
Candied cherries to garnish
When tart has been cooked, sprinkle with sugar and rosewater and
garnish with the cherries
Works Cited
Redon, O. F. (1998). The
Medieval Kitchen; Recipes from France and Italy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Scully, E. D. (1998). Early
French Cookery; Sources, History, Original Recipes and Modern Adaptations. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan
Press.
#medievalfood #scafeast #scacook #historicfood
