Harleain MS 279 (ab. 1430) - xlviij. Tayloures & Cxiiij. Tayleȝ - Rice Porridge with Currants & Dates or Figs, Dates and Raisins + Bonus Recipes for Poudre Douce (Sweet Powder)

Tayleȝ with Spiced Apples and Walnuts

I was very eager to try out this recipe 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 by Thomas Austin" for Tayloures, which is another pottage based on the almond milk and rice flour base.  Previously published interpretations which contain this base include; Cxxxvj. A potage of Roysons (Rice Porridge with Apples and Raisins), .Ixxxv. Gaylede (Rice Porridge with Figs & Honey), .Cxxv. Vyolette - Violet. and .lxviij. Bruet of Almaynne in lente (Rice Porridge with Dates). 

The taste testers and I had an interesting conversation about where in a feast you would find dishes like these served.  The consensus is that for the modern day pallet you serve them at breakfast--barring that, they should most likely be served either as a sweet side dish as part of a course, or at the end of the meal for a warm pudding. I believe in period these dishes would have been served in first course for dietetic reasons.  

I have combined two similar sets of instructions into this post which was first published in 2017.  The second dish, Tayley (Taylez) differs from the first only in the fruits used, and the addition of vinegar and honey added to the dish.  I chose to make the sauce seperately, adding the dates and the raisins to it.  You will note that the sauce appears very dark.  I was gifted autumn honey from a friend, and this particular honey is very dark and flavorful. 

These two dishes do not disappoint. They differ differs from the other pottages with the use of the wine, the fruits used and the spicing. Some things to note; the interchange of bread with rice as a thickener in the first recipe, and the usage of honey versus sugar in the second.  This led to a discussion on the preogative of the cook; Is it ok to follow the example of these recipes and add additional spices or exchange out the thickeners used when reconstructing recipes in period?  We concluded that what we were using today was a set of instructions most likely written by someone watching the cook prepare the food, and listening to what the cook said, but who may have only seen it prepared the one time.  Therefore, it is likely that just as modern day cooks will substitute one item for another, the medieval cook most likely did the same. In a situation where using a wheat based thickener is not idea, the use of eggs or rice would be appropriate.  Likewise for the use of seasoning or other items.  We also noted that in this particular manuscript several sets of instructions (like these two) may differ by one or two items, for example the addition of wine, the protein used, or  in this case the fruit and spicing differ. 

The last bit of discussion we had, while finishing off our "brunch" was the feasibility of creating dishes like this for camping events, specifically for a camp breakfast. It was noted that with the exception of almond milk, all of the ingredients are dried and easily portable.  It would be quite feasible to make almond milk on site, eliminating the need to keep a dairy product that would easily spoil around.  Further, it was noted that the cereal itself continued to thicken as it cooled.  Had there been *any* left over, I would have liked to have know if it would be possible to cool it, slice it and fry it up similar to mush.  With the ingredients used, refridgeration would not be a requirement right away.  

What would you do with the almond meal once the milk was made? With a can of pie filling, or fresh fruit of your choice, you could make a quick crumbly topping for a camp pie.  Simply mix 1/4 cup of the (used) almond flour with 1 cup dry oats, a teaspoon or more of your spices, up to a1/4 cup honey and add the juice of half an orange. Yum! Breakfast and desert done with creative use of portable items that do not require a cooler ;-)

xlviij. Tayloures. — Take a gode mylke of Almaundys y-draw with Wyne an Water, an caste hym in-to a potte, and caste gret Roysouns of corauns, Also mencyd Datys, Clowes, Maces, Pouder Pepir, Canel, Safroun, & a gode dele Salt, & let boyle a whyle; þan take it and ly*. [Lye; allay.] it wyth Flowre of Rys, or ellys with Brede y-gratyd, & caste þer-to Sugre, & serue forth lyke Mortrewys, & caste pouder of Gyngere a-boue y-now.

48. Taylours - Take good milk of almonds drawn with wine and water, and caste them in a pot, and caste great raisins of corauns (currents). Also minced dates, cloves, maces, powder pepper, cinnamon, saffron and a good deal of salt, and let boil awhile; Than take it and lie it with flour of rice, or else with bread grated and caste there-to sugar, and serve forth like mortrews, and cast powder of ginger above enough.

Interpreted Recipe

3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup wine (I used red wine)
1 tbsp currants (or raisins)
2 dates chopped as small as currants (or raisins)
2 cloves
1/8 tsp. each mace, pepper, cinnamon (or to taste)
pinch of saffron
salt to taste
2-3 tbsp. rice flour or bread crumbs
1 tbsp or to taste sugar (or to taste)
Pinch of ginger

I used commercially prepared almond milk and added white wine to it because I wanted to keep the pottage as white as possible.  I much prefer the taste of homemade almond milk to the commercially prepared almond, and a easy recipe using almond flour can be found here: Quick Homemade Almond Milk. I heated the almond milk with the currants and the raisins and added the spices, a pinch of saffron and sugar to it.  Once it had obtained the color I wanted, I added the rice flour and stirred till it was thick.  Before serving I sprinkled the dish with a pinch of ginger and a pinch of currants.

.Cxiiij. Tayleȝ.—Take a chargeaunt Mylke of Almaundys, an draw with wyne caste in to þe potte [deleted in MS]; take Fygys & Roysonys a gode porcyon, to make it chargeaunt, waysshe hem clene, & caste hem on a morter, grynd hem as small as þou myȝt, temper hem vppe with þin*. [Thine. ] Mylke, draw hem þorw a straynoure, also chargeauntly as þou myȝth; caste it in a clene potte, do it to þe fyre; take Datys y-taylid a-long, & do þer-to; take Flowre of Rys, & draw it þorw a straynoure, and caste þer-to, & lat it boyle tylle it be chargeaunt; sette it on þe fyre; take pouder Gyngere & Canelle, Galyngale; temper with Vynegre, & caste þer-to Sugre, or hony; caste þer-to, sesyn it vppe with Salt, & serue forth.

114. Tayles - Take thick milk of almonds, and draw with wine, caste in to the pot; take figs & raisins a good portion, to make it thick, wash them clean and caste them on a morter, grind them as small as you might, temper them up with your milk, draw them through a strainer, also thick as you might; cast it in a clean pot, do it to the fire; take dates, sliced long, and do there-to; take flour of rice, and draw it through a strainer, and caste there-to, and let it boil till it be thick; set it on the fire; take powder ginger and cinnamon, galingale; temper with vinegar, and caste there-to sugar or honey; cast there-to, season it up with salt, and serve forth. 

Interpreted Recipe

3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup wine 
2 figs

1 tbsp raisins
2 dates sliced long ways

2-3 tbsp. rice flour

1/2 to 1 tsp. powder douce 
1 tbsp. vinegar (I used Apple Cider)

2 tbsp. honey
salt to taste

Prepare as above.  You can serve the spiced syrup separate, or add it to the cereal mixture.  In the picture I made the wine and honey mixtures a syrup and poured over the top.  

Both of these dishes had very balanced flavors, while similar in ingredients and preperation each was different from the other.  

Similar Recipes

Le Viandier de Taillevent (France, ca. 1380 - James Prescott, trans.)

Lenten slices. Take peeled almonds, crush very well in a mortar, steep in water boiled and cooled to lukewarm, strain through cheesecloth, and boil your almondmilk on a few coals for an instant or two. Take some cooked hot water pastries a day or two old and cut them into bits as small as large dice. Take figs, dates and Digne raisins, and slice the figs and dates like the hot water pastries. Throw everything into it, leave it to thicken like Frumenty, and boil some sugar with it. To give it colour, have some saffron for colouring it like Frumenty. It should be gently salted.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (England, 1460)

Tayle. Take a lytyll milke of almonds drawyn up with wyn & do hit in a pott do ther to figes reysens & datys cut and sygure & good pondys boyle hit up colour hit with safron & messe hit forth.

Recipes from the Wagstaff Miscellany (Beinecke MS 163) (England, 1460)

Tayle. Take a lytyll milke of almonds drawyn up with wyn & do hit in a pott do ther to figes reysens & datys cut and sygure & good pondys boyle hit up colour hit with safron & messe hit forth.

Bonus Recipe (s) 

DUKE'S POWDER - POLVORA DE DUQUE - Libre del Coch, 1529 

Half an ounce of cinnamon, one eighth of cloves, and for the lords cast in nothing but cinnamon, and a pound of sugar; if you wish to make it sharp in flavor and [good] for afflictions of the stomach, cast in a little ginger.

And the weights of the spices in the apothecary shops are in this manner: one pound is twelve ounces, one ounce, eight drachms; one drachm, three scruples; another way that you can more clearly understand this: a drachm weighs three dineros, a scruple is the weight of one dinero, and a scruple is twenty grains of wheat.

ANOTHER POWDER OF THE DUKE -  DE ALTRA POLVORA DE DUCH 

The Libre del Coch has a second recipe for this spice mix, De altra polvora de duch, which contains 2 oz. ginger, 1/2 drachm galingale, 1 oz. cinnamon, 1 oz. long pepper, 1 oz. grains of paradise, 1 oz. nutmeg, 1/4 oz. fine sugar. 

The Libre de Sent Sovi gives yet another recipe: 1 pound sugar; 1/2 oz. cinnamon; 3/4 oz. ginger; 1/4 oz. total of cloves, nutmeg, galingale, and cardamon.

Duke's Powder

Cinnamon half an ounce --1 tbsp.
Cloves half a quarter (1/8th of an ounce) --3/4 tsp.
Sugar a pound -- (based on the 12 ounce pound) 1 1/2 cups
Ginger - a little --1 tbsp.

This mixture of spices, while not completely white, yields a very light tan powder. This is the mixture that I have used in my interpretation for Bolas and is pictured as the powder filling the dates.

Note: A dry ounce is equal to two tablespoons, or 1/8th of a cup.

Previously published: January 02, 2017

An Oatmeal Pudding - Otherways, The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May

An Oatmeal Pudding - Otherways.

Take good store of parsley, tyme, savory, four or five onions, and sweet marjoram, chop them with some whole oatmeal, then add to them pepper, and salt, and boil them in a napkin, being boil’d tender, butter it, and serve it on sippets.

Interpreted Recipe

1 cup whole milk
2 cups steel cut oats
1/4 cup butter
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp. parsley
3/4 tsp. dried thyme, marjoram and savory
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2 eggs

Soak oats overnight in milk and butter that has been heated to a simmer. The next day add remaining ingredients, and boil as for Eisands.

Of Marche Violets - Mell Violatum (Voilet Honey), Oyl of Violets (Violet Oil), Vyolette (Violet Pottage), To Make Syrupe of Violets (Violet Syrup)

"Violets are God's apology for February..." 

-Barbara Johnson 

Family: Violaceae 

Names:  Violet, Sweete Violet, Viola nigra, Viola purpure, Virgil Vaccinium, Viola, Marche violet, Viola porporea,Viola mammola,Violetas,Violette de Mars, Blauw veiel, Mertzen violen, Violetten, Violaria, and Ma∣ter violarum.

Usage: Culinary, Medical 

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Of Marche Violets. Chap. i. (A Nievve Herball, 1554)

❀ The Kyndes.

THere be two sortes of Violets: the garden and the wilde Violet. The Garden violets are of a fayre darke or shining deepe blewe colour, and a very pleasant and amiable smell. The wilde Violets are without sa∣uour, and of a fainte blewe or pale colour.
❀ The Description.

[ 1] The sweete Garden or Marche violet, creepeth alongst ye ground like the Strawberie plante, fa∣stening it selfe and taking roote in diuers places: his leaues be rounde and blackish like to Iuye leaues, sauing they be smal∣ler, rounder, and tenderer: emongst the whiche leaues there springeth vp fayre & pleasant floures of a darke blew colour, eache floure growing alone by him selfe, vpon a little small and tender stemme. The floures are diuided into fiue small leaues, wherof the middle of the floures, with the tippes or poynted endes of the leaues are speckled or spotted with a cer∣tayne reddish yellow. After the floures there appeareth round bullets, or huskes full of seede, the whiche being ripe do o∣pen and diuide themselues into three partes, the roote is tender & of threddish strings.
Of this sorte, there is an other kinde planted in gardens, whose floures are very double, and full of leaues.

There is also a thirde kinde, bearing floures as white as snow.

And also a fourth kinde (but not very common) whose floures be of a darke Crymsen, or old reddish purple colour, in all other poyntes like to the first, as in his leaues, seede, and growing.

[ 2] The wilde is like to the garden Violet, but that his leaues are far smaller, his floures are somwhat greater, but much paler, yea sometimes almost white, and without sauour.

❧ The Place.

The sweete garden Violet, groweth vnder hedges, and about the borders of fieldes and pastures, in good ground and fertyle soyle, and it is also set and planted in gardens. The wilde kinde whiche is without smell, groweth in the borders of dry, leane, and barren fieldes.

The garden violet floureth in Marche and Aprill. The wilde also doth floure in Aprill, and afterwardes.

❀ The Names.

The sweete Violet is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Viola nigra, Viola purpurea: & of Virgil Vaccinium: in Shoppes Viola: in English Violets, the garden Violet , the sweete ← Violet, and the Marche violet : in Italian Viola porporea, and Viola mammola: in Spanish Violetas: in Frenche Violette de Mars, ou de quaresme: in high Douch Blauw veiel, or Mertzen violen: in base Almaigne Violetten: the Violet plante or herbe is called in Shoppes Violaria, and Ma∣ter violarum.

❀ The cause of the Greeke name.

The sweete Violet(as the Emperour Constantine wryteth) was called in Greeke Ion, after the name of that sweete guirle or pleasant damosell Io, which Iupiter, after that he had gotte her with childe, turned her into a trim Heaf∣fer or gallant Cowe, bycause that his wife Iuno (beyng bothe an angry and Ielous Goddesse) should not suspect that he loued Ion. In the honour of which his Io, as also for her more delicate and holsome feeding, the earth at the commaundement of Iupiter brought foorth Violettes, the whiche after the name of his welbeloued Io, he called in Greeke Ion: and therefore they are al∣so called in Latine, as some do wryte, Violae, quasi vitulae & Vaccinia. Nican∣der wryteth, that the name of Ion was giuen vnto Violettes, bycause of the Nymphes of Ionia, who firste of all presented Iupiter with these kindes of floures.

❀ The Nature or Temperament.

Violets are colde in the first degree, and moyst in the second.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The Decoction of Violets is good against hoate feuers, and the inflamma∣tion of the Liuer, and all other inwarde partes, driuing forth by siege the hoate and cholerique humors. The like propertie hath the iuyce, syrupe, or conserue of the same.

[ B] The syrupe of Violets is good against the inflammation of the lunges and breast, and against the Pleurisie, and cough, and also against feuers or Agues, but especially in yong children.

[ C] The same Syrupe cureth all inflammations and roughnesse of the throte if it be much kept or often holden in the mouth. The sugar of violets, and also the conserue, and iuyce, bringeth the same to passe.

[ D] That yellow whiche is in the middest of the floures, boyled in water, is good to be gargled in the throte agaynst the squinancie or swelling in the throte: it is also good to be dronken agaynst the falling sickenesse in yong chil∣dren.

[ E] Violets pounde and layde to the head alone, or mengled with oyle, remo∣ueth the extreame heate, swageth head-ache, prouoketh sleepe, and moysteneth the brayne: it is good therefore against the drynesse of the head, against melan∣choly, and dulnesse or heauinesse of Spirite.

[ F] Violets brused or stamped with barlie meale, are good to be layde vpon phlegmons, that is to say, hoate unpostumes or carbuncles, and they heale the inflammation and paine of the eyes, also the hoate vlcers, and the inflammation that commeth with the falling downe of the fundament.

[ G] The seede of Violettes, dronken with wine or water, is good agaynst the stingings of Scorpions.

[ H] The herbe or plante is very good against hoate feuers, and the inflamma∣tions of the liuer, and looseth the belly.

[ I] The wilde Violets are almost of the same vertue, but they be a great deale weaker, and therefore they are not vsed in Medicine.

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A compendious treatise, of Nicholas Prepositas. (1588)

92 A confection of honny and violets, called Mell violatum.

TAke of the flowers of violets one part, of good honny thrée partes, séeth them with a soft fire.

This is a singular remedie in hote agues, because it maketh the body moist and also laxatius, it aswageth dri∣nes of the stomacke and the brest.

112 Oyle of Violets.

TAke of the oyle of oliues two lib. of young violets stam∣ped, foure ℥. put them into a glasse, and set them in the sunne the space of seuen daies, afterward boyle them in a double vessell the space of thrée houres, then straine them, and reserue them: Paulus AEgineta doth call this oyle Ia∣ton, and wryteth that it is made of the purple violets, or els of the yealow violets, which many iudge to be hearts ease, be willeth also that violets shall stand ten daies in the sunne, and to be thrée times changed, and the vessell to be so stopped that no ayre may enter in, and in the meane time, you may put vnto these, of dry violets.

This asswageth all inflamations in what part so euer they be, it mollyfieth exulcer ations and stiffenes of the breast and lungs, it mitigateth hot impostumes, and the plewrisie.

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Culpeper's School Of Physick, 1659

Of Almond Butter.

ALmond Butter is made with fine Sugar and Rose-water, eaten with the flowers of Violets, it is a commendable Dish, most in season in Lent, when the Violets are fragrant; it re∣joyceth the heart, comforts the brain, and quali∣fies the heat of the liver.

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An English Herbal, 1690

Violets grow in Gardens and wild, are under Venus, but very cooling and harmless; they abate Infections. The Syrup or Decoction of Root, Leaf, and Flower purge the Blood, Reins, Bladder, Matrix; Outwardly apply'd as a Poultice, it helpeth Headach, abates Swellings and Imposthumes: Inwardly taken, they open Obstructions of the Liver, cure Jaundice, hot Agues, and make a good Gargle for Mouth and Throat.

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Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) lxxxxj - Vyolette. Nym Almaunde Mylke, an flowre of Rys, and pouder Gyngere, Galyngale, Pepir, Datis, Fygys, and Rasonys y-corven, an coloure it with Safroun, an boyle it and make it chargeaunt; an whan thou dressyste, take the flowres, an hew hem, an styre it ther-with; nyme the braunchys with the flowres, an sette a-boue and serue it Forth.

91. Violet -take almond milk, and flower of rice, and powder ginger, galingale, pepper, dates, figs and raisons cut, and color it with saffron, and boil it and make it thick. And when you dress it, take the flowers and cut them, and stir it there-with; cut the branches with the flowers and set above and serve forth. 

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .Cxxv. Vyolette - Violet  - Take Flourys of Vyolet, boyle hem, presse hem, bray hem smal, temper hem vppe with Almaunde mylke, or gode Cowe Mylke, a-lye it with Amyndoun or Flowre of Rys; take Sugre y-now, an putte ther-to, or hony in defaute; coloure it with the same that the flowrys be on y-peyntid a-boue.

125. Violet - Take flowers of violets, boil them, press them, cut them small, temper them up with almond milk or good cow milk, mix it with amyndoun or rice flour; take sugar enough, and put there-to, or honey in default; color it with the same that the flowers be on painted above.

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To Make Syrupe of Violets.

Take your Violets, and pick the flowers, and weigh them, and then put them into a quart of water, and steepe them vpon hot embers, vntill such time as the flowers be turned white, and the water as blew as any violet, then take to that quart of infusion and take foure pound of clarified Suger, & boyle it till it come to a syrupe, scumming them and boyling them vpon a gentle fire, least it turne his colour, and being boyled, put the Syrupe vp and keepe it.

A Closet for Ladies and Gentlevvomen, 1608

Sources

Dodoens 1517-1585., R., 2020. A Nievve Herball, Or Historie Of Plantes Wherin Is Contayned The Vvhole Discourse And Perfect Description Of All Sortes Of Herbes And Plantes: Their Diuers [And] Sundry Kindes: Their Straunge Figures, Fashions, And Shapes: Their Names, Natures, Operations, And Vertues: And That Not Onely Of Those Whiche Are Here Growyng In This Our Countrie Of Englande, But Of All Others Also Of Forrayne Realmes, Commonly Vsed In Physicke. First Set Foorth In The Doutche Or Almaigne Tongue, By That Learned D. Rembert Dodoens, Physition To The Emperour: And Nowe First Translated Out Of French Into English, By Henry Lyte Esquyer.. [online] Available at: <http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A20579.0001.001> [Accessed 14 August 2020].


Name.umdl.umich.edu. 2020. An English Herbal, Or, A Discovery Of The Physical Vertues Of All Herbs In This Kingdom What Planet Governs Each Herb, And How To Gather Them In Their Planetary Hours : Containing Some Hundreds Of Medicines Made Of English Herbs, Whereby Any Person May Keep His Body In Health, Or Cure Himself When Sick, For A Small Charge, With Such Herbs And Roots As Naturally Grow In England : Collected For A General Good.. [online] Available at: <http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A38455.0001.001> [Accessed 14 August 2020].

Quod.lib.umich.edu. 2020. Culpeper's School Of Physick, Or, The Experimental Practice Of The Whole Art Wherein Are Contained All Inward Diseases From The Head To The Foot, With Their Proper And Effectuall Cures, Such Diet Set Down As Ought To Be Observed In Sickness Or In Health : With Other Safe Wayes For Preserving Of Life ... / By Nich. Culpeper ... ; The Narrative Of The Authors Life Is Prefixed, With His Nativity Calculated, Together With The Testimony Of His Late Wife, Mrs Alice Culpeper, And Others.. [online] Available at: <https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A35394.0001.001/1:37?rgn=div1;submit=Go;subview=detail;type=simple;view=fulltext;q1=purslane> [Accessed 14 August 2020].

Name.umdl.umich.edu. 2020. Prepositas His Practise A Vvorke Very Necessary To Be Vsed For The Better Preseruation Of The Health Of Man. Wherein Are Not Onely Most Excellent And Approued Medicines, Receiptes, And Ointmentes Of Great Vertue, But Also Most Pretious Waters, Against Many Infirmities Of The Body. The Way How To Make Euery The Said Seuerall Medicines, Receiptes, And Ointmentes. With A Table For The Ready Finding Out Of Euery The Diseases, And The Remedies For The Same. Translated Out Of Latin Into English By L.M.. [online] Available at: <http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A09920.0001.001> [Accessed 14 August 2020].

Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 - Kuri Gohan 栗ご飯 (Chestnut Rice) & Kinoko no sūpu きのこのスープ Clear Mushroom Soup

Kuri Gohan  栗ご飯 (Chestnut Rice)
Picture by Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Many of the dishes that were served in the third course of the Crown tournament feast are considered "Autumn" foods.  Kuri Gohan is a typical fall dish comprised of two of the staple foods of Japanese cooking; chestnuts and Rice. It is believed that Japanese Chestnuts (Kuri) were cultivated in Japan before rice, with evidence of the use of chestnuts as early as 10,000-200 BCE.  There is archeological evidence of charred chestnuts found at Jomon Period settlements.  

Chestnuts are symbolic of success and hard times.  It was the symbolism of this dish that made it imperative to include it in the Crown Tourney feast. This was a very easy dish to put together and quite beautiful to look at. 

Recipe 

2 cups Japanese short grained rice
1 Tbsp mirin
1 tsp salt  as needed
20-25 chestnuts chopped coarsely (Note: If you are using raw chestnuts you will need to prepare them prior to adding to the rice.  I used precooked and peeled chestnuts purchased from a Japanese grocery)
Black sesame seeds to garnish

The rice was prepared in the instant pot using a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part rice, set on the rice setting for 10 minutes.  The rice was pre-soaked in warmed water for approximately 20 minutes, rinsed and then placed in the instant pot with the additional water. 

After cooking the rice was mixed with mirin and chestnuts, and garnished with the black sesame seeds. 

 Kinoko no sūpu きのこのスープ Clear Mushroom Soup
Picture by Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Mushrooms are another symbolic food representing longevity. Shiitake mushrooms are the second most widely cultivated mushroom in the world. The earliest records of the cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms can be traced to 1209 Records of Longquan County by He Zhan. The techniques for cultivating the mushrooms were introduce in Japan from the Chinese sometime between 1500 and 1600 AD. This soup took the place of the Carp soup - Funa no shiru 鮒の汁 (Crucian Carp Broth) that was served to Iemitsu.

The third tray of Iemitsu's banquet consisted of showy foods that were most likely meant to be seen instead of eaten including Hamori and a funamori. 

• Fowl served with its wings (hamori) - spectacle dish
• Carp soup - Funa no shiru 鮒の汁 (Crucian Carp Broth) Use a miso above the grade of nakamiso, and it is good to add dashi. Wrap the funa (crucian carp) in wakame (Undaria pinnatifida seaweed) or kajime ( Ecklonia cava (species of brown alga)) and simmer it. When the umami flavor is light, add ground katsuo (bonito). However you do it, it is good to bring the miso to the start of a boil, like dashi. Boil it well and pour in salted sake.  Sanshô powder is used as a suikuchi.
• Turbo (sazae) Sazae 栄螺 (Horned turban, Turbo cornutus) - It is good to make with such things as the insides of yonaki (spindle tailed snail), mirukui (Mirugai clam), torigai (Cockle), and tairagi(Fan mussel). Scald, and dress with wasabi and miso vinegar
• [Spiny lobster] served in a boat shape (funamori) - spectacle dish
• “Cloud hermit” (unzen)soup

Eric Rath in his "Banquets Against Boredom:Towards Understanding(Samurai) Cuisine in EarlyModern Japan", states "Unzen (or unzenkan) was a Chinese dish adopted in the Muromachi period, a gelatin made from grated yam, sugar, and scrambled egg, which was steamed to form a cloud shape when floating in soup."

He goes on to further explain that "the carp in the second soup was the favorite fish of the Muromachi period before sea bream surpassed it in popularity in the Edo period, when it still had its fans. Carp, wrote Hayashi Razan, was both a delicacy (bibutsu) and an auspicious delicacy nicknamed a “gift to Confucius” since the Chinese scholar received one when his son was born. However, two other dishes, which also date to Muromachi-period culinary customs, were especially objects of attention."

Additionally, he explains that "Fowl served with its wings hamori style featured a duck or quail cooked with its feathered wings reattached and positioned so that the bird looked like it might fly away. Spiny lobster in the shape of a boat featured a large crustacean whose legs, feelers, and body had been contorted to give the appearance of a sailing ship. Both dishes were served with additional decorations made from paper and flowers. Neither of these dishes was meant to be eaten; instead they were spectacle pieces meant to show off the cook’s skills and added dignity to the occasion. The equivalent of food sculptures, these dishes provided an important artistic dimension to the meal, crucial to the designation of a cuisine as distinct from ordinary foods and mundane ways of cooking and eating." 

Shiitake Dashi 

2 cups water

2 -3 dried shiitake mushrooms
3-in.-long piece kombu (dried edible kelp) 

1/3 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce

Place mushrooms, kombu, and 2 cups water into a medium pot. Cover and chill overnight. Set pot over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. When small bubbles form along sides and bottom of pot, but before it actually begins to simmer, remove  mushrooms and kombu and strain the stock. Prior to serving heat broth and add mirin and soy sauce. 

Note: It is recommended to always use cold water to soak your shiitake mushrooms.  The stock, once drained can be used in soups, sauces etc.  It can be stored up to two days prior to usage.

To Make Soup

Add shiitake mushrooms to heated broth.  Garnish as desired with green onions.  

Note:  The soup was made with a mixture of dried shiitake, baby bella, oyster and button mushrooms. 

Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 - Sumashi-jiru すまし汁 (Clam Soup) & Yuzuke ゆずけ (hot water over rice)

Sumashi-jiru すまし汁 (Clam Soup)

Picture by Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

According to the Ryōri Monogatari,“Suimono” refers to a clear (or relatively clear) broth. The bowls should obtain few ingredients and should not feel crowded. In keeping with the tradition of one soup, and "X" number of sides, the soup that was provided in the second round was a suimono that would normally contain oysters, but, clams were substituted via cook's prerogative because the cook (me) does not care for the taste of oysters. Perhaps it has something to do with being land locked? Oysters come canned or frozen, but not exactly fresh?

Kaki かき (Oysters) - Put in salt, leave a good amount, and put in the oysters. When it steams, season to taste. If there is too little broth, then water or dashi can be put in. It can also be done without putting in the salt. Adding sakeshio is good.

Note: Clams substituted for Oysters

Interpreted recipe:

1 lb.clams (live, in shell, about 12 to 16)
5 cups water
Salt to taste
To garnish: lemon peel /or  mitsuba  (wild Japanese parsley)

Soak clams in salted water overnight, or at least for several hours. Heat basic clear soup to boil, drop in clams. After shells open up, place in a small soup bowl. Strain soup stock. Bring stock to a boil, and garnish with strips of mitsuba.

Note: The Japanese store where I purchased most of my items had frozen clams in the shell in 2 pound packages.  I used these for the feast. 

DASHI だし (BASIC STOCK) Chip katsuo into good size pieces, and when you have 1 shō worth, add 1 shō 5 gō of water and simmer. Sip to test and should remove the katsuo when it matches your taste. Too sweet is no good. The dashi may be boiled a second time and used.

Note: In Japanese cooking there are five different types of dashi:

Kombu Dashi - made from dried kelp (kombu)

Katsuo Dashi - made with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

Iriko Dashi - made from iriko (dried anchovies), or niboshi (dried sardines)

Shiitake Dashi - made from shiitake mushrooms that have been dried

Awase Dashi - made from a combination of any of the above.

Many of the dishes I prepared used Awase Dashi as the stock, either a mixture of kimbu and katsuo or kombu and shiitake. The instructions for the dashi used for this dish can be found here.

Yuzuke ゆずけ (hot water over rice)
Garnished with Furikake and UmeboshiPicture by Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Yuzuke ゆずけ (hot water over rice)

Eric Rath advises that a "typical formula for describing the organization of trays and dishes at honzen banquets was “seven, five, three”. This indicated three trays each with a soup, and seven, five, and three side dishes on them respectively. This was the format of the banquet for Iemitsu in 1630, and one that was typical service for the shogun in the Edo period." It is believed that the discovery of "yuzuke" was an accident, attributed to the third Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408)  when he became drunk at a party, poured hot water on his rice, and ate it.

He further explains:

"Three trays was a typical formulation for shoguns, but the number of trays and the number of dishes on them varied for guests of other rank. Large banquets in the Muromachi period might have up to thirty-two side dishes, although some of these dishes, like a few described below, were decorative and not meant to be consumed.In the Edo period, most samurai including daimyo were, like commoners, limited by sumptuary legislation to just two trays of food at banquets, albeit daimyo that held their own provinces (kunimochi) were allowed seven side dishes, but commoners and hatamoto could only have five side dishes."

One of the more historically interesting dishes that was served at the feast was Yuzuke. Introduced in the Heian era, "yuzuke",  is a bowl of rice and hot water poured on top. It became f a formal banquet dish during the Muromachi era.  It is speculated that it may be a precursor to ochazuke. The "Ryori Monogatari (Story of the meals)" a recipe similar to ochazuke which combies rice, chestnuts, or sweet potato with tea. I include the information from the Ryori Mongatari for interest, but it was NOT served at feast.

NARA CHA 奈良茶 (NARA TEA) - First, roast the tea, put it in a bag, and boil just the tea and azuki. Next, put in beans and rice, and roast half of them. Make sure to cut the beans open and discard the shell. Alternatively, add such things as sasage, kuwai, or roasted chestnuts. Season with sanshō powder and salt. Whatever you season with is very important.

The Yuzuke that was served at feast consisted of rice with hot water poured over it and was garnished with umeboshi and furikake. It was visually stunning and so simple to put together.

Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 - O-zoni お雑煮 - Rice Cake and simmered vegetables with fish paste cake

 O-zoni お雑煮 - Rice Cake and simmered vegetables with fish paste cake
Picture by Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

One of the quintessential dishes of the samurai cuisine is O-zōni, a meal originally thought to have been prepared in field battles consisting of mochi, vegetables and dried foods. This meal was once exclusive to samurai and so it became an essential dish to include in the Crown Tourney feast.

In the Muromachi period, O-zōni was considered an essential dish for welcoming guests to a honzen ryori (a formally arranged dinner) meal. Today, this soup is served traditionally at New Year's. The soups may differ from region to region, but one ingredient is essential--rice cakes also known as mochi. The soup that was served at feast features square rice cakes called kaku-mochi in a clear broth. These rice cakes were common in the Edo period.

According to Eric Rath, the "rice cake soup in Ryōri Monogatari calls for a stock made from miso or clear stock (dried bonito flakes, konbu and salt) and [white/yellow] rice cake, taro, and daikon, [black] dried sea cucumber intestines (iriko), abalone on skewers, large flakes of dried [red] bonito (hiragatsuo), and green shoots (kukitachi)--enough varied ingredients to suggest a five color combination.

28. ATSUME JIRU あつめ汁 (GATHERED BROTH)

It is good to add dashi to nakamiso. Alternatively use a suimono. It is good to put in such things as daikon, gobō, imo, tōfu, bamboo shoots, skewered abalone, dried fugu, iriko, and tsumi’ire (fish ball's made from pilchard, horse mackerel or saury). There are various others.

Creating this soup requires multiple steps.  I must admit, I did "cheat" a little bit and completely bi-passed making the rice cakes in favor of purchasing already made kaku-mochi from the Japanese market where I did most of my shopping.  Each step is easy to do, and the finished product is beautiful to look at.  Bonus is that many of the ingredients can be made in advanced and store well. 

Because I wanted this dish to appeal to most vegetarians, I chose to start the dish with making a vegetarian dashi broth. 

Vegetarian Dashi ベジタリアンだし

4- 2-inch squares kombu (about 1 1/2 ounces)
2 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 quarts cold water

Combine the kombu, mushrooms, and water in a large container and let stand for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours. It gets stronger as it sits, and the taste can vary depending on what type of kombu you use, so with a few rounds you’ll find your preference. If you plan to let it stand for more than 4 hours, place it in the refrigerator, lidded or covered with a piece of plastic wrap.

Alternatively, bring the water to a bare simmer in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the kombu and mushrooms, and let stand for 30 minutes.

Discard the kombu (alternatively, chop it up and use it as a nutritious addition to salads and bowls of rice and other grains or to make homemade Furikake (ふりかけ) seasoning to top rice). Pick out the mushrooms and trim off and discard the stems. Reserve the mushroom caps for another use. You may want to strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth if there are small pieces of kombu left behind (I didn't do this)

Vegetarian dashi can be stored in an airtight container for 2 or 3 days.

Kamaboko Fish Paste Cake かまぼこ - makes 2 rolls ~ 18 ½” rounds

1 pound fish fillets (traditionally catfish but I used whiting)

1 egg
½  tbsp. ginger paste
2-3 Tbsp. cornstarch (note: you can substitute arrowroot or rice starch)

Grind white fish in a blender with a little bit of water until it forms a smooth paste.  Add egg, ginger and starch and blend well. Divide fish paste into halves. Coat aluminum foil with vegetable oil and shape the fish paste into logs about  2” in diameter. Roll up and seal both ends of the foil. Steam for 30 minutes over high heat. To test for doneness insert a bamboo skewer into center. If skewer comes out clean, it is done. Refrigerate until cool and then slice into 1/4" rounds.

To color the paste, remain part of it and add juice of young ginger or food coloring. I used pink.  Using a sushi mat covered with plastic (placing it inside of a gallon zipper bag works very well), spread the white fish paste in an even layer over the mat, then spread the colored fish paste above it.  Roll as if for sushi and steam as above.

Kaku-mochi - Rice Cake - 角餅

Glutinous sticky rice
Potato or Rice Starch
Water

Coarsely grind the rice in a food processor and soak for one hour in enough water to cover. Drain the rice and cook in a rice steamer until soft. Allow to cool for about five minutes. Wet your hands and transfer some of the rice to a mortar and pestle. Pound the rice for ten minutes or so until if begins to form a large sticky mass. Add small amounts of water so that the rice does not stick to the sides.

Sprinkle rice starch onto a clean fat surface, transfer the mochi onto the surface and begin to knead until the mochi is no longer sticky. Divide it into smaller portions and continue to knead until smooth, adding more rice starch as needed.

O-Zoni Soup お雑煮

6" length daikon (white radish)
1/2 bunch spinach
1 medium carrot
1 cake kamaboko (fish cake)
4 cups dashi
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
Rice cake

Pare the radish into hexagonal shape and then cut into slices about 1/4" thick. Parboil in lightly salted water until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. (Hexagons make up the tortoiseshell pattern. The tortoise is a symbol of longevity.)

Peel the carrot and cut into 1/4" rounds. Cut into flower shapes. Parboil in lightly salted water until almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Slice the fish cake into 1/4" half rounds.

Bring the dashi just to a boil in a pot. Turn down heat and keep at a simmer. Then stir in salt and soy sauce and season to taste.

Arrange spinach, single carrot slice, single daikon slice, mochi and fish cake in soup bowl. Ladle hot broth into bowl. Garnish with sprigs of mizuna.

Note: Substitute for Mizuna - arugula, young mustard greens, or tatsoi in equal amounts.

How to make Puffed Rice to be used as a garnish (not used at feast)

Oil heated to 425 degrees
1 cup rice (any rice)

Once oil is heated, pour in a cup of rice--rice will puff up in about 10 seconds. Drain through a metal sieve, season to taste, use as garnish.

Furikake (ふりかけ) is a dried Japanese seasoning which is sprinkled on top of cooked rice. Ingredients include a combination of dried fish flakes, dried egg, dried cod eggs, bonito flakes, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed and other flavorings.

½ oz reserved kombu (from making dashi)
1 oz reserved katsuobushi (from making dashi ;slightly wet)
1 Tbsp white toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp black toasted sesame seeds

nori seaweed
1 tsp sugar (add more to your taste)
2 tsp soy sauce
¼ tsp salt (kosher or sea salt; use half if using table salt) (add more to your taste)

Gather all the ingredients. Make sure the kombu and katsuobushi are well drained.

Cut kombu into small pieces.Put kombu and katsuobushi in a saucepan and cook on medium-low heat until katsuobushi becomes dry and separated from each other.Cook on medium-low heat until the liquid is completely evaporated.Cook on medium-low heat until the liquid is completely evaporated.

Transfer the furikake to a tray or plate and let cool. Once it’s cooled, you can add toasted/roasted sesame seeds and nori seaweed. You can break katsuobushi into smaller pieces if you prefer.

Put in a mason jar or airtight container and enjoy sprinkling over steamed rice. You can refrigerate for up to 2 weeks and freeze for up to a month.

Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 - Tsuru no shiru 鶴の汁 (Crane Broth)

Tsuru no shiru 鶴の汁 (Crane Broth)
Picture Courtesy of Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

The samurai considered Crane soup a prized dish and a luxury. By the sixteenth century, it was a necessary served at formal warrior banquets. The recipe for the dish that was served in Iemetsu’s banquet closely resembles a recipe published in the Guide to Meals for the Tea Ceremony (Cha no yu kondate shinan, 1676), written by Endō Genkan (n.d.). Commoners were prohibited from eating crane and other fowl at banquets, it was a dish reserved for the elite.

The dish that was served at Crown Tournament is my interpretation from the Ryōri Monogatari. according to Endō Genkan, Crane soup could be prepared with crane that was fresh or crane that had been preserved in salt.  The most important aspect of the preparation was to ensure that each bowl of soup contained one or two pieces of the leg meat of the crane.

Tsuru no shiru 鶴の汁 (Crane Broth)

Add the bones [of the crane] to broth and decoct. Prepare with sashi-miso. The seasoning of the sashi are important. For tsuma, something seasonal is good. It is good to put in any number of mushrooms. Whenever you make it, put aside the sinew. For suikuchi: wasabi and yuzu. Alternatively, from the start you can even prepare in nakamiso. You can even use a suimono.

Crane Broth

1 ½ pounds Peking or Muscovy duck breast or skin on, bone in chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice vinegar)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon tamari or light soy sauce
8 ounces soba (buckwheat noodles) - Note: For feast shiritaki noodles were used
8 ounces sugar snap peas or snow peas, trimmed
8 cups water
2 medium leeks, white and tender green part, diced, about 2 cups
1/4 cup white miso or to taste - Note: Miso was omitted at feast
5 ounces baby spinach, about 4 cups
A few basil or shiso leaves, julienned

Place whole duck, or chicken into a pot and add ginger and garlic. Cover with water and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer until meat is tender. Allow to cool over night.

Next day remove the fat from the broth. Remove meat from the bones keeping it in large chunks. Reheat broth to just under a boil, add water, mirin, sugar, and tamari. Taste broth and adjust for salt if necessary. Add miso to broth right before serving.

If using soba noodles, cook according to package directions in a separate pot. Shiritake noodles should be rinsed before serving.

Bring a small pot of salted water to boil. Add snap peas, mushrooms and leeks and simmer 1 minute, then drain and refresh with cool water. Leave at room temperature.

To serve, reheat broth to just under a boil. Dilute miso with a little hot broth and whisk into soup. Layer noodles, meat, peas, leeks and spinach into a bowl and ladle hot broth over it. Top with shiso or basil.


References

“Food and Fantasy in Early Modern Japan.” Google Books, Google, https://books.google.com/books?id=_m6g_8Aw_IsC&pg=PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=Commoners+were+prohibited+from+eating+crane+and+other+fowl+at+banquets,+it+was+a+dish+reserved+for+the+elite.&source=bl&ots=5ulOnQbw98&sig=ACfU3U2qRbwtQs1Ys3JJshTELMJEBCEy-w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjEkPfs1t3mAhXULc0KHfRrBcoQ6AEwAHoECAoQAQ#v=snippet&q=crane soup&f=false.

C, Eric, and Rath. “EARLY MODERN JAPAN 2008 Banquets Against Boredom: Towards Understanding (Samurai) Cuisine in Early Modern Japan.” Academia.edu - Share Research, https://www.academia.edu/6397005/EARLY_MODERN_JAPAN_2008_Banquets_Against_Boredom_Towards_Understanding_Samurai_Cuisine_in_Early_Modern_Japan.

Crown Tournament 10/19/2019 - Namazu kabayaki ナマズの蒲焼 (Catfish Kabayaki), Gohan ご飯 (Rice), Gari ガリ (Pickled Ginger)

Namazu kabayaki ナマズの蒲焼 (Catfish Kabayaki), Gohan ご飯 (Rice), Gari  ガリ (Pickled Ginger)
Picture Courtesy of Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Yakimono no Bu (焼物之部) is a style of cooking which refers to food that has been cooked via the direct application of heat like grilling, broiling or pan frying. rather than the indirect application of heat that was termed "Iru" and referred to dry roasting in a pan or pot with oil. In Japanese "Yaki" refers to grilled or fired, while "Yakimono" means "a fired thing. During the Muromachi period of the fourteenth century, a typical hon-zen ryori-style meal was served on the principle of "one soup, three sides", also known as ichi ju san sai (一汁三菜) .  For more information on this style of cooking, please read my earlier post Crown Tourney 10/19/2019 - Honzen Ryori Style.

The meal would come with the staples of rice, soup and pickles in addition to the three okazu, or side) dishes which consisted of a namasu (vinegared vegetables), yakimono (a grilled dish) and nimono (a simmered dish) on the first tray. For Namasu, I used Mikawa ae (みかわあへ) and Kohaku-namasu (紅白なます). O-Zoni is the simmered dish. The grilled dish presented a challenge.

The original dish I wanted to serve was Unagi Kabayaki, eel that has been grilled and dipped or broiled in soy sauce, but it was prohibitively expensive to purchase.  This prompted me to search for a suitable substitute.  I discovered that catfish can be substituted for eel in cooking, and was also a known food in the period that I was trying to emulate.  Catfish is known as  Namazu 鱯 and is listed as a river fish in the Ryōri Monogatari.

The Ryōri Monogatari does not  give instructions on this specific dish; however, it does give instructions for Hamayaki which is tai (Sea Bream) that is sprinkled with salt and grilled with a sauce of tamari, sake (酒)and salt (shio  塩).

HAMAYAKI はまやき (SHORE GRILLED) - Scale a large tai with a bamboo blower. Stick a knife in. Sprinkle salt and grill. Drop a little tamari into sakeshio, pour it on top, and serve.

I also very briefly considered cooking the fish using a cedar plank as described in the Ryōri Monogatari. The method is below:

Hegi Yaki  へぎやき (skin and grill) - As above, line up one piece on cedar bark and grill.

This idea was because I was afraid that there would not be sufficient time to cook the fish in this fashion given the very limited facilities of the event site. I am thrilled to discover that this "modern" method of cooking has a very long history behind it. 

 Namazu kabayaki ナマズの蒲焼 (Catfish Kabayaki)

Catfish Fillets (Note: For feast, whiting was substituted for catfish because the store that the fish was being purchased from did not order the catfish when the other fish was ordered.) 

¼ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 ½ Tbsp sake
2 ½ Tbsp sugar
¼ cup soy sauce (Coconut aminos can be substituted for soy allergies, and tamari can be substituted for gluten allergies.)

To make the sauce, add the sake, mirin and sugar to a small pot or saucepan and bring to a boil. Add soy sauce and reduce heat to low.  Continue to cook the sauce until it thickens and becomes reduced.  Sauce can then be cooled and stored for up to two weeks. 

The origins of this particular dish and sauce can be traced back to the Edo period.  It was traditionally made with eel because it was a cheap food suitable for everyone. It was a popular street food sold from vendor's carts.

Gohan ご飯 (Rice)

1 cup short grained rice
1 ¼ cup water

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Place in a bowl and allow to soak approximately 30 minutes. Transfer to a sieve and drain completely.

Combine rice and water in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once pot comes to a boil, turn to low and cook covered 12-13 minutes or until water is almost completely absorbed. Remove pot from heat and allow to steam 10-15 minutes. Prior to serving fluff the rice.

Note: The rice for feast was made in an "insta-pot"--which I HIGHLY recommend.  You will want to increase the amount of water so that the ratio is 2:1 water to rice.  My pot has a rice setting which I used and set for 10 minutes.  

An interesting bit of trivia I came across while researching is that grains of rice dating to 1000 B.C. were discovered in the early 2000s in northern Kyushu. Also, the oldest rice ball discovered is over 2000 years old and was discovered in the town of Rokuseimachi. 

Gari ガリ (Pickled Ginger)

8 ounces young ginger (Look for pink tips; they color the ginger pink in the pickle.)
1 ½ tsp. sea salt
1 c. rice wine vinegar
⅓ c. white sugar

Using a spoon, scrape off any brown spots from the ginger. Then, thinly slice with a peeler. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the ginger into boiling water and cook for 1-3 minutes. If you want to keep it spicy, take it out around 1 minute. Otherwise, 2-3 minutes is good. Drain the ginger slices over a sieve and then spread them out in a single layer. With your clean hands, squeeze the water out and put them in a sterilized jar or mason jar. In a small pot, add rice vinegar, sugar, and remaining salt. Bring it to a boil until the strong vinegar smell has evaporated, roughly 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pour the vinegar mixture into the jar with the sliced ginger. Close the lid, let cool and refrigerate. In approximately 3-4 hours you should see the ginger turning slightly pink. The following day it will be pinker. The pickled ginger can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.

Note: Despite multiple attempts at ordering young ginger and having the shipments "lost" via Amazon, I was unable to make the pickled ginger as I wanted to.  Store-bought pickled ginger was used at feast.  The recipe is included here in hopes that someone else benefits from the research. On the plus side, I now have 200 ginger seeds, which might make it possible to grow my own ginger next spring.

References

Creative, T. (n.d.). Eel-y Good -- Why Japan Loves Unagi. Retrieved from https://www.tokyocreative.com/articles/18389-eel-y-good-why-japan-loves-unagi

Hays, J. (n.d.). Rice In Japan: History, Kinds of Rice and Cooking and Eating Rice. Retrieved from http://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat19/sub123/item655.html#:~:targetText=History%20of%20Rice%20in%20Japan,people%20at%20red%2Dkerneled%20rice

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Cxlj. Noteye - Nutty (Incomplete)

When I first came across the instructions for creating Noteye, in 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  I was intrigued.  The instructions call for using hazel leaves, most likely the eaves of the European Hazel or Filbert (Corylus avellana) in addition to nuts (notys) that have been fried in grease.  From previous research  Cxlij. Vyande Ryalle. - A Royal Dish (incomplete recipe), I had learned that hazel leaves are considered a forage food.  It appears that you are using them to not only color the dish, but also to impart a specific flavor. I do not have access to the leaves, so unfortunately am unable to adequately recreate the recipe 😞. My first thoughts on interpretation are below. I do hope that someone who does have access does try it and remarks upon it.

.Cxlj. Noteye.—Take a gret porcyoun of Haselle leuys, & grynd in a morter as smal as þou may, whyl þat þey ben ȝonge; take þan, & draw vppe a þrift Mylke of Almaundys y-blaunchyd, & temper it with Freysshe broþe; wryng out clene þe Ius of þe leuys; take Fleysshe of Porke or of Capoun, & grynd it smal, & temper it vppe with þe mylke, & caste it in a potte, & þe Ius þer-to, do it ouer þe fyre & late it boyle; take flour of Rys, & a-lye it; take & caste Sugre y-now þer-to, & Vynegre a quantyte, & pouder Gyngere, & Safroun it wel, & Salt; take smal notys, & breke hem; take þe kyrnellys, & make hem whyte, & frye hem vppe in grece; plante þer-with þin mete & serue forth.

141. Noteye - Take a great portion of hazel leaves, and grind in a mortar as small as you may, while that they be young; take then and draw up a thrift milk of almonds blanched and temper it with fresh broth; wring out clean the juice of the leaves; take flesh of pork or of capon, and grind it small, and temper it up with the milk, and cast it into a pot, and the juice there-to, do it over the fire and let it boil; take flour of rice, and mix it; take and cast sugar enough thereto, and vinegar a quantity and powder ginger, and saffron it well, and salt.  Take small nuts and break them; take the kernels, and make them white, and fry them up in grease; plant there-with your meat, and serve forth.

Interpreted Recipe

Handful of young hazel leaves
1 c. almond milk made with broth of pork or chicken
1/4 pd. pork or chicken, minced
1-2 tbsp. Rice Flour
2 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Ginger
Pinch Saffron
Salt to taste
2-3 Hazel Nuts
Oil

Grind your hazel leaves in a mortar, you may want to add a bit of salt to them so that they grind well. As an alternative, place your leaves in a blender with a little bit of water and blend well.  Strain well.  Place your almond milk, saffron,  and ground pork or chicken in a pot along with the strained juice of the hazel leaves and bring to a boil.  Add rice flour and sugar and cook till it begins to thicken. Add vinegar, ginger and salt and cook for a few minutes more.  Meanwhile, lightly toast your nuts in grease after removing the skins.  Prior to serving, garnish with the nuts.

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .xxxxix. Sardeyneȝ - Almond Pottage

 Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .xxxxix. Sardeyneȝ  - Almond Pottage 

Sometime ago I posted a happy mistake for a sugared and spiced nut dish based on this set of instructions called xxxxix. Sardeyneȝ. I had planned on correcting the mistake immediately and posting the more period correct version but then the sun room construction started, life got in the way and I am late in publishing --Sardeyneȝ "the right way".

Because this recipe is found in the pottages section of 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 by Thomas Austin, the consistency that we should be finding from a correctly interpreted recipe is that of a soft pudding, cereal or gruel. Here then is the more appropriate interpretation of this dish, which is simply delicious and highly recommended.  It would make an excellent camp breakfast dish, and I would recommend it for a pottage at any feast or luncheon you choose to make.

.xxxxix. Sardeyneȝ.—Take Almaundys, & make a gode Mylke of Flowre of Rys, Safroun, Gyngere; Canelle, Maces, Quybibeȝ; grynd hem smal on a morter, & temper hem vppe with þe Mylke; þan take a fayre vesselle, & a fayre parte of Sugre, & boyle hem wyl, & rynsche þin dysshe alle a-bowte with-ynne with Sugre or oyle, an þan serue forth.

49. Sardeyney - Take almonds, and make a good Milk of Flour of Rice, Saffron, Ginger, Cinnamon, Mace, Cubeb; grind them small on a mortar, and temper them up with the milk; than take a fair vessel, and fair part of sugar, and boil them well, and rinse your dish all about within with sugar or oil, and then serve forth.

Interpreted Recipe

1/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup rice milk (or any nut milk, in a pinch I used almond milk)
Pinch of saffron and salt
1/2 tsp. pouder douce-sugar, ginger, cinnamon, mace (I have a powder given to me as a gift I used)
1/4 tsp. cubebs finely ground
1-2 tbsp. sugar or to taste

Bring all ingredients to a boil and then simmer until thickened.  Garnish with a sprinkling of sugar, or butter (in lieu of oil) or both, and then serve. 

This is a very comforting dish that is slightly reminiscent of cream of wheat or malt-o-meal.  If you enjoy eating these cereals you will enjoy this dish. I hope you enjoy.

Breakfast? Five Medieval Banquet Dishes that Can be Served for Breakfast

Looking to add a late Medieval flare to your breakfast?  These five hearty recipes will do just that.  Just click on the link and you will be taken to the post.  I hope you enjoy.

  A Fryed Meate (Pancakes) in Haste for the Second Course (The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, 1682) - cottage cheese and apples combined with warm and sweet spices create a delicate pancake. Traditionally served in the second course, this dish would make a lovely camp breakfast. A bit late for Medieval, yes, delicious and to be tried all the same. 

Gammon of Bacon (A Book of Cookrye, 1591) - This is a delicious savory tidbit that creates a lovely hand pie which tastes like a holiday in a pie crust. Gammon, like ham, comes from the hind leg of a pig. Unlike ham, gammon is cured like bacon and sold raw. For this recipe I used a heritage cured ham, seasoned with pepper, cloves and mace, cut into thin slices and stuffed with parsley, sage and hardboiled egg yolks, cut to fit into the pie crust, dotted with butter and baked. A wonderful interpretation of our past, a must try for any foodie, food historian or hungry cook!

Egges yn Brewte - Poached eggs with Cheese - Gentyll Manly Cokere, MS Pepys 1047, C. 1490 - A beautifully simple dish of eggs, poached in milk and water flavored with pepper, ginger and colored with saffron, topped with cheese. Served over toast this would be a lovely perfectly period meal.

Soupes dorye - Almond Milk Toast -an absolutely decadent spin on milk toast.  Lightly toasted bread, served with a wine sweetened almond milk and warmed spices.  Comforting, delicious and fit for a king. 

Gaylede - Rice Porridge with figs and honey -Ginger and galingale are the perfect compliment to the figs and honey that accompany this simply sweetened porridge made of rice flour and almond milk.  Pretty and pink, a perfect "fairy breakfast" for that special someone if you use saunders to color as specified.  

Eisands with Otemeale grotes - A Book Of Cookrye (1591)

Eisands with Otemeale grotes - A  Book Of  Cookrye (1591) 

Eisands of otemeal grotes is one of those recipes that I knew I had to create when I first ran across it while doing research for a cook’s gathering in 2015. This interpretation was a very long time in coming. The Cook’s Gatherings were my first attempt at trying to bring about cook’s gild in the area where I live. It was a very short lived adventure and that saddens me. There does not seem to be as much interest in cooking in my area as I would like there to be. Interpreting this recipe required a lot of research. My first stumbling block evolved around *how* to cook it. My second was where to locate the main ingredient (oatmeal grotes).

I tackled my second roadblock first. I needed to determine what oatmeal grotes were and determine what the closest thing to them was I could purchase. Fortunately I had done some basic research into oatmeal when I interpreted the recipes from Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430)  for .xxiiij. Drawyn grwel and vij. Gruelle a-forsydde. Oatmeal has a long history and you can read about it in both of those articles. During my research into oatmeal I discovered there are a variety of ways that oatmeal can be prepared. Oat Groats are the hulled whole oat berry. They appear to be very similar to grains of rice, barley or wheat berries. The oats that I used were steel cut oats, which is essentially the whole oat berry that has been chopped into pieces but not rolled. Steel cut oats are sometimes referred to as Scottish or Irish oats, but these oats tend to be ground rather then cut.

The other variety of oats and the one that most people are familiar with are rolled oats, which are whole oats that have been steamed, rolled flat into flakes and then dehydrated. This method of making oats did not appear until long after our period and should not be used if other kinds of oats are available. Quick oats are the cousin of rolled oats, but they are much quicker in cooking due to a longer steaming period before dehydration and being chopped into smaller pieces. These are the least nutritious of the varieties of oats that are available on the market today.

The first roadblock took a little bit longer to overcome. I needed to determine what cooking method was used. Was the dish baked? Steamed? Cooked on the stove top or boiled? Each of these cooking methods would produce a very different result. My first attempt was to cook it on the stovetop similar to an oatmeal custard, but the directions are very specific on liquid to oat ratio and there was not enough liquid to sufficiently cook the oats. The same problem revolved around baking the dish like bread. There simply was not enough liquid. Returning to the source, I discovered that the recipes prior to and after involved boiling the puddings. The result? A delicious pudding that is similar to your classic boiled Christmas plum puddings.

When I think of a pudding, I think of a custard like dish made of chocolate or vanilla or coconut. However puddings can trace their origins to approximately 1300 and meant “a kind of sausage” where meat and suet were stuffed into the stomach or intestines of an animal and boiled to be kept and served as needed. This recipe bridges the gap between those earlier dishes and the more modern ones that emerged in the mid 1600’s. It involves food that has been boiled or steamed in a bag or a sack. At the time this particular recipe was popular puddings could be either savory or sweet, meat or grain based.

Eisands with Otemeale grotes. Take a pinte of Creame and seethe it, and when it is hot, put therto a pinte of Otemeale grotes, and let them soke in it all night, and put therto viii. yolks of egs, and a little Pepper, Cloves, mace, and saffron, and a good deale of Suet of beefe, and small Raisins and Dates, and a little Sugar.

Eisands with Otemeale grotes. Take a pinte of Creame and seethe it, and when it is hot, put therto a pinte of Otemeale grotes, and let them soke in it all night, and put therto viii. yolks of egs, and a little Pepper, Cloves, mace, and saffron, and a good deale of Suet of beefe, and small Raisins and Dates, and a little Sugar.

Eisands of Oatmeal Groats.  Take a pint of cream and heat it, and when it is hot, put thereto a pint of oatmeal groats, and let them soak in it al lnight, and put thereto eight yolks of eggs, and a little pepper, cloves, mace, and saffron, and a good deal of suet of beef, and small raisins and dates, and a little sugar. 

Interpreted Recipe                                                                            Serves 8 (six if you aren't into sharing!)

1 pint cream (whole milk)
2 cups steel cut oats, or oat groats
¼ cup of shredded suet or butter (I used butter)
1/3 cup dates halved and quartered (My dates were kind of dried out so I placed a handful in the blender and added a 1/4 cup hot water and then blended them into a puree which is probably why my pudding is so dark. Mea Culpa!)
1/3 cup currants or raisins
8 egg yolks (or four whole eggs) beaten
1 tsp. Le Menagier's "Fine Spice Powder" 
Pinch of saffron
¼ cup granulated sugar

I heated the cream and butter together in the microwave and then poured it over my oats, mixing it together, along with the dates, raisins, sugar and spices and two of my four eggs and here I diverge greatly from the recipe.  I cooked it on the stovetop to hasten the absorption process until it became very thick.  At which point I beat the remaining eggs tempered them and added them to the "dough".  Make sure it is thick and dough like. 

If you choose not to take the "shortcut" heat up the cream and the butter and pour them over the oats and let them sit preferably overnight.  Add remaining ingredients and then move forward.

While I was precooking the oatmeal I had placed my cloth into approximately two gallons of water I was bringing to boil.  I was using my canning pot which has a metal trivet in the bottom to keep the pudding from the bottom and possibly burning.  Once the dough was made (and I say dough because that is the consistency you should be aiming for with your oat and egg mixture) I removed the cloth, placed it into a bowl, added the dough and then tied it up. I used rubber bands to keep it secured and you will want to secure the cloth as close to the pudding as you can.  

Make sure that your water is at a full rolling boil before adding your pudding.  Turn heat down to medium and cook for approximately four hours.  My pudding floated so I trapped it beneath a wire sieve so that it was fully submerged during the cooking period.  You will want to check your water about every hour (or less) to make sure that the pudding is still fully submerged.

Once the pudding is cooked, remove it from the boiling water; give it a quick soak in cold water so you can handle it right away or allow draining and cooling before untying. It can be served warm or cold, but if you try to cut it when it is too hot it will crumble on you.  Although the recipe does not call for it, you could serve it with a sauce made from butter and sugar. 

With the exception of the very long boiling period, this was a very easy dish to put together and the fact that it can be served cold is a saving grace.  If you wanted to serve this at a feast, I would suggest making it a day or two before in small batches and then either warm it up, or serve it cold.  I got approximately 16 slices out of this recipe, so it would easily serve eight people, or as part of a much larger feast, up to 16. This is a perfect breakfast food.  The oatmeal becomes rice-like in texture, and to me it tasted very similar to a rice pudding (which I love).  It slices like a cake or quick bread and I could see it being served with some butter as a portable breakfast meal. Did I mention I could not stop eating it?  Neither could my taste testers who have made me promise to make this again.  This would also make a very nice camp "dessert", requiring nothing more than to make sure that it is covered with water while it cooks.