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.

 

Medieval Beef: Vaccina Salpresa Alessata, servito con Petrosemolo - Italian Salted Beef

Originally Published September 28, 2021

Vaccina salpresa alessata, servito con petrosemolo Salted pressed beef, boiled served with parsley

I first ran across this recipe after receiving Scappi's book. Originally it was planned to be served as part of a four-course meal at a site where the kitchen facilities were not optimal and at least two of the courses would need to be prepared ahead of time and served cold. This is very easy to make. As noted, I did not use curing salt because the amount of time I was curing the meat was not a very long time compared to Scappi's recipe where the meat is to be cured for long-term storage. Three days is an optimal time to brine and infuse the meat with the flavors of garlic, fennel, black pepper, and coriander. The spices that I chose are not in the recipe. Fennel and black pepper were quite common, throughout the book. Coriander was chosen because I would be garnishing it with parsley, and I think the flavor of Coriander pairs well with parsley. Garlic as a personal choice was chosen. It is not commonly used in Scappi's book.

Original Recipe: To lightly salt and boil every cut of the said animal, chapter 4, Scappi

I find that the shoulder and breast of the said animals are more appropriate than the others. When the cow or bull is dead and skinned without being skinned, one cuts it into the said layers in many pieces, and one puts it in slat in a ceramic vessel or wood, the which has been well washed, because if the salt is not cleaned, and if it is full of dirt it will have a bad smell, and when the pieces are places one on top of the others one covers the vessel with a wood cover, adding above a weight that holds everything well pressed until it has made the salt solution, and the summer when it has been curing for four days, and in the winter for eight, one pulls it out of the vessel, as much as you want to cook, rinse it in fresh water, and put it to cook in water without salt, and make sure above all that it is well skimmed. When it is cooked one can serve it hot or cold at every time with garlic sauce or mustard in plates. And if you want to make it in the same day that the animal is killed, take a piece of the shoulder or another part, and put it to boil in strong salted water until it is well cooked. And serve this in the same way that it is said above.

Ingredients

2 pounds beef brisket or flank steak

1/2 C. salt

OPT: 1/2 Tbsp. pink salt (sodium nitrite)

2 Tbsp. coriander

2 Tbsp. cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp. each garlic powder and crushed fennel

Instructions

1. Trim and clean the beef, removing connective tissue and most of the fat.

2. Prepare the brine by adding the salt and spices to a quart of water, bringing it to a boil, and allowing it to cool to room temperature.

3. Once cooled, place the meat and the brine into a ziplock bag, and refrigerate for three to seven days turning the bag daily. 4. When you are ready to cook the meat, remove it from the brine and pat it dry with a paper towel.

5. Grill each side for 2 minutes on direct heat. Then move to indirect heat and allow to cook to your liking. 6. Allow meat to rest until room temperature, but preferably cold, slice thin and then serve on a bed of lettuce garnished with parsley.

Note: Scappi has two sets of instructions in the recipe. The first recipe is how to prepare the meat through a salting process. The second is how to cook it when it is fresh.

And if you want to make it in the same day that the animal is killed, take a piece of the shoulder or another part, and put it to boil in strong salted water until it is well cooked. And serve this in the same way that it is said above.

Also, note that Scappi instructs you to serve the meat with mustard as a sauce.

This is an excellent dish that can be prepared ahead of time and served at a feast, or as part of a dayboard or camp meal.

Sources:

"The Opera Of Bartolomeo Scappi (1570)". Google Books, 2022, https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Opera_of_Bartolomeo_Scappi_1570/oF2jsqrWtEkC?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover. Accessed 18 July 2022.