GTOD Vigil Recipe - Pressmetzen zu Ostern

Pressmetzen Zu Ostern, Precedella, Torten von Epffel and Sugared Mint Leaves

I'd like to send thanks to Volker Bach for the inspiration for the festive centerpiece of the Vigil Feast.  Shortly after I was asked to do the Vigil daybard, he shared a memory for an Easter Feast from 2021.  I knew that I needed to make this pastry and the Dockenmilch.  If you have not visited culina vetus you are doing yourself a disservice. The breadth of the material found there is staggering. 


The cookbook of Balthasar Staindl from Dillingen in 1544 entitled “How to bake the Pressmetzen at Easter”.

Pressmetzen zu Ostern (from Balthasar Staindl)

ccxxii Make a good gentle egg cheese (like a custard) and do not burn it. Put it on a draining board so that it sinks down (drains) well, then take the egg cheese and stir it apart with a spoon, add more eggs, a little sweet cream, also grate manchet bread into it, yellow it (with saffron), season it, add sufficient raisins. Then take manchet bread (semmel) dough from a baker, roll it out wide, put the above mentioned egg cheese on it, and wreath (kräntzel) it around and around (make a plaited edge). Bake it in an oven, but before you put it into the oven, add figs, put almonds on top. Anoint the wreath outside with yellowed (saffron-dyed) egg yolks and put it back into the oven briefly. These flecken (tarts) are blessed for Easter.

Pressmetzen zu Ostern (from Balthasar Staindl)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 packet or 2 tsp. yeast

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup lukewarm milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. salt 

1 egg

Stir together yeast, flour, sugar and salt.  Mix butter, milk and egg together. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. The dough will be very sticky and "shaggy" at this point. Work the dough until it is smooth and pliable ( about five minutes).  Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Ingredients: egg cheese ( Ayerschotten ):

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks or 3 large eggs

Pinch salt

1 tbsp sugar

Whisk eggs with milk, sugar and salt. Put in a saucepan and heat slowly stirring constantly until the liquid starts to boil.  Continue to stir until the whey separates from the egg cheese allow to cool to room temperature. Place a cheesecloth in a strainer, add the egg cheese, weight with a plate and add some cans to the top in order to press the cheese.  You want it as dry as possible before you add the remaining ingredients. Note: this can be made a day ahead. 

Other filling ingredients:

2 eggs

~1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1-2 tbps. sweet cream 

Pinch of saffron

1 tbsp. sugar

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup chopped figs

1 egg yolk

Once the egg cheese is dry,  stir in remaining eggs,  breadcrumbs and sweet cream into the egg cheese. Fold in the raisins, color with saffron and sugar to taste.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle and spread the egg cheese filling on top. Fold the dough over and twist into a ring on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Let this rest for another 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped figs and almonds. Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes. Brush with egg yolk. Bake again for about 15 minutes.

Lemon and Ginger Syrup

Tacuinum Sanitatis: Medieval Horticulture and Health

Drink syrups are an easy way to bring flavor to the feast. They are easily portable and do not require refrigeration. They can also be diluted "to taste". I am uncertain where I found the ginger syrup recipe but would like to give the attribution to the author. If someone knows where this is located, please let me know.

If you are interested in other kinds of drinks that have been served at past events, please consider visiting the following link:

What to Drink? Four Drink Syrups for Recreation Feasts 

Lemon Syrup courtesy of   David Friedman

Take lemon, after peeling its outer skin, press it and take a ratl of juice, and add as much of sugar. Cook it until it takes the form of a syrup. Its advantages are for the heat of bile; it cuts the thirst and binds the bowels. [Translation from the Miscellany:http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/drinks.html]

Ingredients:

1 quart lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar

Heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for about 15 minutes-half an hour. Refrigerate. To use, dilute about 8 to 1 with water.

Ginger Syrup:

Ingredients

Approximately 2/3 cup Ginger
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup lemon juice
4 cups sugar

Peel a big hunk of ginger and mince. (About 2/3 c. per batch) Mix 2.5 cups water with 4 cups sugar. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup lemon juice and reduce heat. Add several spoonful's of the ginger. Simmer until reduced by 1/6. Add rest of ginger. Simmer until reduced by about 1/3 from start. Cool. Strain & bottle. To use, dilute about 8 to 1 with water.

Note: if you cut the ginger into chunks rather than mincing, you can use the strained out chunks, put them in sugar syrup at the soft ball stage, and roll them in sugar to candy them.

GTOD Vigil Recipe - Rindfleisch Knödel (Rumpolt, 1581)

One of the things I wanted to do when requested to put together the vigil table was to make sure that there was a little something for everyone from the savory to the sweet.  For the carnivores I planned on offering a selection of meats; smoked pork, sausages made of pork, and pork and beef, chicken and meatballs of beef.  I wanted to make sure that everything was bite size.  In the past I have used meatballs to "round out" a course.  They are inexpensive and easy to make and if you use a tablespoon measure, you can get approximately 30 meatballs for a pound of meat. In this case, I was able to get more meatballs because of the addition of the bread.  My original intention was to roll them out into a log shape, but I served them up as balls instead.  They were delicious with the spicy brown mustard, cherry sauce and Käeßsuppen. 

Original German (Ein New Kochbuch by Marx Rumpolt)

Ochsen 67. Knödel zu kochen auff ein andere manier von Rindtfleisch. Nim~ Rindtfleisch/ schneidt es klein/ vn~ klaub das Fett darvon/ hack es klein durcheinder/ nim~ ein wenig gestossen Pfeffer/ gerieben Saffran/ vnd ein wenig Saltz/ auch drey oder vier Eyer/ weich ein beschnitte~ Weck oder Sem~el eyn/ druck sie wol mit den Händen auß/ vnd hacks vnter das Fleisch/ thu saubere groß vnd kleine schwartze Rosein darvnter/ mach runde oder lenglichte Knödel darauß/ wie es dir wirt gefallen/ mach Butter heiß/ vnd rößt die Knödel darinnen fein langsam/ daß sie fein braun/ vnd nicht schwartz werden. Vnd wenn du sie hast außgerößt/ so thu sie in einen gekochten Pfeffer/ der wol


English Translation: (by M. Grasse)

Beef #67: Meatballs of beef to cook in another manner. Take beef/ and cut it small/ and trim the fat away/ hack (mix) it small and together/ take a little pounded pepper/ rubbed saffron/ and a little salt (salz in German)/ also three or four eggs/ soak a trimmed loaf or roll/ press (the liquid) out well with the hands/ and hack (mix) under the meat/ put clean large and small black raisins thereunder/ make (form) round or longish dumplings (meatballs) therefrom/ as it pleases you/ heat butter/ and slowly fry the meatballs therein/ that they become fine brown/ and not black. And when you have cooked them through/ put them in a cooked pepper/ that well testing and fixed is/ let them come to a boil again in the pepper/ so it is well tasting/ a good meal for poor and rich.

RECIPE:

1 pound ground beef (80/20)
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 c. bread crumbs soaked in water or milk 
¾ c raisins (you can vary this to taste)

Please Note: I deviated from the recipe by boiling the meatballs in broth instead of frying. 

Mix all ingredients together adding water until the meat forms a paste.  Divide meat into portions and roll into shape (balls or logs as you desire).  If you are following the recipe, you will want to brown the meatballs in some fat in a pan.  

If you want to follow my shortcut, season some broth with the seasonings below (vinegar, black pepper, ginger), drop the meatballs in and cook a small batch at a time until they float.  Once they float, they can be removed, cooled and frozen until needed. 

I cannot claim the black pepper sauce recipe.  This is hosted on "The Inn at the Crossroads" website.  Another resource I like to use.  Their recipe is below:

Poivre Noir : Black Pepper Sauce

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

165. Poivre noir: Black Pepper Sauce. Grind ginger, round pepper and burnt toast, infuse this in vinegar (var.: and a little verjuice) and boil it. – Le Viandier de Taillevent, 14th century


Ingredients

1 slice bread, toasted until black
1/3 cup verjuice, or equal parts cider vinegar and water
1 Tbs. wine vinegar
1 Tbs. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Soak the burned bread in the liquid until it has fallen apart; mash with a fork. Stir in the spices and slowly bring to a boil. For a thinner sauce, add more liquid; for a smoother version, press through a sieve.

GTOD Vigil Recipe - Mosterdsaus- Sweet mustard & Spicy mustard (Rumpolt, 1581)

To accompany the meats there was a choice of condiments which included two separate mustards.  I enjoy it when I discover a receipt online and it can create two separate things. This set of instructions from "Ein new Kochbuch" is one such example. 

Please note: I could have made mustard by soaking the mustard seeds overnight and then adding vinegar (per Rumpolt). I also wanted a similar flavor profile between the two mustards, and would have added the wine to the recipe below to make sure the mustards carried a similar flavor.  Maiille's already contained all of the items I was looking for and was less expensive then purchasing the individual ingredients. Hence the substitution in the following recipes. 

Braun Senff mit lauterm Essig angemacht / ist auch gut
Brown mustard made with clear vinegar is also good.

10. Seudt Birn in süssem Most/ thu sie auß auff ein saubers Bret/ vnd laß kalt werden/ laß den Most weiter sieden/ biß er dick wirt/ laß jn darnach kalt werden/ streichs mit braunem Senff durch/ thu alsdenn die gesottenen Birn darein/ so wirt es gut vnd wolgeschmack. Wiltu aber ein guten Senff haben/ so stoß Aniß vnnd Coriander durcheinander/ streichs durch mit braunem Senffmehl/ vnd süssen gesottenem Wein/ so wirt es gut vnnd wolgeschmack.

10. Seethe pears in sweet grape juice/ take them out on a clean board/ and let cool/ let the juice boil again/ until it becomes thick/ then let it become cold/ strain through with brown mustard/ and then put the boiled pears in it/ so it becomes good and well tasting. However if you want to have a good mustard/ then crush anise and coriander together/ strain through with brown mustard powder/ and sweet boiled wine/ so it becomes good and well tastin

Sweet Pear Mustard

2 pears

1 cup sweet grape juice

Maille Old Style Mustard (water, mustard seeds, distilled vinegar, salt, white wine, sugar, lactic acid & natural flavor) 

Clean, pare, quarter and core the pears.  Add to a pot with the grape juice in it.  Allow pears to cook until they become soft enough to make into a sauce. Mix with mustard to taste.  I found a 50/50 blend added the perfect amount of sweetness. 

Spicy Brown Mustard

Maille Old Style Mustard

1 tsp. Coriander

1 1/2 tsp. Anise

Mix together spices with mustard.

Both mustards should age at least three days.  The longer they age, the better they get. 

Sources

Deutsches Textarchiv – Rumpolt, Marx: Ein new Kochbuch. Frankfurt (Main), 1581.
"Deutsches Textarchiv – Rumpolt, Marx: Ein New Kochbuch. Frankfurt (Main), 1581.". Deutschestextarchiv.De, 2022, https://www.deutschestextarchiv.de/book/view/rumpolt_kochbuch_1581?p=419. Accessed 3 May 2022.

GTOD Vigil Recipe - Kirschen - Cherries Stewed in Wine

Original German (Ein New Kochbuch by Marx Rumpolt)

Kirschen/ die dürr seinn/ seß zu mit halb Wasser unnd halb Wein/ magst sie kalt oder warm geben.

Cherries/ that are dried/ set to (cook? Or soak) with half water and half wine/ (you) may serve them cold or warm.

Recipe:

1 pound frozen cherries
1½ cups red wine
1½ cups water
½ c sugar

Dried cherries are a bit more expensive then the frozen cherries, s I opted to use frozen cherries for this particular recipe.  However, at some point in the future I would like to try this with cherries thtat have been dried. 

To make, simply combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce has reduced and cherries begin to break down.  

Sources: 

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek - Digitale Bibliothek, M. (2022). Rumpolt, Marx: Rumpolt, Marx:Ein new Kochbuch ( 1587) - Digitised Book from the copyright-free holdings of the Bavarian State Library Munich [Germany] 2007-2022 Image-based Similarity Search. Retrieved 20 April 2022, from https://bildsuche.digitale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=viewer&bandnummer=bsb00090475&pimage=1&v=2p&nav=&l=en

DFG-Viewer: Ein new Kochbuch
"DFG-Viewer: Ein New Kochbuch". Dfg-Viewer.De, 2022, http://dfg-viewer.de/show?tx_dlf%5Bdouble%5D=0&tx_dlf%5Bid%5D=http%3A%2F%2Fdaten.digitale-sammlungen.de%2F~db%2Fmets%2Fbsb00090475_mets.xml&tx_dlf%5Bpage%5D=394&cHash=fe888b8427aa3211b8dbd29c1f6ded66. Accessed 25 Apr 2022.

GTOD Vigil Recipe - man bradet Zwybeln in Bradfeift - Onion Relish - (1598). Kunstbuch Von mancherley Essen

Ein condimentlin, Rote Ruben, Man bradet Zwybeln in Bradfeift, Wilthu machenn eynngemacht Crautt

UPDATE: The original event this receipt was researched for did not come to pass due to covid.  However, I was able to use this at the Vigil feast. 

I'm still working on rounding out the first course. I feel that it needs an onion element, something sweet and sour to serve as an alternative to or in addition to the mustard sauce for the sausages and neat's tongue. It could even serve as an additional topping for the cheese sop if wanted, and I came across this receipt from a book written in 1598, that creates a kind of onion relish.  I have done something similar for another 12th Night feast that was served with roasted chicken called "A Pickle for the Mallard".  It was a lovely, and I'm looking forward to creating it's German equivalent. 

Kunstbuch Von mancherley Essen

6. Item / man bradet Zwybeln in Bradfeift / machtſie abmit groſſem Roſin /Pfeffer und Eſsig / gibts über die Braten / beſtreretſiedannmit Pfefe fer und Eſsig und gibt ſie zumdiſch.

6. Item / you fry onions in butter /made with great raisins / pepper and vinegar / serve over the roast / then sprinkle them with pepper and vinegar and add them to the top.

Interpreted Recipe

1 large or 2 medium onions chopped
2 tbsp. oil or lard
½ cup white wine
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup (or to taste) raisins

Heat the oil in a small pot. Add the onions and cook until they are lightly browned. Add remainder of the ingredients. Bring to boil, then lower to simmer and allow to cook until sauce has reduced a bit. Keep warm until ready to serve. 

====

Rontzier, F. d. (1598). Kunstbuch Von mancherley Essen, Gesotten, Gebraten, Posteten, von Hirschen, Vogelen, Wildtprat, vnd andern Schawessen, so auff Fürstlichen, vnd andern Pancketen zuzurichten gehörich .... (n.p.): In der Fürstlichen Druckerey.

GTOD Vigil Recipe - Von eingepickten hünern - Pickled Chicken - Inntal. In: Ostbairische Grenzmarken 12 (1970) 118-128.

As you can see, I had originally worked on translating this recipe in anticipation of the 12th Night event that did not happen.  I found it such a unique dish, I wanted to bring it to Appolonia's Vigil.  It was quite popular.  And will be making an appearance at a future event. 

Slightly disappointed that what I thought was cheese soup (Käeßsuppen does mean cheese soup just ask google!!) but was more of a spread to go on bread, I thought I needed to "round out" the first course of the 12th Night feast with a meat cooked in a broth, or a soup like substance :-/.  To be fair, the cheese sops, the fennel and bacon savory pastries, smoked neat's tongue, various sausages & mustard, pickled vegetables and pears in syrup should be enough! However, I want to offer something for individuals who may not be interested in trying the pork or beef dishes. I really need a "chicken" dish.

Fortunately, I don't need to make a lot of this dish to satisfy the nibbley-appetizer part and this does fit the very definition of something to be served to open the stomach--it is vinegary, and contains warm spices! Perfecto!

I think on first look, people would be turned off by the idea of a "pickled chicken". I was and I had bypassed the recipe in my search for that "little something else" before actually looking at the ingredients.  I had cooked something similar before for a private dinner!! Chicken Ambrogino with Dried Fruit from "The Medieval Kitchen; Recipes from France and Italy" by Odile Redon, Francoise Sabban & Silvano Serventi--it is absolutely delicious, and should be served again at a future date.  Voila!  

According to the author's, this dish falls into the category of escabeches- dishes that are marinated in vinegar and spices used for preserving meat, fish or vegetables.  No wonder it is referred to as "pickled".  I must admit, that having cooked to great success a similar dish, I did not do a lot of testing of this recipe. I know that the portions presented in the previously mentioned cookbook appeal to modern tastes, so I pulled it down and am using a similar method for this dish.  There are some things that are present in the Chicken Ambrogino not found in this dish, for example, the bread that thickens the sauce.  I may need to do a bit more cooking down of the sauce to form the syrup.  

Stefan's Florilegium is an abslute Gem! If you have an interest in things Medieval, please visit. It is where I found this translation of the Inntal.

Von eingepickten hünern
Nim weinper, zwifal, mandel, essich ader
wein vnd mach dy h¸ner zu III tailen vnd
legs ein vnd mach sy ab mit gew¸rcz vnd
richcz an.

Pickled chickens

Take raisins, onions, almonds, vinegar and wine, cut the chickens into three parts, put them into the pickle, spice them and serve.

Ingredients

3-4 Chicken breast and thighs cut into chunks

1/2 cup Raisins

1 large Onions

1/2 cup Almonds

3 tbsp.  Red Wine Vinegar added to 1/2 cup chicken broth 

1/4 cup Red Wine

For Spices; 1 tbsp. fine spice powder.

I'm cutting the chicken into manageable chunks instead of leaving it whole as this will be an appetizer served alongside roasted neat's tongue, and sausages so it needs to be easily skewearable.  The plan is simple, mix all ingredients together and cook in a pot until the chicken has cooked through, and the sauce has thickened up. Note: I may need to add more liquid to this, and if so I will simply double it up, but I have no idea at this point how much "sauce" will be needed for that amount of chicken to "stew" properly.  Serve.

Addendum: I cooked the sauce down till the pot was dry.  The chicken grabbed onto the flavors of the dish.  This was a great "make ahead" dish, that was delicious cold. 

GTOD Vigil Recipe - A delicious marcipan with quinces and almonds - Recipes from Anna Wecker’s Köstlich New Kochbuch (1598)

Marzipan of Quince and Almond

Found in Recipes from Anna Wecker’s Köstlich New Kochbuch (1598) this recipe for a marchpane made with quince sounds divine, and so it must be tested.  I have made marchpanes previously for a 12th Night feast, and was eager to try something a little different for this one. 

Ein köstlich Marcipan von Quitten und Mandeln in hefftigem Durchlauff von schwachem Magen (p. 49)

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

Ingredients

Quince
Ground Almonds
Sugar
Rose or cinnamon water

I will use my previous recipe for Marchpane with the addition of quince paste.  With that thought in mind, I am trying a new method with my quinces.  I have cut three quinces in half and have placed them into a crockpot with enough apple juice to cover the bottom (about 2 ounces), and have set the crock pot on low.  I will allow the quinces to cook until they are soft. The idea to cook the quince in a crockpot came from a blog post I had found from well fed, flat broke "crock pot membrillo".

NOTE: I did not add sugar at this point because I want to follow the recipe as exactly as possible and I amnot making quince paste.  If this does not work as expected to cook the quinces to a pulp that can be put into marchpane, then it will become quince paste ;-) it will not be wasted. 

let the experimentation begin!

A short while later....

Quinces smell very good and are starting to soften but all of the apple juice has been absorbed or cooked off :-/ added more juice and water to come about halfway up the fruit--some of them were getting a bit brown. Still cooking on low and planning on continuing to do so for several more hours.

DAY 2

Pictured below are the lovely cooked quinces.  They cooked in the slow cooker for about six hours yesterday and are just now starting to get a reddish color.  Curiosity is prompting me to clean them of their skin and cores and return them to the crock pot for a bit longer.   I must have done it right, because the pot is full of "juice".  There is more there then what I put in yesterday and the fruit is nearly covered with it.  My next step is to remove seeds and cores, remove skins and remove most of the juice, return the fruit to the crock pot and continue to cook it.  There will not be any additional  sugar added to the fruit. 

Also, a small correction from yesterday--it was fresh pressed cloudy apple cider that was added yesterday--not apple juice.  It's the only "apple juice" I drink--sorry for the confusion for those who are following along.  Aren't they lovely?? Heavy,  glossy, and starting to break down!?

Day Three-- Complete!!

Today I finished the marzipan and ohmygoodness! It is delicious!.  The quinces cooked down to a beautiful maroon color which is offset by the almond flour. 

Finalized Recipe

3 tbsp. quince 

3/4 cup + almond flour

9 tbps. + confectioner sugar

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

As you can see I tried to decorate with edible gold stars but they do not show up well on the dough. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of it for you, it is a lovely orangy-pink in color and probably does not need any further decoration.  It is a lovely taste! You taste the quince, then the almonds, and towards the end of the bite, the flavors mix together and it tastes -almost- like cherries.  This is a go for FEAST!

GTOD VIGIL RECIPE - Käeßsuppen - Cheese Spread (not soup) - Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, c. 1581

Original Recipe:

Nimm ein neuwen Käeß/ der vber Nacht gemacht ist/ vnd rüer jhn ab mit saurem Rahm/ thu frische Butter darein/ vnd laß darmit auffsieden/ so zergehet der Käeß. Vnnd wenn du wilt anrichten/ so nimm gebeht Schnitten Brot/ oder von Weck/ vnd geuß die Brüeh darüeber/ so ist es ein gute Vngerische Käeßsuppen. 

46 Take a new cheese/ that (was) made overnight/ and stir it up with soured cream/ put fresh butter therein/ and let (it) come to a boil therewith/ so the cheese breaks down. And when you want to prepare it (serve it)/ so take sliced bread/ or from a loaf. And pour the broth over (it)/ so is a good Hungarian cheese soup. 

This recipe reminds me of Sir Kenelm Digby's Savoury Tostyde which is absolutely out of this world delicious. 

We will start with similar proportions as those given by Digby, which creates a very delicious "cheese goo", that can be made ahead and heated day of.  

1/2 lb butter 
1/2 lb cream cheese - Sub sour cream 
1/8 lb new cheese

**1/4 t white pepper (to taste)

**Salt to taste

YUM

Day 2: What is a "New Cheese" 

The recipe specifies "a new cheese / that was made overnight"  so it is assumed that while this "soup" is supposed to be flavorful, it is to be a mild flavor.  Fortunately, we don't have to look very far for instructions on how to make a "New Cheese".  The " Nyeuwen cooc boeck by Gheeraert Vorselman" supplies the following recipe: 

2.198 Om plattekaas te maken

Neem wat stremsel, doe het in room of melk en laat dat een nacht staan bezinken. Doe het dan in de [kaas]mandjes. Leg [eerst] in de mandjes schone doekjes, en giet de gestremde melk erin. Belast het met een steen en laat het dan uitlekken. Doe er dikke room over.

2.198 To make fresh (soft) cheese

Take some rennet, add it to cream or milk and let it set for a night. Then put it in [cheese] baskets. [First] put clean cloth in the baskets, then pour in the curds. Weigh it down with a stone and then let it drain. Pour fat cream over it.

Rennet

Milk

**Salt

I have not worked with rennet to make cheese before.  I am very familar with the cheese made from adding an acid agent to it.  In order to better learn how to do this, I visited one of my favorite blogs-Grow, Forage, Cook, Ferment, who has a very well written set of instructions for making a simple rennet cheese.

Third Day - Test Recipe

The test recipe was made using 2 tbsp. large curd cottage cheese, 2 tbsp. sour cream and 1 tbsp. butter, pinch of white pepper. I chose cottage cheese because it is similar to fresh made acidic cheese (the process is the same) and appears to resemble the simple rennet cheese from previous research.  There are four kinds of  ready made fresh cheeses that can be purchased; the most period appropriate (for this event)  is quark followed by cream or cottage cheeses. Since the cheese is not specified as acid or rennet created, only new, I chose cottage cheese for it's overall availability.

First impression - not bad but it could be better.  This creats a tangy soup with lumps of cheese curd in it.  I was hoping the cottage cheese would break down a bit more, but instead it firmed up and became chewy which I did not care for.  This may change if using something like "quark", and I know it will be smooth using "cream cheese".

Instead of using a "new cheese" I might opt for something along the lines of a Gouda or Muenster or a mix of the two.  Both Gouda and Munster enjoy a long history. Gouda is dated to around 1184 and is a Dutch cheese.  Munster is a French cheese, not to be confused with Muenster, which is an American made cheese that imitates the French style of cheese. 

The advantages of using these two semi-soft cheeses is that they are a little more flavorful then cottage cheese, and will stand up better to the sour cream which overpowered the cottage cheese.  Additionally, I am hoping for a creamier smoother soup, vs a creamy soup with the occasional lump.  Personal preference. 

Alternatively, cream cheese could be used with a little bit of "another cheese" for color and flavor.  We will see. 

Fourth Day

This recipe really bother's me. So I'm doing more research. On to my favorite site for research "Medieval Cookery" hosted by Dan Myers, where I did a search on "cheese". I found another recipe from a similar time period and same region for brouet (brodittum) of cheese in the Registrum Coquine hosted by Volker Bach! WIN!

Thus make a brouet (brodittum) of cheese. Take fresh cheese mixed with eggs, and add saffron with other sweet spices. After that, take fat broth and put it in, and do not stir (moveas) it until you wish to eat it. Then put into (serving) dishes as much as you wish, and put the spices on top. And this will be for Frenchmen and Englishmen.

This seems to be a more workable recipe and more familiar to modern tastes then the previous and therefore this *might* be what I will work with.  

Ingredients

Cheese (fresh)

Eggs

Saffron

"other sweet spices"

Broth

This has a close resemblence to my interpretation of  "Arbolettys" which creates a very cheesy comforting soup flavored with sage.  It is delicious. 

A comparison between arbolettys and the brouet of cheese ingredients yields the following differences: 

Milk instead of broth
No Butter
Herbs in addition to spices (parsley & sage)

A comparison of the brouet of cheese to the original recipe for  Käeßsuppen yields the following differences: 

No eggs

No Saffron

Sour cream instead of broth

No spices or herbs

I will be testing the brouet of cheese later today.  Here are my thoughts on the recipe which should be enough to create a single serving of soup. 

Test Recipe

1 cup broth (chicken)
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup or to taste cottage cheese mixed (it's what I have)

2 eggs

Similar Recipes: 

Fourme of Curye [Rylands MS 7] - .lxxxlx. Brewet of ayroun.

Gentyll manly Cokere (MS Pepys 1047) - Egges yn brewte.

Something to look forward too for LUNCH!! 

Day 5--AARGHS!!

Armed with the original recipe's ingrdients I've spent the past several days researching.  I think, it's not a soup.  I think it's a sop, that is, something that goes on top of bread.  This is why.

With the exception of seasoning, the original recipes ingredients are directly identical to modern day Pfälzer Spundekäs, a spread that is regionally associated with North Rhein Westphalia and Rhineland Palatinate. It is a cheese paste, typically served on toasted bread or with pretzels. 

Here is the recipe--note, butter is missing in favor of onion, garlic, pepper, salt and paprika.  I was correct in the assumption that this resembles Digby's cheese goo.  So do I want to serve a spread on toasty bread or a soup in a bread bowl? 

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces Quark cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (100 ml)

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 onion
garlic
pepper
salt
2 teaspoons paprika

Instructions

Mix the cream cheese, quark and sour cream together in a bowl and beat until creamy. Dice the onions finely and add to the mixture. Season with pressed garlic, paprika, salt and pepper and allow to sit for 3 hours in a refrigerator.

Final Decision -- There is no soup at this feast, there will however be great slabs of the pastry flavored with fennel and bacon and made with a mixture of wheat and rye, assorted cured meats and/sausages, the mustard pickled vegetables, and the pears in syrup for the first course.  YUM!!

I will include the salt and pepper for modern taste, but none of the other spices in the modern recipe.  I do plan on serving an onion relish though, that should make up for any loss of flavor by not including the garlic, onion, pepper or paprika.  

Recipe

1 cup quark or cottage cheese
4 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream

Note: Although not period to make a smoother sauce add 1/2 tsp. baking soda if you are using cottage cheese. 

Mix all ingredients, cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place for 1 hour.

Then put it into a heavy bottomed pan (or double broiler) and simmer over low heat stirring  with a wisk until cheese has started to melt and everything has blended to a smooth consistency. Can be made ahead of time and heated day of. 

Homemade Quark - Instapot recipe

1/2 gallon whole milk
1 quart butter milk
Cheese cloth

Put the milk and buttermilk in Instant Pot and set for Yogurt. Put the lid on and press ‘YOGURT’ then ‘ADJUST.’ Hold the adjust button until it says ‘BOIL.’ Then after it beeps press ‘YOGURT ‘ and set time for 13 hours (overnight). Once done put cheese cloth in a strainer over large bowl and pour out, reserving the liquid (whey). I used that later for the ricotta. Put in fridge for another six hours in cheese cloth over a bowl to continue to drain. Then use as desired.