SC - Re- Butchery

[Mark Schuldenfrei]

Mark Harris wrote:
> 
> Cariadoc explained:
> A fowl is taken, roasted, jointed and thrown in a jar into which are put
> coriander, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Verjus is added, and mint, tarragon
> and fresh thyme are cut over it, and good oil is poured over it. Fresh
> spices are minced onto it, and it is decorated with chopped cucumber.
> 
> >>>>>
> Could someone please post a redaction of this for me? I'm afraid I'm not
> quite up to redacting my own yet. This sounds similar to preserving soft
> cheese in oil that we discussed a while back. I'm not sure how much of
> each of these spices to use. How would you serve this? Take the pieces
> out of the oil and warm them up? Rinse them off like salt fish? (I assume
> not, but...)

This sounds a lot like the Spanish fish dish escabeche, which is
apparently derived from Arabic sources. Small "pan-dressed" (deheaded,
gutted, and scaled) fish or fish steaks are seasoned liberally with
salt, fried in oil and removed from the pan. Then onions (and sometimes
sweet or hot peppers in some recipes) are very briefly sauteed in the
same pan with peppercorns, bay leaves, and other appropriate pickling
spices. This vegetable mixture is alternately layered in a stone crock
with the fish, and the oily pan is deglazed with a generous amount of
vinegar (ideally about half as much vinegar as oil, but 1:1 is okay, so
long as the total liquid is enough to cover the fish), and the liquid is
brought to a boil and poured over the fish. The crock is then covered.
This will keep for a few days at room temperature and for at least a
week or two in the refrigerator, perhaps more depending on your
tolerance for bacteria, which was probably generally somewhat higher in
period. 

I know I have seen recipes for this in late- or just-post-period
European sources (c. 1600 C.E.).

Interesting to note how fine restaurants where I live have begun making
this dish with chicken (usually breastmeat medallions) as a wonderful
modern innovation on an ancient classic ;  ).

Hopin' this helps...

Adamantius