SC - Re: "Novice Only Redaction"

[Karen Williams]

Esteemed Tibor says:
>   Boiled Perch                  ("Perch boiled", Harleian MS 4016, # 155)
> 
>   "Perche boiled. Take a preche, and drawe him in (th)e throte, and make
>   to him sauce of water and salt; And whan hit bigynneth to boile, skeme
>   hit and caste (th)e perche there-in, and seth him; and take hum uppe,
>   and pul him, and serve him forth colde, and cast uppon him foiles of parcelly.
>   and (th) sau[c]e is venegre or vergous."
> ============================================================================

My first attempt at redaction. ;)

Cut the head off the perch and skin it while waiting for a small amount
of lightly salted water to heat up to almost a boil.  Place perch in
water, cooking the flesh until almost done, but not quite (I hate
overcooked fish-- and the flesh will continue to cook to some small
extent after removing it from the water bath). Remove and gut it. (Why
would the cook 'draw' the fish at this point? why not before cooking?
Does cooking the innards along with the flesh make the job less smelly
or icky? I think I'd prefer to draw it before cooking, myself...) While
the fish cools, de-stem some broad-leaf parsley and prepare a light
parsley bed for the plate as a garnish (I would wait until the flesh is
cool in order to prevent the parsley from wilting). Put the fish on the
garnish, sprinkle with parsley leaves and dribble the entire platter
with a moderate amount of apple cider vinegar (my choice for substitute
for verjuice, made from crab-apples, no?). I think I'd probably like the
taste of balsamic vinegar on this, too, but have no idea as to its
period-ness.

ciorstan
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