SC - Mock Sturgeon-Final results-Revampedand Corrected

[LrdRas at aol.com]

UPDATED/CORRECTED VERSION

<< Sloan MS. 1108 (Curye on Inglysch, pp.155-6):
  To make sturgyn.  Take [th]e houghys of vele and caluys feete and sethe hem
  in hony.  And whan [th]ou hast soden hem all to poudre, take [th]e bonys
  oute.  In case [th]at [th]e flesshe be longe, take it a stroke or ii and
  put it in a fayre cannevasse and presse it welle.  Than take it and lese it
  fayre in thynne leches, and not to brode.  Take onyons, vynegre, and
  percelly and ley [th]eron, and so serue it forthe.
  
 Literal Translation:
 To make Sturgeon. Take the shanks of veal and calf's feet and seeth them in
 honey. And when you have seethed them all to powder, take the bones out. In
 case that the flesh be long, take it a stroke or two and put it in a fair
 canvas and press it well. Then take it and <slice ?> it fair in thin <slices
 ?> , and not too broad. Take onions, vineger, and parsley and lay thereon,
 and so serve it forth. 
  
 Probable Modern Translation:
 To Make Sturgeon. Take veal shanks and calf's feet and simmer them in honey.
 When you have simmered them <until the meat falls apart>, take out the
bones.
 <If there are large pieces of flesh, chop them smaller> and put it (the
flesh
 removed from the broth) and in a clean piece of canvas and press it well.
 Then take it and slice into thin slices, and not too <thick>. Take onions,
 vinegar and parsley and lay thereon. Serve.
 
 My redaction:
 
 STURGEON (An Illusion)
 (Copyright Nov. 24, 1997 L. J. Spencer, Jr., Willaimsport, PA 17701)
 
 4 veal shank's, cleaned
 2 calf's feet, split 
 Water to cover
 1/2 cp honey
 1/4 cp onion, finely minced
 1/4 cp fresh parsley, finely chopped
 Wine Vinegar
 
  Wash meat and place in a large kettle. Cover with water. Add honey. Bring
to
 a boil. Reduce heat to a slow boil. Cover. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. or until
 meat falls apart. Remove meat from liquid. Remove bones from meat when cool
 enough to handle, chopping large pieces smaller including skin if any. Put
 meat on a clean sterilized white cloth ( canvas is best but muslin works
 fine). Wrap into a large sausage shaped roll. Place on a large pan or baking
 dish. Set a pan the same sixe on top and place a weight on it. (A one gallon
 jug of water works well or 4 bricks). Refrigerate for several hours or
 overnight.
 Remove cloth. Place on an oblong serving platter. Slice thinly. Sprinkle
with
 onions, parsley and wine vingar. Serve. 
 Note: A line of thinly sliced onion rings down the center and parsley
springs
 around the outside makes a nice garnish. The broth remaining can be strained
 and reduced to half, refrigerated and then unmolded to serve as an
 accompanying aspic.
 
 You wrote:
 
 <<  Is the meat or the broth, or both, copper-colored?>>
 
 Both.
  
 << b) a mostly-whole smoked sturgeon is shown in one book.  The flesh is
  indeed copper-colored! The skin is black & grey in a sort of diamond-backed
  pattern, >>
 
 Since the recipe is from Cury, smoked sturgeon would make since. The thin
 layer of fat surrounding the finished roll was graying colored and retained
 the pattern of the cloth. It was also flattened ressembling a fish filet.
 When cut into it revealed a nice coppery color that looked without too much
 of a stretch of the imagination like smoked fish.
  
  <<  A little history:>>
 
 Absolutely fascinating! :-) Thanks.
  
  Comments and Observations:
 
 This dish is a nice looking dish and is really rather tasty. I am of the
 opinion that the recipe for Mock Sturgeon which calls for boiling in honey
is
 most likely what was intended and the quest to explain the word honey as a
 scribal error or otherwise is probably not necessary. The addition of water
is arbitrary on my part but does not detract from the finished product. All
and all this dish is
 good enough to serve at feast and definately will go in my modern recipe
 collection as a thing to be served at special occasions or a dish to pass.
When served with  brown or Dijon style mustard, it is heavenly.
 IMHO, the search for corroberating evidence to explain the use of honey as
an error by looking for it's use in similar recipes is also not necessary.
Such exercises may help in filling the missing parts of obscure or missing
texts but, as this recipe shows, it should never become the first thing one
does when trying to understand a recipe from the Middle Ages. The first thing
one should do is throw off the scholars robe, roll up one's sleeves and "get
thee
 hence to the kitchen"! :-) Thanks to Master Adamantius for helping me with
the translation of the term "houghys".
 
 al-Sayyid Ras al Zib, AoA, OSyc
 Kingdom of Aethelmearc
 Shire of Abhain Ciach Ghlas
 Mountain Confederation
 Clan Ravenstar >>

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