SC - Mortrewes

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Christi Redeker wrote:
> 
> Can anyone tell me what Mortrewes are?  I have no references with me at work to look them up.  Thanks!
> 
> Murkial

Mortrews, mortrellus, mortrewes, are all spoonable dishes best described
as savory puddings made from boiled meat, poultry, or fish, ground in a
mortar (hence the name, apparently), mixed with some of the cooking
broth, and thickened with bread crumbs, or perhaps rice flour as a
substitute. Extra thick dishes, with bread crumbs added till the dish is
"stondyng" and/or could be sliced, would have been "Double Mortrews". In
my opinion this could be one of the dishes that gave rise to the myth
about excessively spiced medieval meat dishes. But darn it, it isn't the
meat, it's the %$#@#$% bread crumbs. I had similar experiences with
haggis, which just seems to eat up the seasonings without noticeable
effect.

Early in my time as an SCA cook, I was told by Baron Salaamallah (he of
mustard soup fame) that mortrews was perhaps the only medieval European
dish that it was impossible to make taste good. After finally having
mastered haggis (more or less) I might be willing to take it on.

>From "The Forme of Cury":
"46	Mortrews. Take hennes and pork and seeth hem togyder. Take the lyre
of hennes and of the pork and hewe it small, and grind it all to doust;
take brede ygrated and do therto, and temper it with thr self broth, and
alye it with yolkes of ayren; and cast theron powdour fort. Boille it
and do therin powdour of gynger, sugar, saffron, and salt, and loke that
it be stondyng; and flour it with powdour gynger."

Normally the very idea of a standing pottage makes me want to spew; I
think in this case the thing to do is make it as Double Mortrews, which
should end up resembling the filling of some of the French white
puddings, and not too far from what haggis is supposed to be, either.

Adamantius 
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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