SC - soups with a grain in it

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

And it came to pass on  3 Sep 97, that Uduido at aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 97-09-03 01:03:34 EDT, you write:
> 
> << I don't know what list policy is concerning posting recipes...
><< but  perhaps you have access to the book?
 
> Post it, damnit! IMHO, 99% of us are looking for recipes!!!!! :-0
> 
> Lord Ras

I've already sent it privately to the lady who asked; here it is for 
everyone else...

>From _An Ordinance of Pottage_ by Constance B. Hieatt, Prospect 
Books, 1988

(This is from a 15th century English manuscript: Yale Beinecke MS 163)

Grewel enforsed

Take merybonys & fresch beef; make good gruell therof, than draw hem
throrow a streyner.  Take fayre porke, tendur sodyn; peke out the
bonys & the senowys & do awey the skyn.  Grynd hit smal yn a morter. 
Temper hit up with the same gruell that ys drawyn; make hit smothe. 
Let hit stond resonabely by the flesshe.  Sesyn hit up with salt &
saferyn, than sette hym by the fyre.  Lete hym boyle a lytyll, and
serve hym forthe.

Hieatt's redaction and comments are:

"Gruel" usually meant oatmeal, but it was sometimes made with barley,
an alternative which produces a pleasing variant of modern barley
broths.

In my adapted version, overleaf, I have included herbs as an optional
addition, since some other recipes suggest adding them.

Meat and Barley Soup

1 c. barley
1/2 lb. beef shin, 'cracked' by the butcher
2 c. cut-up cooked pork
generous pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp. salt

optional additions:
1 onion
2-3 TBS minced parsley
1/2 tsp. sage

Put the barley in a pan with the beef shin, onion (if used), saffron
and salt, cover with 6 cups of water and boil until the barley is very
soft (about an hour).  Drain the barley, reserving the broth and the
bone.  Cut any usable meat from the beef bone into pieces and put it
into a processor with the barley, pork chunks, and parsley and sage
(if used).  Add a little of the broth and process into a fairly
smooth, thick "porridge".  Stir this back into the rest of the broth. 
 If necessary to achieve the right consistency, add a little more
water.  Check seasoning and serve hot.

- ---- End quoted recipe ----



Harper *** Robin Carroll-Mann
harper @ idt.net
"Mostly Harmless" -- Douglas Adams
Harper's Bread Basket http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/3967
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