SC - Blancmanger blues

[Philip & Susan Troy]

> Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 14:36:16
> From: kat <someone at mail.redshift.com>
> Subject: SC - blancmanger - help!!
> 
> Hi all, kat here (writing from her home address)
> 
> I'm still having trouble with that blancmanger.  I tried it again this
> weekend... I added a lot more aromatics to the chicken stock (onions, fresh
> thyme, fresh sage, pepper) and once I pulled out the cooked chicken I
> reduced the stock for a while.  Next, I made the almond milk WITH some of
> the stock (instead of with water).  I cooked the rice in the almond milk
> and enriched stock, and when it was done I tossed in the shredded chicken
> and some almonds gently fried in butter...
> 
> The results?  The almonds tasted lovely, the chicken was fine.  The rice
> was BLAND, BLAND, BLAND... no flavor at all!!!! 
> 
> Am I doing something wrong?  I really really want to do this dish in a
> period style...  but if I can't get better results with the almond milk I
> may end up cooking the rice with just the stock for my feast.  

I may be completely out of line here, but I notice you aren't mentioning
salt. I know it's not mentioned in the recipe (which really isn't much
of an indicator that it is absent from the period dish), but you could
probably improve the dish greatly by adding some.

Another consideration is that blancmanger is supposed to be a bit bland.
Rich, yes. A New Year's Eve party in the mouth, no. Some recipe
collections refer to it as a dish for the sick, appropriately seasoned,
of course. 

I think your best bet would be to add some salt while the rice is
cooking. And don't forget the garnish of sugar raspings. This will add
to the vaguely alien effect, and also be somewhat reminiscent of many
Middle-and-Far-Eastern dishes, which season chicken with sugar.

Adamantius
troy at asan.com
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