SC - Dolphin Fish?

[Alderton, Philippa]

Celestria asks several questions about similarites between modern and
medieval French cooking.
>
>2.  The recipe for coq-au-vin leads me to believe it is plausibly period
>due to its lack of new world veggies.  Did cooks use wine to cook with in
>the Middle Ages or was it reserved solely for beverage?  Yes I know vinegar
>was used but I am really interested in whether potable wine was used
>regularly.
>
Yes,  Wine is very common.  For a period example of chicken cooked in wine,
try:

Capons Stwed (this is 15th c. English, but English and French cooking were
very similar at the time)

Take parcelly, Sauge, Isoppe, Rose Mary, and tyme, and breke hit bitwen thi
hondes, and stoppe the Capon there-with; colour hym with Safferon, and
couche him in a erthen potte, or of brasse, and ley splentes underneth and
al about the sides, that the Capon touche no thinge of the potte; strawe
good herbes in the potte, and put thereto a pottel of the best wyn that
thou may gete, and none other licour; hele the potte with a close led, and
stoppe hit aboute with dogh or bater, that no eier come oute; And set hit
on the faire charcole, and lete it seeth easly and longe till hit be ynowe.
And if hit be an erthen potte, then set hit on the fire whan thou takest
hit downe, and lete hit not touche the grounde for breking; And whan the
hete is ouer past, take oute the Capon with a prik; then make a sirippe of
wyne, Reysons of corance, sugur and safferon, And boile hit a litull; medel
pouder of Ginger with a litul of the same wyn, and do thereto; then do awey
the fatte of the sewe of the Capon, And do the Siryppe to the sewe, and
powre hit on the capon, and serue it forth. [end of original]

1 chicken, about 3 lb
First batch of herbs:
  1/3 c fresh parsley
  1 T dried sage
  1 t dried rosemary
  1 t thyme, ground
  2 T hyssop, dried
1 1/2 c wine
6 threads saffron + 1 t water
Second batch of herbs:
1/2 t tarragon
 1/2 t sage
1/2 t rosemary
1/2 t thyme
about 1/2 c flour
enough water to make a stiff dough
Sauce:
1/2 c wine
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c currants
small pinch saffron
1/4 c wine
1 t powdered ginger

Mix first batch of herbs and stuff chicken with them. Put chicken and wine
in a pot with a top; if you are using a stove top rather than an oven, you
may want to put wood pieces or something under the chicken to keep it from
sticking. Paint the chicken with water with saffron crushed into it.
Sprinkle on second batch of herbs. Mix flour and water into a stiff dough,
roll it out into a string, and use it between pot and lid as a seal. Bake
at 350° or simmer on stove top about 1 1/2 hours. Take out, drain, separate
out some of the liquid without the fat. Make a thick syrup of wine, sugar,
currants, and a pinch of saffron. Boil briefly. Mix another 1/4 c wine with
powdered ginger. Combine. Add 1/2 c of the liquid from the chicken to this,
heat, pour over capon, serve.

Elizabeth/Betty Cook


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