SC - Biscotti, brodo of chickpeas, chard poree

[Decker, Terry D.]

I was off board at Namron Protectorate (Northern Ansteorra) this weekend,
helping some fellow cooks prepare a small celebratory dinner for the 10th
wedding anniversary of Baroness Gwyneth of Ramsey Mere.  I handled the
breads, producing cheese bread for casual snacking, and wheat bread, Tuscan
almond schiacciata and biscotti.  I also had the opportunity to make a soup
and a vegetable dish from The Medieval Kitchen.

I made the chickpea soup from Martino's Libro de arte coquinaria and the
chard poree from Le Menagier de Paris.  Both dishes were very well received.
The recipes follow.

Bear

Brodo of red chickpeas.  To make eight platefuls: take a libra and a half (1
libra = about 10 1/2 oz. (300 g.)) of chickpeas and wash them in hot water,
drain them, the put them in a pot in which they will be cooked.  Add half an
oncia (1 oncia = about 1 oz. (30 g.)) of flower (of wheat), a little good
oil, a little salt and about 20 crushed peppercorns and a little ground
cinnamon, then thoroughly mix all these things together with your hands.
Then add three measures of water, a little sage, rosemary and parsley roots.
Boil until it is reduced to the quantity of eight platefuls.  And when they
are nearly cooked pour in a little oil.  And if you prepare this soup for
invalids, add neither oil nor spices.


I didn't have red chickpeas, so I substituted dried yellow.  The soup was to
feed 24, so I cleaned and soaked 4 cups of chickpeas overnight.  Should I
prepare this again, I'll use 5 cups of chickpeas per 24 people.  

I crushed about 25 peppercorns and stirred them, about 4 tablespoons of
flour, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into a 1/4 cup of olive oil.  I
drained the chickpeas and mixed them and the spiced oil in a large pot.  I
covered the chickpeas with water and brought it to a boil.  A gray-brown
scum formed on the surface and was skimmed off.  I had to add more pepper in
the cooking, so if I make this quatity again, I'll start with about 40
peppercorns.  The heat was set set to low and the soup simmered for about
two hours.

I added a teaspoon of rubbed sage, a teaspoon of rosemary needles crushed
into the pot and 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley (no root available).  Toward
the end of the cooking I added about a teaspoon and a half of salt for
seasoning. 

The soup is rich and flavorful.  Everyone at the dinner tried it and the
majority found it to be excellent.  It reheats well.  I would be tempted to
use this recipe at a feast.  As I prepared it, the recipe makes just under a
gallon or one cup of soup per person.  Using 5 cups of chickpeas per 24
people insures that everyone will get fed without having to scrape the
bottom of the pot.


Chard poree.  A poree of chard that is washed then cut up and boiled will
stay greener than one that is first boiled, then chopped..  But it will stay
even greener if it is trimmed, washed, cut up, and soaked in two changes of
cold water, then, after drying it by handfuls, put it into the pot to boil
with broth, fat pork and mutton broth; when it has cooked a little and you
wish to serve it, top it with trimmed, washed and chopped parsley and a
little young fennel; bring it to the boil only once.

I took 4 bunches of red chard and cut the leaves from the stems.  I also cut
out some of the heavier veining in the leaves, but that was possible
excessive.  I washed the leaves in a collander and soaked them in cold
water.  I cut the leaves into strips and put them back in cold water.  When
I had finished, I drained the leaves and packed them in large ziplock bags
to take to the site.

My meat broth had gone bad, so I was stuck using beef boullion.  I sliced up
about six ounces of salt pork and added it to the boullion while I brought
it to a boil.  The mutton shank and the parsley didn't make it to the site.
No fennel bulb was locally available.  I did not add salt to the bouillon.

I brought the bouillon to a boil, then added the chard, having to wait as
the greens wilted and opened space in the pot.  After about 15 minutes, it
was ready to serve.

The people who like greens declared it superb.  The people who don't like
greens didn't eat it.  I don't particularly care for greens, but found the
dish edible.  Four bunches made about enough for 12 people.  Should I do
this again (my wife wants me to do it at home), I'll use meat broth,
although the bouillon made an acceptable substitute.  I will cut the salt
pork very fine so that any pieces of salt pork tangled in the greens will
not be noticeable.  I am considering how to reduce the fat for a friend who
is diabetic and likes greens.

I had to hold the dish for about 20 minutes and to me there was a noticeable
textural change although  it was still acceptable.  This dish should be
served immediately upon cooking.


Biscotti

2 cups sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, melted
1/4 cup each anise seed and anisette
3 tablespoons of whiskey or 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 2 tablespoons of
water
6 eggs
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups coarsely chopped almonds or walnuts

In  a bowl, mix sugar, butter, anise seed, anisette, and whiskey.  (I
replaced the anisette with a teaspoon of anise flavoring in a 1/4 cup of
water and the whiskey with brandy.)
Beat in eggs.
Mix baking powder with two cups of flour.  Stir it into the sugar mixture,
then add the remaining flour and stir in thoroughly.
Stir in the nuts. (Since one of the diners is anaphylactic where nuts are
concerned, I replaced this with approximately 1 1/2 cups of oven roasted
flour, sifted into the mixture to remove the lumps.)
Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

On greased baking sheets, form flat loaves the length of the sheet, two
inches wide and 1/2 inch thick.  Two loaves will fit easily on a standard
baking sheet.
In a pre heated oven, bake the loaves at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or
until lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and let the loaves cool on the baking sheets until you
can touch them.
Cut them into diagonal slices 1/2 to 3/4 of a inch thick.
Place slices close together cut side down on baking sheets bake in 375 F
oven for 15 more minutes or until lightly toasted.
Cool on wire racks and store in air tight containers.   

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