SC - RE: Cherry soup? Or cherry pudding?

[lilinah at grin.net]

I haven't actually made this - i have had the modern version of Cherry Soup
which was definitely soupy - but here's the recipe from "The Medieval
Kitchen - Recipes from France and Italy" by Odile Redon, Francoise Sabban,
& Silvano Serventi, translated by Edward Schneider. Chicago & London, The
University of Chicago Press, 1998 (Originally printed as "La Gastronomie au
Moyen Age: 150 recettes de France et d'Italie" © 1991, 1993, Editions
Stock).

Chireseye - from "Diversa servicia", recipe 77, in "Curye on Inglysch:
English culinary manuscripts of the fourteenth century", edited by
Constance Hieatt and Sharon Butler. London, Oxford University Press, 1985.

[I realize other messages in this thread have mentioned this, but this
version appears different, which is why i quote it here]

<quote>
The Medieval Text, p. 253:
For to make chereseye tak chiryes at the fest of Seynt Iohn the Baptist, &
do awey the stonys. Grynd hem in a morter, & after frot hem wel in a seue
so that the ius be wel comyn owt; & do than in a pot & do therein feyre
gres or boter & bred of wastel ymyid, & sugur a god perty, & a porcioun of
wyn. & wan it is wel ysodyn & ydressyd in dyschis, stik therin clowis of
gilofre & strew theron sugur.

Their Modernized Text, p. 208:
To make chireseye, take cherries at the Feast of St. John the Baptist and
remove the pits. Grind them in a mortar, and then press them hard through a
sieve to extract all their juice; and put this in a pot and put in good fat
or butter and good white bread, plenty of sugar, and some wine. And when
itis thick and served up on plates, stud it with cloves and sprinkle with
sugar.

[My comment: This modernization seems to have skipped the "ymyid" which
does sound like "mied" to me, where "mie" is modern French for "crumb".
List experts: does it mean the same in the Middle Ages?]

Their Redaction, p. 209:
Cherry Pudding
1-1/2 pounds ripe cherries
2 slices dry white bread
scant 1/2 cup sugar (100 g), plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
1-1/2 tablespooons butter (20g)
5 fl. ounces good red wine, such as a Bordeaux or other cabernet sauvignon
(15 cl)
whole cloves for garnish

Stem and pit the cherries, puree them in a blender or food processor, then
strain in a fine sieve, pressing hard to extract as much juice as possible.

Remove the crusts from the bread, and cut the bread into small dice. In a
heavy saucepan, combine the bread, cherry juice, wine, sugar, and butter.
Bring to the boil and simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the
mixture thickens and the bread falls apart and swells, binding the dessert
into a creamy pudding. Turn into a serving bowl and chill well. Stud the
top with cloves, forming a design of your own chioce. Refrigerate until
served. Just before serving, sprinkle the top with sugar.

Don't forget to warn your guests that the cloves are there for decoration
only. Some people will eat anything rather than insult the cook!
</quote>
- ---------------------

I contribute this for comparison. I have read this book through, although
i've yet to cook anything from it, and there are places where i don't see
how their redaction matches the Medieval recipe - some seem rather altered.

Anahita Gaouri bint-Karim al-Fassi



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