SC - Stew

[Michael F. Gunter]

> Howdy all from Anne-Marie
> 
> re: beef stew type units in period...
> 
> the only exmaples I've seen of meat stewed with veggies (other than the
> onion/meat stuff ubiquitous throughout the medieval corpus) are the late
> srouces like Robert May, and Digby and friends. 
> 
> Digby has the most modernly familiar one, stewing beef with carrots and
> turnips, and even thickening with a roux. go figure! Now, you need to
> decide for yourself if Digby is "period", I'm not touching that one! :)
> 
> here';s my version of the queen's hotchpot, a meat and veggie stew from
> Digby. All rights reserved, no publication without permission, etc.
> 
> enjoy!
> --AM
> 
> The Queens Hotchpot. From her Escuyer de Cuisine, Mr. la Montague.
> (Digby, p144)
> The Queen Mothers Hotchpot of Mutton is thus made. It is exceeding good
> of fresh Beef also, for those whose stomachs can digest it. Cut a neck
> of Mutton, crag-end and all into steaks (which you may beat if you will;
> but they will be very tender without beating) and in the mean time
> prepare your water to boil in a Posnet, (which must be of a convenient
> bigness to have water enough o cover the meat, and serve all the
> stewing, it, without need to add any more to it and yet no superfluous
> water at last. Put your meat into the boiling water, and when you have
> scummed it clean, put into it a good handful of Parsley, and as much of
> Sibboulets (young Onion, or Sives) chopped small, if you like to eat
> them in substance; otherwise tied up in a bouquet, to throw them away,
> when the have communicated to the water all their taste; some Pepper,
> three or four Cloves, and a little Salt, and half a Limon first pared.
> These must stew or boil simperingly, (covered) at least three or four
> hours (a good deal more, if Beef) stirring it often, that it burns not
> too.  A good hour before you intend to take it off, put some quartered
> Turnips to it, or if you like them, some Carrots. A while after take a
> good lump of Household bread, bigger than your fist, crust and crum,
> broil it upon a Gridiron, that it be thoroughly toasted; scrape off the
> black burning on the out-side; then soak it thoroughly in Vinegar, and
> put this lump of tost into your Posnet to stew with  it, which before
> you serve it up, melt a good lump of Butter (as much as  a great egg)
> till it grow red; then take it from the fire, and put to it a little
> fine flower to thicken it (about a couple of spoonfulls) like thick pap.
> Stir them very well together; then set them on the fire again, till it
> grow red, stirring it all the while; then put to it a ladle-ful of the
> liquor of the pot, and let them stew a while together to incorporate,
> stirring it always. Then pour this to the whole substance in the Posnet
> to incorporate with the liquor, and so let them stew a while together.
> Then pour it out of the Posnet  into your dish, meat and all; for it
> will be so tender, it will not endure taking up piece by piece with your
> hand. If you find the taste not quick enough, put into this juyce of the
> half Limon you reserved. For I should have said, that when you put in
> the herbs, you squeese in also the juyce of half a Limon (pared fro the
> yellow rind, which else would make it bitter) and the pared an squeesed
> (half the substance) into it afterwards. The last things (of Butter,
> Bread, Flower) cause the liaison and thickening of the liquor. If this
> should not be enough, you may also put a little gravy of mutton into it
> stirring it well when it is in, lest it curdle in stewing; or you may
> put the yolk of an egg or two to your liasion, of Butter, Flower and a
> ladleful of Broth. 
> 
> For gravy of mutton, Rost a juycy leg o Mutton three quarter. Then gash
> it in several places, and press out the juyce by a screw-press.
> 
> Our Version: (Serves 8)
> 5 cups water
> 2 lb. stew beef
> 1 lemon
> 1 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced
> 1/4 onion, minced
> 2 T fresh chives (optional)
> 1/4 tsp. black pepper
> 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
> 1/4 tsp. salt
> 1/2 lemon
> 2 turnips, cubed
> 2 carrots, cubed
> 1/4 loaf of bread
> 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
> 4 T butter
> 4 T flour
> 
> Put meat into a large pot with the water. Heat to a hard boil and remove
> any scum that comes to the surface. 
> Add the parlsey, onion, chives, pepper, cloves, and salt. Peel the
> lemon, making sure to remove all the white rind. Squish the juice into
> the stew, then throw the peeled, squished lemon corpse into the pot. 
> Cover and return to a boil. Turn the heat down to a medium simmer and
> simmer for three hours. Add the turnips and carrots. Return to a boil,
> cover and continue to simmer. 
> Meanwhile, take the hunk of bread and toast well (350o oven for about 10
> minutes), scrape off any black corners and soak in the vinegar.  Throw
> the hunk of bread into the stew and continue to simmer until the crust
> separates, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the crust. 
> In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter. Stir in the remaining
> flour and stir until brown and bubbly. Add three ladles of stew broth
> and stir, making sure there's no lumps.  Dump the resulting gravy into
> the stew, and boil uncovered 15 minutes more, until thickened slightly. 
> Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
> 
> 
> 

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