SC - Toasting salamander.

[david friedman]

>Christina Nevin wrote:
>>
>> Speaking of toasting, I got to see an interesting piece of kitchen equipment
>> in action on TV this weekend. The BBC did a docu on Hampton Court Palace,
>> including a brief piece showing re-enactors in the kitchen. They showed a
>> 'salamander', basically a flat iron disk with a very long handle, which was
>> shoved in the coals to heat up, and then used mostly to heat cheese on top
>> of bread. A medieval toastie maker the housekeeper said (erm, yes, well...).
>> I'm not sure how accurate this is, as I didn't agree with some of the other
>> stuff they said about food of the time. Has anyone seen pictures of this
>> equipment in use?
>
and Adamantius answered:
>
>As for toasted cheese being made with a salamander, I believe this
>practice post-dates period, probably coming into being in the 18th-19th
>centuries when things like Mornay Sauce(more or less cheesy bechamel)
>became common...

How about Digby's Savory Toasted Cheese (mid-17th c.)? He says at the end
of the recipe, "You may scorch it at the top with a hot Fire-Shovel." He
may be talking about a fire tool rather than a specialized cooking tool,
but that is a near-period example of the technique.

Elizabeth/Betty Cook


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