SC - Summertime Cerulean Blue Sauce

[Oughton, Karin (GEIS, Tirlan)]

I wonder if there was a mis translation of blackberries for sloes? It would
seem that the flavours are closer, sloes are higher in pectin, and are more
likely to turn things blue, but they are black on the surface. Maybe even
mistranslation for blueberries or whortleberries?

How good is the original translation?

karin

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Meliora & Drake [SMTP:meliora at macquarie.matra.com.au]
> Sent:	Wednesday, February 24, 1999 5:28 AM
> To:	sca-cooks at Ansteorra.ORG; Mari Foxpaws
> Subject:	SC - Summertime Cerulean Blue Sauce
> 
> Greetings all,
> 
> I attempted to make this sauce for a recent event.  However, it didn't
> turn blue - it stayed a blood-red colour. It also didn't set. I followed
> the redaction to the letter - did I unknowingly do something wrong or is
> this a joke recipe?  My lord Drake Morgan believes that as we bought
> commercial fruit, they may have been sprayed with ascorbic acid to stop
> the oxidisation and this would have affected the recipe.
> 
> Any comments?  Original recipe and redaction follow.
> 
> regards
> meliora.
> 
> 
> 
> Sky-blue sauce for summer.  Take some of the wild blackberries that grow
> in hedgerows and some thoroughly pounded alonds, with a little ginger.
> And moisten these things with verjuice and strain through a sieve.
> Martino, Meastro. Libro de arte coquinaria.
> 
> Notes and Redaction from "The Medieval Kitchen" y Odile Redon. Francoise
> Sabban and Sivano Serventi. ISBN 0-226-70684-2
> 
> Toward the end of summer, when blackberries are at their best, this
> cerulean blue sauce will add zest to your September meat dinners.  The
> pectin in the berries helps the sauce set to a lovely midnight-blue
> jelly that is a visual foil and a delicious accompaniment to white meats
> such as veal and chickem.
> 
> 1 quart (1 litre) blackberries
> 1/3 cup (50g) blanched almonds
> 2/3 cup verjuice or a mixture of two parts cider vinegar to one part
> water [we used verjuice]
> 1/4 inch slice ginger, peeled
> salt
> 
> Puree the blackberries in a food processor or food mill, and strain the
> juice, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.  In a mortar or
> in a blender, grind the almonds and ginger, then mix with the blackberry
> juice. Contact with the air will turn the mixture a dark blue.  Add the
> verjuice and strain once more.  Season with salt to taste.
> 
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