SC - Mustard Recipe #1

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

"Decker, Terry D." wrote:
> 
> The spice mixtures referred to in the Medieval Kitchen are from Ludovico
> Frati's Libro di cucina del secolo XI and are quite period.  While the
> authors are not precisely following Menagier, they are being true to his
> instructions by using leftover spice mixes from their kitchen.
> 
> The one thing that really doesn't fit in is the salt.
> 
> Bear

Okay. Help me out here with a little reasoning exercise (it's been a
long and rather tough day).

Le Menagier is, to a great extent, based on The Viandier of Taillevent,
who mentions mustard sauce several times as a recommended condiment for
specific things like salt fish and various meats (_he_ is specific even
if I'm not).

We don't seem to have too much information on exactly how some of these
sauces were served, do we? Some pottage recipes, for example, seem to
be, in reality, sauces to be served in bowls with chunks of roast or
boiled meat atop or in them. We don't know for sure in many cases is
which of those sauces clearly identified as such are served with or on
foods, and which are always served on the side. It's tempting to assume
something like a fairly powerful mustard sauce, even when served with,
say, salt cod with butter, would likely be served on the side. Whether
or not it's a completely safe assumption is another issue... .

In any case, we also know salt cellars were usually on the table, so
certainly _if_ these foods and sauces were cooked without salt (which
the recipes, lacking specific instructions about them, _might_ be
thought to suggest), it would be no big deal to add it to taste at the table.

On the other hand, food in most restaurants today is cooked with copious
amounts of salt, and still there's usually a salt shaker at the table.
At the risk of using inapproppriately modern logic, it does seem to be
fairly common all over the world to use a little salt in the kitchen,
and more at the table if deemed necessary.

So, the inescapable conclusion about whether a mustard sauce ought to
include some salt is... 

...drumroll, please...

maybe.

I'm inclined to think that most cooks would have tasted the dish at some
late stage in the cooking and adjust the seasoning with at least some
salt, if necessary, if not any of the other herbs, spices or other
flavorings inimical to the dish. Many modern recipes don't specify that
this needs to be done, but it usually is anyway.

I'd include at least a tiny amount of salt in most sauces, being
something of a linguistic stickler at times.
 
Adamantius
Østgardr, East
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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