SC - 14th Century Food

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Shari Burnham wrote:
> 
> I don't have a copy of that, could you please provide a recipe for the Parmesan
> pies? (the fish-day version?)  that sounds like a nummy dish to try with tuna.

Yes, it does. I have a photocopy of the Scully translation, and
reproducing it here would involve squinting at small print in
not-very-bright light, early in the morning... .

So, instead, I'll quote from Elizabeth Cook's translation of "Du Fait de
Cuisine", courtesy of HG Cariadoc's web pages:

> 40. Now I, Chiquart, would like to give to understand to him who will be ordered to
> make parma tarts of fish, let him take slices of tuna if he is in a place where he can get
> marine fish, and if not let him take as much of those of fresh water, that is large filleted
> carp, large eels and large filleted pike, and of this take such a great quantity as he is told to
> make the said tarts; and take candied raisins, prunes, figs, dates, pine nuts, and of each of
> these take what seems to him right to take according to the quantity of the said tarts; then,
> for the said tarts, let them be cut into pieces, cleaned and washed and put to cook well and
> cleanly; and, being well cooked, draw it out onto fair and clean tables or boards and let the
> bones be removed and take them out very well and properly so that no little bones remain,
> and chop them well and finely; and let the aforesaid raisins have the stems very well
> removed, let the pine nuts be cleaned very well, let the figs, prunes, and dates be cut into
> little dice; and, all these things thus dealt with, except for the meat, should be very well
> washed in white wine and drained, and then mix them with the aforesaid meat of the fish.
> And it is also necessary, according to the quantity of the said tarts which you have to
> make, that you have parsley, marjoram, and sage, and of each herb the quantity according
> to the strength of each, that is of parsley more and of the others less; and let them be well
> cleaned, washed, and very well chopped and then mix them with the aforesaid meat. And,
> this being done, have fair, clear, clean, and well refined oil and then have a fair, large and
> clean frying pan and let it be set over a fair clear fire and put all this into it, and have a
> good assistant with a fair, large and clean spoon who stirs very well and strongly in the
> said frying pan; and arrange that you have your almond milk well thickened and strained
> through a strainer, and a great deal of amydon according to the quantity of tarts which you
> have and put all in to thicken it; and then put your spices in with your meat while stirring
> the contents of the pan continually, that is white ginger, grains of paradise and a little
> pepper, and saffron which gives it color, and whole cloves and a great deal of sugar
> pounded into powder, and salt in reason. And arrange that your pastry-cooks have made
> well and properly the crusts of the said tarts, and, being made, take the aforesaid filling
> and put in each what should be put. And then arrange that you have a very great quantity
> of good and fair slices of good and fair eels which should be well and properly cooked in
> water and, being cooked, put them to fry in fair and clean oil; and, being fried, take them
> out; and then on each tart put three or four pieces, one here and another there, so that they
> are not together; and then cover the tarts and put in the oven and, being cooked, put them
> on your dishes and serve them.

A fishy requi-zeet-t-t-t-t!!! (Quick, who said that???)
  
Adamantius
Østgardr, East
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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