SC - Menagier's Champignons

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Gaylin Walli wrote:
> 
>    CHAMPIGNONS d'une nuit sont les meilleurs, et sont
>    petits et vermeils dedans, clos dessus...
> 
> Which, I believe, translates roughly to the English
> 
>    MUSHROOMS of one night are the best, and are small
>    and red inside, closed above...

Bear in mind that champignons are a specific cultivated version of the
agarica mushroom, and may not be what Le Menagier intended. I don't
believe the original text uses that word. 
> 
> When it says "of one night" what does that mean? Does it refer
> only to when you picked them? For example, I picked
> mushrooms last night, prepared them today, and baked them in
> a pastry today.

No, I think it has to do with the age of the mushrooms. They tend to
form during the night, when it is cool, dark, and moist, and they form
pretty rapidly compared to other plants. So much so, in fact, that fungi
in general were a great source of confusion to students of natural
history trying to learn how they reproduced. They just sort of show up,
appearing to an untrained observer as some kind of spontaneous
generation. Anyway, my guess is that the preferred mushrooms should have
formed overnight and be harvested before another night has passed, so
they shouldn't be more than 24 hours or so old. Le Menagier likes 'em
young. 
 
> Or does it refer to the when the preparation should start? For
> example, I picked mushrooms and prepared them last night,
> putting them in the pastry today and baking them.
> 
> This last idea would be somewhat akin to marinating them I
> think and is, in fact, what I ended up doing (mostly because I
> was pressed for time).

Presumably harmless enough, and quite likely good food, but I'm not sure
that's what LM is talking about. As I recall he says to get some fresh
baby mushrooms, peel, wash and parboil them, and cook them in a pasty
with cheese, oil, and spice powder. Actually he says if you want to put
them in a pasty, that's how you do it. He makes no other mention of
mushrooms, IIRC, but presumably they were eaten in other ways, and other
sources support this. But I don't think he's talking about marinating them.
   
Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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