SC - Cuskynoles - Another Recipe

[Korrin S DaArdain]

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	Cuskynoles
	Curye on Inglysch, Book I, "Diuersa Cibaria", c. - 1325 C.E.
	From Spring Crown Feast In The Crown Province of Østgardr, East
Kingdom. Feast Menu, Notes, and Receipts, Spring Crown Tourney, II May,
A.S. XXXIII, In The Crown Province of Østgardr, East Kingdom. Posted by
Adamantius / Philip & Susan Troy (troy at asan.com)
	"45 A mete þat is icleped cuskynoles. Make a past tempred wiþ
ayren, & soþþen nim peoren & applen, figes and reysins, alemaundes &
dates; bet am togedere & do god poudre of gode speces wiþinnen. & in
leynten make þI past wiþ milke of alemaundes. & rolle þi paste on a bord,
& soþþen hew hit on moni parties, & vche an pertie beo of þe leyngþe of a
paume & an half & of þreo vyngres of brede. & smeor þy paste al of one
dole, & soþþen do þi fassure wiþinnen. Vchan kake is portiooun. & soþþen
veld togedere oþe 3eolue manere, ase þeos fugurre is imad & soþþe boille
in veir water, & soþþen rost on an greudil; & soþþen adresse."
	What they did: This one is pretty confusing, and there's a great
deal of controversy about exactly what some of it means. It all boils
down to whether the illustration above is of one portion or fifteen. My
feeling is that the illustration shows how several are made and cut from
large sheets of dough. If it's one portion, then it's pretty difficult to
fill. Observance of the principles known colloquially as Occam's Razor
and K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, stupid!) leads me to conclude this is
fifteen portions. You may not agree, but it's a big world.
	So, a dough is made with eggs (probably yolks only), and somehow
filled with a filling of mashed apples, pears, almonds, and assorted
dried fruits. The cuskynoles are filled and sealed so as to follow the
illustration in some way, but exactly how is unclear. I'm betting on a
simple rectangular fruit ravioli, boiled and then fried on a griddle like
a pierogi.
	What we'll do differently: Apart from the fact that we'll be
omitting the almonds (we're using a lot of them elsewhere, and there's
the allergy question to consider), we'll be stuffing a pulverized filling
of mixed fresh and dried fruits as described above, into fresh pasta
dough, in this case halved Cantonese egg roll wrappers. We'll boil them
until they float, and then sauté them till crispy on one side, and serve
with a dusting of sugar on the crispy side. The recipe doesn't call for
this, but numerous sources of the period suggest a dusting of sugar on
"fryed metes".
	What you'll need for eight servings:
	4 Cantonese spring roll wrappers ("egg roll" wrappers, raw pasta
dough)
	1 Bosc or other hard, tart pear
	1 Granny Smith or other tart cooking apple
	3 oz. dried figs
	3 oz. dried dates, pitted
	2 oz. raisins
	optional 1 oz. finely chopped almonds
	1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
	1/8 tsp. powdered cloves
	1/8 tsp. powdered cinnamon
	In a meat grinder or food processor set on pulse, finely chop the
filling ingredients, and let the filling mixture sit for 20 minutes or so
while the dried fruit absorbs some of the excess pear and apple juice.
Lay out the wrappers on a clean, dry, cutting board (you might need to
dust with flour, but the wrappers will probably be coated with starch
anyway). Cut each large square in half (vertically), and brush each half
with water or egg wash, especially around the edges. Spoon 3-4 Tbs. of
the filling in a little mound on the "lower" half (the half closest to
you) of each strip of dough. Make sure there is a clean border of about
1/2 inch free of filling. Fold the further end down towards the nearer
end, sealing the edges with the edge of your hand. You can crimp them or
otherwise decorate the edges if you wish. Let sit for ten minutes or so,
covered with a clean dish towel, while the wet "glue" hardens to seal the
edges.
	Boil in lightly salted water in a deep skillet or casserole for
3-5 minutes, until the cuskynoles just float. Remove them from the water
with a slotted spoon or deep-frying basket (they'll be delicate at this
stage). Allow to cool a bit and air-dry, then sauté in a preheated, oiled
skillet over medium-high heat for 3 or four minutes, until golden brown
on one side. Flipping is an option, but I like the idea of the contrast
between crispy and soft. Serve crisp side up, dusted with confectioner's
or other sugar.
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Korrin S. DaArdain
Korrin.DaArdain at Juno.com
Quondo Omni Flunkus Mortati
(When All Else Fails, Play Dead.)

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