SC - SC RE: New Worlds Food Rant/ Counter Rant Summation

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Lorix wrote:
> 
> "Decker, Terry D." wrote:
> 
> > I did serve turkey for my wife's birthday in the manner of Master Martino by
> > substituting turkey for the chicken in his Chicken in Orange Sauce, where
> > the bird is roasted, then served with an orange sauce made from the juice of
> > 3 bitter oranges and a pinch of cinnamon (I had to use navel oranges and the
> > juice of half a lemon since Seville oranges never seem to make it to
> > Oklahoma).  It sounds a little strange, but it actually enhances the flavor
> > of the bird.
> 
> <assumes begging pose> Is it possible M'lord that you could send me the period
> recipe for this dish.

Here's Platina's version, probably modelled on Martino's:

De Honesta Voluptate et Valetudinae, Book VI, Chapter 17--

"17. Pullus Assus
Pullum bene deplumatum exinanitum et lotum assabis; asso atque in
patinam imposito, antequam refrigerat, aut succum mali citrei aut
acrestam cum aqua rosacea saccharo ac cinnamo bene trito infundes,
convivisque appones."

Mary Ella Millham's translation:

"17. Roast Chicken
Roast a chicken which is well plucked, gutted and washed, and when the
roast is placed in a dish before it cools, put lemon juice or verjuice
on it with rose water, sugar and well-ground cinnamon, and serve it to
your guests."

Note: Millham includes the information that Platina translates Martino's
term "pomarancie" (orange) as "mali citrei", roughly "honey-sweet
lemon". It may be that citrei refers to a citrus fruit, of which the
most commonly known was the lemon, but I don't know why Millham seems to
feel that while Platina actually meant oranges, she translates it as lemons.

Platina squeezes sour orange juice on a number of foods, in fact, with
excellent results in some of the fried seafood dishes. This chicken dish
is wonderful, too, though: we had it at an event a couple of weeks ago.
The trick is to take the chickens hot from the oven, drain off the
juice/drippings, and skim it, and add it back to the birds with the
other ingredients, which the bird absorbs as it cools.  

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com