SC - what to do with extra egg yolks

[David, Tracy]

All right ::pulling out the "big guns"::  give me a challenge will you?  I
am researching as we speak....er.....write.

Ifanwy Custables

- -----Original Message-----
From: Gaylin Walli [mailto:gwalli at infoengine.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2000 9:15 AM
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: SC - what to do with extra egg yolks


Lady Brighid kindly wrote:

>The custard tart in Platina is thickened with egg yolks alone.

But I already have a sweetened tart/pie in the first course.
It's actually one of the most popular dishes from the test
feast, to be honest. :) My husband loves it so much that I
make it for him just because.

Daniel generously proffered:

>I don't have a copy of Plantina yet but have you considered some sort of
>posset type drink?

Also not in Platina, as far as I can tell. In fact, I'm quite suprised
there isn't more in terms of drinks in Platina. But he does talk
about wine a bit.

>Come to think of it isn't Zabaglione very much an
>period Italian cousin of this but without the egg whites?

That's a good question. It's not in Platina I think, but I'm willing to
reach out for recipes from nearby manuscripts if stay in
the culture and rough time period. But you don't drink Zabaglione
IIRC. You'd eat it like a custard.

Ifanwy kindly offered:

>If you have a mind to take the time to find one, restaurant supply
>companyies DO carry egg whites that have already been separated.

Right. And we have several places around the area like that. But
if I get eggs donated for *free* (and I don't know how many that
will be just yet, I'm trying to come up with something to do with
the egg yolks). The whites-only purchase is very much in the front
of my mind. I managed to arrange a non-profit discount card for
our group with one of the local supply stores. And as others have also
suggested, buying the egg whites *powdered* is certainly an option.

The prices I've rechecked (my original check was last October)
seem to have gone down a bit, putting it more in line with the
budget I have. But again....if it's free, I'm not going to turn down
fresh eggs. :)

>If you've already separated them.....egg yolks when cooked with
>the broth or stock (whisking or stirring vigoursly all the while) make a
>GREAT thickener for stews......

Well, there's a below the salt feast being held, but those two have been
kept separate to this point. It may be worthwhile considering using
the yolks for something in *that* feast if the yolks are free anyway.
Something I'd not considered. Hmmm. That opens up a whole new set
of possibilities, doesn't it?

And finally Master A offered:

>Almost certainly. On the other hand, did I hear that this meal was
>mostly 15th-century Italian?

Yes. Trying desperately to stick to Platina. Successful for all but
one recipe so far.

>Doesn't Platina have  a frictella,
>basically a fricassee, of any meat you wish, including veal, in a sauce
>sharpened with vinegar or verjuice and thickened with egg yolks? It
>might be possible to incorporate the yolks into a dish without actually
>adding one...a dish, I mean.

That sounds about right. I'd hoped to do the spitted meat in Platina's
Pulpam Romanum, though. Would it be that weird to serve a similar
kind of sauce for a meat that wasn't fricasseed but roasted/broiled?
It seems that the saffron sauce and the fricassee sauce that I'm
remembering resembles a Hollaindaise/Bernaise sauce sans the fat
or butter. I'm probably hoplessly muddling the issue here, aren't I?
If I can avoid changing the meat dish, I'd like to.

>And then, of course, IIRC, 152 yolks will make 61 cups of zabaglione,
>which will make the BOYS very happy ;  ) .

I'm all for the boys being happy, but I have a feeling the Queen will
have something to say when her servers say "I'm sorry, Your Majesty,
this is really only for the King....your Majesty I can cut that meat for
you, if you'll just put down the knife...." :)

Thanks for all the answers and response so far, folks. I do very
much appreciate it.

Jasmine
Iasmin de Cordoba, gwalli at infoengine.com


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