SC - omelette for Ruffians & Harlots

[Seton1355 at aol.com]

Orange Omelette for Harlots and Ruffians
How to make an orange omelette 

Take eggs and break them, with oranges, as many as you like; squeeze their 
juice and add to it the eggs with sugar; then take olive oil or fat, and heat 
it in the pan and add the eggs. This was for ruffians and brazen harlots.

Johannes Bockenheim (or Buckehen) was cook to Pope Martin V and in the 1430s 
wrote a brief but highly original cookbook recently edited by Bruno Laurioux 
(see bibliography). This German, who lived at Rome, wrote as a professional, 
with telegraphic terseness and little detail; yet he was careful to specify 
the destined consumer of each recipe, pigeon-holed by social class--from 
prostitutes to princes--or by nationality: Italian, French, German from any 
of various provinces, and so forth.
   We cannot see why this omelette, which contains no meat and no seasoning 
other than sugar, should be particularly well suited to debauchees. Surely, 
it is flesh (further fired by spices) that enflames the flesh. This omelette 
can be safely tasted without running the risk of moral turpitude.
   Since medieval oranges were bitter, we suggest a blend of oranges and 
lemons. The sugar and the acidity of the juice prevent the eggs from 
completely setting, so this is more of a custardy cream that makes an unusual 
and very pleasant dessert.

6 eggs
2 oranges
1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt 

Juice the oranges and the lemon. 
Beat the eggs, 
Add the juice, the sugar, and salt to taste, 
cook the omelette in olive oil. Serve warm.