SC - Creme' Bastarde

[LadyPDC at aol.com]

Greeting to the list from Constance de LaRose,

Now that the A&S competition is over and I have the time to read all the 
postings from the SCA-Cooks, I am back. <g>

I have noticed several posts regarding the various Creme' Bastarde recipes 
from period sources and various problems getting it to come out correctly.  
So I thought I would pass on the secrets I have discovered.

All of the period recipes call for milk, however, one was specific in stating 
"fayre milk straight from the cow"  (sorry, things are still a mess here so 
will have to get you the reference on it later).

As anyone who has ever milked a cow can tell you, if you let milk straight 
from the cow set for any length of time, the cream (and many of the sweet 
fats from the milk) will rise to the top.  Even modern whole milk which you 
buy in the store has usually lost these parts.  Since I didn't have access to 
a ready, milk providing, cow, I put these parts back in when I made the 
"Creme' Bastarde" which was in the competition.  For each cup of milk which 
the redation I worked out called for, I used 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup 
cream.   Also, after straining the final cooked mixture, I beat the whole 
mixture 200 strokes before refrigerating and 100 strokes after an hour of 
refrigeration.

This is what gave the cream it's fuller, creamier, taste and texture.

As for the other question, I did try the baking offered as an alternative in 
the original recipes.  The cream addition makes for a lovely fluffy baked 
custard which is delicious with a sauce of any fruit liqueur and a bit of 
honey heated and poured over it.

Hope this helps.

Constance de LaRose

"Crème Bastarde.  Take te whyte of eyroun a grete hepe, & putte it on a panne 
ful of mylke, & let yt boyle; ten sesyn it so with salt and honey a lytel; 
ten lat hit kele, & draw it torw a straynoure, an take fayre cowe mylke an 
draw yt withallm & seson it with sugre; & loke tat it be poynant & doucet: 
serve it forth for a potage, or for a gode bakyn mete, wheder tat tou wolt" 

    Custard Sauce

    2 egg whites,  well beaten
    3/4 cup whole milk
    ¼ cup cream
    2 tsp. cream
      2 T honey
    pinch salt
      2 tbsp sugar

Put egg whites in a sauce pan with the milk and ¼ cup of the cream and stir 
over medium heat as it comes to a boil.  Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, 
stirring: then add the honey and salt.  After simmering for another minute or 
two, remove from heat and strain or blend in a blender, adding remaining 
cream and sugar and beat for 200 strokes.  Pour into a serving dish and chill 
for one hour (it will thicken as it chills).  At the end of one hour, remove 
and beat again for 100 strokes then chill until ready to serve.