Limonia Re: SC - Tredura [Hashed Leeks] in re substituions

[harper@idt.net]

And it came to pass on 28 Sep 00, , that Jenne Heise wrote:

> > "To make tredura, take whites of leek and boil them, whole, then 
> > chop them well with a knife; then fry them with the fat of meat you 
> > have cooked; take bread and grate it, and soak it in hot water; take 
> > a piece of meat, and chop the bread and the meat with a knife; 
> > then take beaten eggs and plenty of saffron, beat together, and 
> > pour over the fried leeks with plenty of spices; and it will be good."
> 
> *blink* Ok, I must be mixing it up with the recipe for Limonia, which we
> cooked the same day. *sigh*

Okay, that explains it.
  
> > As for looks... I see that the redaction directs you to mix together 
> > the diced pork, bread, eggs and saffron, then add all that to the 
> > leeks.  However, the original does not say anything about when the 
> > meat and bread are to be added to the other ingredients.  
> 
> I assumed because of the sentence structure that you were to chop the
> bread and the meat together, then beat the bread/meat mixtue together with
> the beaten eggs and saffron (otherwise why would it specify 'beat
> together'?)

Medieval recipes have the worst run-on sentences I have ever seen 
in a written document.  And I have noticed that they often put in 
important points as an afterthought.  I assumed that one beats 
together the eggs and the saffron, then pours the egg mixture over 
the fried leeks.  However, it is entirely possible that your 
interpretation is correct, and that the meat, bread, and eggs are to 
be beaten together, *then* added to the leeks.
 
> >I would 
> > be inclined to put the meat on the platter, and top it with the leeks 
> > and eggs.  Since there is "plenty of saffron" in the eggs, and you're 
> > only using the whites of the leeks, it will be bright and golden -- just 
> > the sort of thing that medieval cooks liked to use for dramatic effect.
> 
> Well, that makes sense. Where does the bread go, though? With the eggs?

The bread is chopped up with the meat.  That much is clear from 
the original.  What's open to doubt is whether the meat and bread 
are mixed with the eggs or kept separate.

> The idea that it would cook if you dumped it on top of HOT cooked leeks
> also makes sense, especially if you only used a few breadcrumbs...

In most of the recipes where I've seen it used, soaked bread is a 
thickening agent, not a major ingredient.
 

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net