[Sca-cooks] period turkey recipe

[Mark.S Harris]

Recently there was a request/comment about period Turkey recipes.
I found this old message as I was updating some files and thought some
here might find this one useful. At 1599 it is just barely within
"period". As the original says "pollos de las Indias", I agree with
Lady Brighid that this is likely to be the American turkey and not the
guinea fowl.

More evidence for turkeys in Europe and I think, more recipes, can
be found in this file in the FOOD section of the Florilegium:
turkeys-msg       (44K)  2/23/01    Use of turkeys in Rennaissance
Europe.

However, for a medieval feel, and because I can eat turkey elsewhere,
I think I would prefer to have a pheasant or a partridge cooked this
way at a feast.

> Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2000 23:55:15 -0500
> From: harper at idt.net
> Subject: SC - Recipe: stewed turkey with fruit
>
> As I've mentioned before, Granado (1599) has a few recipes for
> "pollos de las Indias", which AFAIK, is turkey.  Here's one.  It's out
> of the section on cooking for invalids, hence the reference to the
> doctor.
>
>
> Para sudar, y estufar perdizes, y faysanes
> To sweat, and to stew partridges and pheasants
>
> Take the pheasant, or the partridge, which should not be old or
> rancid, and clean their insides, cutting off the head, and the feet,
> and pass it through boiling water, or through the coals; take a
> copper pot, well tinned, or of glazed earthenware, with a bone from
> a calf or cow made into pieces, which has marrow, which is done
> to give it flavor; put in enough water to cover it three fingers deep,
> with a splinter of whole cinnamon, and a good deal of salt, and a
> few pieces of quince, and prunes, and dried cherries; and make it
> boil with the cover very well sealed, but before sealing it, you can
> put in half a cup of wine of San Martin, or another which is good,
> with a little vinegar, and sugar, all according to the order which the
> doctor directs, and cook it over the coals, far from the flames.  In
> this manner you can also cook the pullet of the Indies, and our
> ordinary pullets, and any good bird.
>
>
> Notes: "wine of San Martin" probably refers to wine from the
> vineyards of San Martin de Valdeiglesias, near Madrid.  It was very
> highly regarded in this period.  I have seen wine of San Martin
> called for in period recipes that suggest a sweet white as an
> alternative.  If quinces are no longer available, perhaps a tart apple
> like a Granny Smith will do?
>
> Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
> Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

Stefan li Rous
stefan at texas.net