[Sca-cooks] Simple and Authentic

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Elizabeth of Dendermonde/Betty Cook wrote:
>  >So, what are people's favorite really simple period dishes? Mine is
>  >the "Cooked Dish of Lentils" from one of the 13th c. Andalusian
>  >cookbooks. The full recipe is in the Miscellany, but basically it is
>  >lentils, onion, spices, water, oil in a pot; cook until almost done;
>  >add more oil or butter, vinegar, salt; break some eggs on top; cook
>  >until eggs are done.

Michael Gunter <countgunthar at hotmail.com> wrote:
>  Gosh, I don't know, that seems a bit complicated.

Think of it this way:
Take a few ingredients, dump in a pot, cook until done. Stir in oil,
vinegar and salt. Break a few eggs on top and cover - eggs will cook
from residual heat. Serve. Ta-da! Reeeeal simple.

I tend to like the Chicken with Quinces recipe i sent to the list
earlier this year - from the Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook. While the
ingredients list is long, the procedure is simple and i cook it at
camping events.

Recipe for a Dish of Chicken or Partridge with Quince or Apple

ORIGINAL
Leave overnight whichever of the two you have, its throat slit, in
its feathers. Clean it and put it into a new pot and throw in two
spoonfuls of rosewater and half a spoonful of good murri, two
spoonfuls of oil, salt, a fennel stalk, a whole onion, and a quarter
dirham of saffron, and water to cover the meat. Then take quince or
apple, skin the outside and clean the inside and cut it up in
appropriate-sized pieces, and throw them into the pot. Put it on a
moderate fire and when it is done, take it away with a lid over it.
Cover it with bread crumbs, a little sifted flour and five eggs,
after removing some of the yolks.  Cook it in the pot, and when the
coating has cooked, sprinkle it with rosewater and leave it until the
surface is clear and stands out apart. Ladle it out, sprinkle it with
fine spices and present it.

This is easy - dump most ingredients in pot, cook til done. Cover
with egg-bread mix. Cover pot, cook 10 more min, sprinkle with
rosewater and spices and serve :-)

one chicken - i usually use 3 lb. breasts and 3 lb. thighs
two spoonfuls of rosewater
half a spoonful of good murri - or leave it out if you don't have any
two spoonfuls of oil - i use sesame oil
salt
a fennel stalk, chopped
a whole onion, chopped
a quarter dirham of saffron - a healthy pinch, crumbled
2 quinces or apples, peeled, seeded, and cut it up in medium cubes
water to cover
bread crumbs - i use half a loaf of unbleached white bread
a couple spoons of little sifted flour
five eggs
a spoonful of rosewater
fine spices

1. Chop fennel, onions, and quinces or apples.
2. Put chicken into a deep pot.
3. Add onion, fennel, quince/apple, oil, murri, rosewater, water to
cover, salt, and saffron.
3. Put it on a moderate fire, and cook until chicken is done, about
45 min., stirring occasionally.
4. While chicken is cooking, mix bread crumbs, flour and eggs in a bowl.
4. When chicken is cooked, take pot off the fire and spread bread
crumb-flour-and-egg mixture over it to cover.
5. Cover pot and cook on a low fire until the coating is cooked, less
than 10 min.
6. Sprinkle coating with rosewater and fine spices and serve.

I also cook a lot of Pan Perdu.

Anahita