[Sca-cooks] Moorish Gourds

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

De Nola's Moorish Style Gourds - My initial test run... full of flaws...

Recipe as translated by Lady Brighid of this list,
and posted in the Florilegium hosted by Lord Stefan of this list :-)

55. CALABAZAS A LA MORISCA - MOORISH GOURDS

Scrape the gourds very well until they are very clean and white, and
then make wide slices and cut them like round fingers; and take onion
and cut it in the same way as the gourd, and to each gourd put two
onions; and when they are cut, cast them in good mutton broth that is
boiling well; and when they are cooked, cast upon them goat milk or
sheep milk, and if there is none, cast in almond milk; and cook the
milk well with the gourds; and when the milk is cooked, turn them
well with your haravillo [whisk? - i figure this is to mash them a
bit] and cast upon them good grated cheese and fine spices; and also
cumin, and caraway, and a pair of eggs for each dish; and turn it all
together and prepare dishes; and cast sugar and cinnamon upon them.


I peeled two zucchinis, cutting off the stem and bud ends, then i
sliced them into rounds the thickness of my finger (i am interpreting
"cut them like round fingers" to mean this).

I used one medium yellow onion. I am convinced that the recipe does
not call for two yellow onions per gourd, since the green gourds i've
had are not much bigger than a zucchini... Anyone have any idea what
their onions were like? Shallots? Cibolletes?

Anyway, i took the onion, peeled it, cut it in quarters, and then
sliced it into finger-thick pieces.

My daughter is a vegetarian and she was taste-testing it with me, so
i did not use mutton broth. Unfortunately, i did not use the intended
vegetable broth, either, since, although i was certain i have some, i
couldn't find any. So i used - way wrong, way way wrong - some light
miso, for a rich meaty flavor.

When the zucchini was tender, i poured in some milk. Unfortunately, i
had used up all the whole and 2 per cent and was compelled to use fat
free, also not "period". Then i cooked it all some more.

Unfortunately, i had put too much water over the vegetables in the
first place, so it was rather liquid. I took my large kitchen whisk
and beat the vegetables to a pulp.

Then i turned off the fire and stirred in some grated cheese - all i
had in the house was some Scotch Truckle cheese.

Then i beat one egg well, poured a very small amount of the hot
zucchini puree into it, still beating. Then i added a bit more
zucchini to the egg, still beating. Then i poured the eggy stuff into
the pan and whisked.

The recipe doesn't specifically say to beat the eggs, and maybe just
wants to sort of poach them on top of the vegetables, but my daughter
would never eat them that way... Additionally, i interpreted "turn it
all together" to mean mix or beat.

Then i started adding spices. I began modestly with 1/4 tsp each
ground cinnamon and ground ginger and 1/8 tsp each ground clove and
grains of paradise (to simulate a Medieval Fine Spice blend) and a
little very finely ground pepper (i've found if i get pepper ground
almost to a fine powder it doesn't make me gag), then i added 1/8
tsp. slightly crushed caraway seeds and 1/8 tsp. cumin.

After tasting, I thought it needed more seasoning, so i added a
little salt and 1/8 tsp additional cinnamon, ginger, grains of
paradise, and cumin.  This seemed better to me.

I ended up with a somewhat glossy and pale puree that was slightly
more yellow than green, and that was not runny, even though i didn't
pour off the excess water.

My daughter didn't believe there wasn't any meat in it.

I must say i wasn't thrilled with the color, texture, or flavor.
However, that's just me. I cooked "period" German food for the Boar
Hunt and didn't care for most of it either, but the crowd seemed
happy, so someone else may well be pleased with this dish. It sure
was easy to make.

Anahita