[Sca-cooks] re: trenchers

[Vincent Cuenca]

Bear:

Just to fill out your trencher info a little, here's a quick and dirty
translation from Enrique de Villena's "Arte Cisoria" (1453):

"And so that the food may be kept hot on the platter that you are cutting
on, you  should have at hand [a loaf of] bread, flat on both sides, and one
hand high, hard and rolled out, which should not have holes [lit. "eyes"] or
hollows, which should be brought out from the pantry to the table with the
other bread; this bread should be carved across with the paring knife in
thin slices the size of the loaf, in such a way that they do not fold over
themselves, and on top of them, placed on the platter, you may carve with
greater cleanliness, and keep the piece you are caving from getting cold,
carve it, serve it to the King, moving it to the plate he is eating from,
and take it up with the serving fork and bring it to him."

Like I said, quick and dirty translation.  What we have here seems to be an
adaptation of the trencher.  Rather than being a squared-off round loaf cut
into slices and used as a plate, it's a loaf baked square, sliced
horizontally, and used as an insulator and sponge to catch meat juices.

Other sections of the book clearly state that the King is eating from a
plate, and that bread is served sliced or in small loaves, depending on its
nature.  Nothing about food being served on bread.

HTH,

Vicente
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If you get into a jam, you can always eat something, blow something up or
throw penguins. --Jim Henson


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