[Sca-cooks] Neapolitan Risotto? (was re: Black Rice)

[Nick Sasso]

I find in my disturbingly handy copy of Cuoco Napoletano, the following
recipe:

8.  Rice in the Italian Style
	Put fat and lean broth into a pot and boil it; then get cleaned
rise that has been washed several times in warm water, put it in and
boil it, giving it a couple of turns with a spoon so that it does not
stick to the pot; then, when it is cooked, get eggs and grated cheese,
and beat everything together, along with a little pepper, set it out in
bowls.

If this is the recipe to which he referred, I find it less
risotto-like, and more frumenty-like in design and insinuated technique.
 I suspect your would get a creamy, rich-feeling and tasting soft dish
of rice, but not so much a risotto.  I do also notice the warm washing
of rice and wonder if it is to wash away some of the starch to begin
with, which would further remove from our target dish.

This could be anywhere from a savory rice pudding looking dish to a
thickened porridge to a rice soup using the egg and cheese as thickening
agents for the brodo (broth).  It does appear with several porridge type
recipes, so that would be my inclination.  'Italian Rice' is listed
after what appear to be several variants of "white dish" (cousins to our
old friend blancmange?) and before spelt porridge.

pacem et bonum,
niccolo difrancesco
(I might need to serve this with a roasted pork loin this week)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel Myers" <doc at medievalcookery.com>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002 10:27 AM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] black rice


There's a very risotto-like dish in Scully's "Neapolitan Cuisine" -
cooked rice, eggs, cheese, pepper, and the like.  So I'd say they're
period for 14th century Italy.  I'll post the source test when I get
home this evening.