[Sca-cooks] illusion dish

[Olwen the Odd]

Hi all.
We had a cooks guild meeting last Saturday and many of us prepared dishes 
from the Anno. Andilusian cookbook.  The dish I selected to make was a fun 
one I found while looking specifically for a vegetable dish.  The recipe is 
as follows, then I shall tell you of what I did.
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Recipe for a Dish of Gourd Resembling Fish, with which you may deceive the 
invalid who desires fish and the like.
Peel the gourd and clean it inside, then cut lengthwise for the width of two 
fingers or so; then boil and form a head and tail in the shape of a fish and 
leave for the water to drain away; then take a large dish and throw in it 
what eggs you need; add white flour, cinnamon and coriander seed and beat 
with the eggs; then place in the skillet on the fire with fresh oil, and 
when it is boiling, take the fish-shaped gourd and fry; then immerse in 
those eggs beaten with flour and spices and return to the pan; then go back 
and immerse in the eggs beaten with flour also. When you see that the eggs 
are set, return them several times until cloaked with egg and no trace of 
the gourd can be seen. Then turn out on the platter and sprinkle with 
vinegar and a little murri or juice of fresh coriander or other things.
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I intended to buy a more period type of pumpkin but elected not to when I 
saw the price of $10.00 for one pumpkin.  I chose to use butternut squash 
instead.  I selected two with nice long necks.  Once home I cut off the 
necks, peeled them and cut lengthwise into three planks each.  I then cut 
out the fish shapes with my knife (I have now learned to leave a wider part 
at the beginning of the tail section) and tapered the square edges to give a 
more natural shape to the "fish".  Then I got some water simmering with a 
bit of white vinegar and some zinfendel wine in it, to which I added the 
"fish" (6 fish in total, around 7 inches long).  I let these simmer till 
fork tender but not mushy (I did lose a couple of tales but fixed them with 
the batter).  While these were simmering I put a good handful of flour into 
a bowl and added ground cardomon and ground cinnamon, about 1/4 tsp each 
plus an extra shake, then broke in an egg and realized it was too stiff so I 
added another egg.  Stirred the whole mess into a thick coating rather the 
same consistency of a thin pancake or tempura batter.  I removed the "fish" 
from the simmer and set them on a rack to dry a bit (then put them into the 
freezer to cool them quicker).  After they were drained well and cool I put 
them one by one into the batter and completely covered them and popped them 
into some nicely heated vegetable oil, let them brown lightly on one side 
then flipped them to brown on the other side.  They came out and right onto 
a wooden plate, I inserted clove "eyes".  They were so very cute!  Folks 
liked the taste and I beleive they may show up on the menu at Baronial 
Birthday.  The nice thing is that you wouldn't have to carve all of them at 
the same time, but some here and there and pop them into the freezer.  It is 
even possible to cut the shapes with a cookie cutter as the planks were only 
about an inch thick.

THLady Olwen the Odd
Clan of Odds
House Blackstar
Bright Hills Cooks Guild
Order of the Pearl
Barony of Bright Hills
Kingdom of Atlantia!

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