[Sca-cooks] deep frying

[Stefan li Rous]

El Hermoso Dormido commented:
> Translations of some sources do seem to imply frying in a "pan"
> which to me would imply not deep-frying.
>
> However, I do recall seeing that the online translation of deNola's Catalan
> "Libre del Coch" implies what I would consider "deep" frying.
>
> The "Oranges of Xativa" (which I've taken to thinking of as
> "cheesecake fritters"), according to the translation, mention
> that the dough "goes floating" in the oil or fat.  While that doesn't
> necessarily mean a "deep" pot of oil, it does imply enough oil to
> submerge the fritters, so it would technically be "deep frying".
>
> http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MANUSCRIPTS/Guisados1-art.html
> (recipe #133)
>
> So, presuming the translation is correct (Yo no habla Espanol) there
> was at least deep-frying in Early 16th-century Catalonia...
As I was saving this message, I found the following in my collection of

stuff not yet in the Florilegium. I thought I'd go ahead and post it
here again, since I think it is the recipe being talked about:

> Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 22:29:55 -0400
> From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>
> Subject: Deep Fryimg (was Re: SC - organ meats)
>
> And it came to pass on 24 Apr 00,, that LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
>> But lard was used in abundance for frying until vegetable oils became
>> common in the middle of the 20th century. The lack of vegetable oils in
>> large amounts before that time would not have been a factor in determining
>> whether deep frying was common or not.
>
> There's a recipe in de Nola for "pomelos" (a relative of grapefruit) which
> are actually sweet cheese fritters.  It says, in part:
> "and when everything is incorporated and kneaded take a very clean
> casserole, and cast into it a good quantity of sweet pork fat or fine
> sweet oil, and when the pork grease or oil boils, make some balls from
> said dough, like toy balls or round oranges, and cast them into the
> casserole in such a manner that the ball goes floating in the casserole"
> (In this context, "sweet oil" would be good-quality olive oil, I think.)
>
> Most of the period fried-food recipes I've seen call for pan-frying.
> Perhaps the significant factor is not the availability of oil, but ease of
> technique?
>
> Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
> Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

--
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris            Austin, Texas         StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****