[Sca-cooks] oysters

[Stefan li Rous]

Bear asked:
> How about oysters?  From Pliny, we know the Romans created oyster beds 
> and
> practiced a form of aquaculture.  So what happened to them after the 
> glory
> faded.
More details, please.
> Do we have any recipes from within period?  Do we have any
> references?
Yes. For a few, see this file in the FOOD-MEATS section of the 
Florilegium:
seafood-msg       (77K)  4/20/01    Medieval non-fish seafood. Recipes.

> From Diversa Cibaria, Book I of the ever-faithful "Curye On Inglysch":
>
> "62     To maken hoistreye. Nim hostrees & mak am zeo*en, & so**en do 
> am out
> of *e bro*; & wyte *e bro*. & so**en heuw am smale on an bord, & braye
> heom in an morter, & so**en do am in *e bro* & do *erto milke of
> alemauns, & lie hit wi* amydon. & let frien oygnons & mynsen heom by am
> seoluen in oyle; & 3ef *ou nast none oyle, let seo*en heom in god milke
> of alemaundes. & do *erto a poudre of gode spices, and colore hit wy*
> saffroun."
>
> There's a similar recipe in Taillevent, I believe, except without the
> almond milk, and with toast crumbs, pea puree or water, and vinegar
> added to the formula. Actually sounds better, to me, at least.

> Here is a recipe from the "Libro de Guisados" (1529).  It appears to
> be a list of cooking suggestions, rather than one single recipe:
>
> COMO SE GUISAN LAS OSTIAS
>
> Las ostias se comen fritas con aceite y su pimienta y azafran y sus
> especias y zumo de naranja; y echadas en su escabeche con
> sus hojas de laurel.  Y se comen asadas con su pimienta.  Y se comen
> cocidas en su agua; y aceite, y especias sofreidos primero con su
> cebolla and aceite en una sarten o la cebolla sola sofreida en la
> sarten; y echada en la olla con su sabor de vinagre; y algunas buenas
> yerbas.  Y se pueden guisar en cazuela con su agua y aceite y
> especias y buenas yerbas con cebolla sofreida en su sarten; y echada
> dentro, y su saborcico de vinagre.
>
> And a quick translation for those who are not familiar with Spanish:
>
> HOW OYSTERS ARE COOKED
>
> Oysters are eated fried with oil and your pepper and saffron and
> your spices and orange juice; and cast into your escabeche [a pickled
> dish] with your laurel leaves.  And they are eaten fried with
> your pepper.  And they are eaten cooked in your water; and oil, and
> spices gently fried first with your onion and oil in a frying-pan or
> the onion gently fried alone in the frying pan; and cast in the pot
> with your taste of vinegar; and some good herbs.  And they can be
> cooked in a cazuela [casserole dish] with your water and oil and
> spices and good herbs with onion gently fried in your frying-pan; and
> cast within, and your little taste of vinegar.

> Platina is 15th century Italian.  He has recipes
> for (book 10 On Cooking fish) for sea urchin, mollusks, oysters, 
> mussels, purple
> fish, murex and lobster, crab, caviar, octopus, cuttle-fish, squid, 
> and other
> strange beasties.  Oh, and fish.  ;>

And probably more. :-) Unfortunately, I've never had any oysters at an 
SCA feast.
Stefan
--------
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 ****