[Sca-cooks] Anchovy-Potatoes

[Stefan li Rous]

Anahita posted:
> Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 21:04:15 -0800
Whoo-eee! I finally got a SCA-Cooks digest. After not getting one for 
three days I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong. Last week 
I was getting nine or more digests in one day, which is a bit much, but 
I was beginning to miss you all. But I checked and I was still 
registered as a list member.
> Curious about incarnations of the recipe of which Phlip posted the
> skeleton, i searched the web using - potatoes anchovies cream - as my
> search parameters.
Thank you. I will now consider these variations. I didn't cook this on 
the 25th like I'd planned. Just cooked a green chili stew. I did post 
on this, but if it doesn't appear I will post it again and add the 
recipe. Then I was going to cook it on the 26th but that didn't happen. 
So I will cook this again later. The cream won't keep though, so I'll 
have to buy more.

> NOTES -and- COMMENTS -and- DRIVEL
>
> There are a couple tricks, repeated in the various incarnations...
>
> First:
> Only a couple recipes specify what type of potatoes to use - one says
> russets (the big rough brown baking potatoes) - one says russets or
> Yukon golds (that's what i just bought)
Good. That is reassuring. I also thought Yukon Golds would be good in 
this recipe, so that was what I bought.
> Second:
> Besides thinly slicing the onions and potatoes, you are supposed to
> cut up the anchovies. OK, maybe that was obvious to some, i imagined
> leaving them whole.
I was wondering about this, too. I was thinking though that if one 
little can was to be used for several layers that it would be spread 
pretty thinly if dropped in whole and figured I might spread the 
individual fillets around a little. I thought I'd see how it went. 
Sometimes the anchovies are already coming apart when I open the can. 
Or I might have added another can.
> -- Optional: Saute the onions in butter before layering in the baking 
> dish.
Would they really be that much different than if they just baked/cooked 
in the cream? They wouldn't be browned, I guess. But they are probably 
easier to handle not sauted as far as putting them into an even layer.
> Third:
> The beginning and ending layers should be potatoes.
Hmmm. Hadn't considered this. I was just going to end with onions and 
put some bread crumbs or "fried onions" on top.
> And be sure to
> dot the top layer with butter.
> -- Optional: Put fresh rosemary in the first and second layers
An interesting idea. My rosemary is about the only herb of mine which 
is doing well. In fact it needs to be trimmed back, so maybe I'll try 
this.
> -- Optional: Sprinkle all three layers with ground pepper
>
> Fourth:
> Using anchovies packed in olive oil, drain and save the olive oil,
> then beat it into the heavy cream.
> Pour 1/2 to 3/4 of this over the dish after all the layers are
> completed. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.
> Remove from oven, pour in remaining cream, and return to oven for
> another 15 minutes.
What would this do for you? At least the part about adding the cream in 
stages.

> This much fiddliness seems unnecessary, but all the recipes i found
> other than this added the cream in two stages, so that's the first
> way i'd try it.
Exactly. That is why I'm wondering what you gain by this.

> Anyway, i was going to make this tonight, but i was so hungry, having
> not eaten breakfast or lunch, that when i was in the market, i got a
> roasted chicken and laid into it after putting the perishables away.
Lol. I've had that happen as well.

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 ****