[Sca-cooks] Re: Pasta experiment (long)

[Christiane]

Because someone else selected the theme for this feast I find myself
in unfamiliar waters. Specifically Norman Sicily at the end of the
reign of Roger II. One of the texts I have been reading for clues as
to what to serve is "Pasta" by Serventi and Sabban. It states that
Sicily during the 12th and 13th centuries was the primary exporter of
Dried Pasta. So I thought that would be a logical foodstuff to serve.

So, further in the text they discuss the different manuscripts that
have directions for preparing the pasta. Apparently the general
Medieval/Rennisance concensus is that pasta, dried or fresh, needed to
be cooked for between 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. And the concept of al
Dente is decidedly OOP.
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Al dente may not be as OOP as you think.

I have, myself, cooked dried pasta for at least half an hour, in broth or a broth-like sauce. The key was a very low heat that produced an extremely gentle simmer. Done right, you don't even have to add liquid to it. Yes, the liquid in the pan will reduce, but that's the idea anyway.

Americans tend to boil the hell out of their pasta, I've been told. The way my aunts and my grandmother cooked pasta, and the way I've been doing it, is bring the water to a boil, add the pasta, boil for a minute, and then turn the heat way down and let it barely simmer for 25 minutes. Sure, it takes longer, but I have never overcooked my pasta in this fashion. Some folks will boil the water, add the pasta, boil for longer (5 minutes), and then shut off the heat and let the pasta sit in the extremely hot water for awhile. The pasta turns al dente and the cook can turn her attention to other matters without worrying about the pasta boiling over.

I have never done open-hearth cooking, but I would imagine boiling in this fashion would be similar to swinging the hook to put the pot over the fire, and then swinging it away from most of the heat. I would also think this is a more efficient use of limited hearth space and fuel. It's tricks like these that the recipe books don't tell us, because every cook then knew these things.

Oh, BTW, the most notable Norman contribution to Sicilian cooking is salt cod. I personally think this is why Roger kept the Muslim cooks around. Unfortunately some Sicilian-American families are still subjecting their families to baccala on Christmas Eve to this very day. I pity them, unless they of course love baccala, then I can only be puzzled.

For your dayboard, if you have one, please do think about the chicken baked in bread recipe that came from the emir of Catania. 

Gianotta