[Sca-cooks] Re Daniel's Fish Story

[Devra at aol.com]

        From Pleyn Delit, first edition, redacted from Forme of Curye...
Take Makerels and smyte hem on pecys; cast hem on water and verious; seep hem 
with myntes and with oother erbes; color it greene or yelow, and mess it 
forth.

     2-3 mackerel, amounting to at least 2 lb fish
     1 C water, Salted
     1-4 C vinegar (white has least discolouring effect - but I like cider)
     4 large sprigs parsley and 3 or so of fresh mint (if dried mint, ca 1T)
     3-4 scallions or green onions

Mackerel should be cleaned and the head removed (if desired).  Either leave 
fish whole or cut into pieces (ca 2 in long).  Put into cooking pot with 
scallions, mint and 3 parsley sprigs; pour salted water and vinegar over and bring 
to a simmer. Cook gently for 15-20 minutes (depending on size.) Remove fish to 
a serving dish, sprinkle with remaining parsley, finely minced, and pour some 
of the cooking liquid, strained, over it. (Or use sorrell, minced, or ground 
with salt, in place of parsley, for the sauce - this is specifically prescribed 
in the slightly later version.)

However, I like to serve it with the cooked greens, which I really like. (You 
can cut them into 2 inch lengths.)

Interesting - I hadn't reread the original version in a long time; didn't 
realise that it called for verjuice rather than vinegar. So maybe using the cider 
vinegar isn't all that far off.

Anyway, it's very tasty.
     Devra


Devra Langsam
www.poisonpenpress.com
devra at aol.com