[Sca-cooks] on topic: Healthy Feasts - was OT: diet, was sugar problems

[grizly]

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Now, removing the walnut-sized butter and salt from each coffin (not to
mention cutting back on the twelve egg yolks) would significantly cut
down the sodium, fat and cholesterol of this dish without, I suggest,
effecting the flavor one bit.  The damsons, currants and spices give the
dish all the flavor it needs.

No tofu, TVP or turkey bacon.  But a healthier dish that's still loyal
to the original.

Duriel > > > > >

I would contend in my particular pratice of my craft that there is a certain
lack of loyalty were I to do that for my own redaction.  The recipes says to
put that exact amount of butter in for the dish.  As I endeavor to recreate
these dishes, I would put in 12 yolks and a walnut sized butter wad in each
coffyn.    The dough texture would be significantly different if you cut the
yolks by, say, half.  Less fat, less tender crust.  The tender, edible crust
being the whole point of difference with 1300's coffyn pastes.  Your method
of fat reduction works for me in the far more vague instructions, but this
one gives precise directions.

Your personal choice to change the recipe is yours, and I make no judgement
about what you choose.  I prefer recreating the dish, and choosing some of
the other scads of chicken dishes when I need one that have little or no
fat, like the three below.  If the dish offends thee, cut it out and find
another.  Egads, there are a couple of dozen texts out there that we have to
choose from, and more being translated for us every year.

Translation:  (Harleian MS 4016 #19): Take parsley, Sage, Hyssop, Rosemary,
an thyme, and break it between thy hands, and stuff the Capon therewith;
color him with Saffron, and put him in an earthen pot, or of brass, and lay
splints underneath and all about the sides, that the Capon touch no thing of
the pot; strew good herbs in the pot, and put thereto a pottel of the best
wine that thou may get, and no other liquor; cover the pot with a close lid,
and stop it about with dough or batter, that no air come out; And set in on
the fair charcoal, and let it seethe easily and long till it is enough.  And
if it is an earthen pot, then set it on the fire when thou take it down ,
and let it not touch the ground for breaking; And when the heat is over
past, take out the Capon with a skewer; then make a syrup of wine, Raisins
of Corinth, sugar and saffron, And boil it a little; mix powder of Ginger
with a little of the same wine, and put thereto; then put away the fat of
the stew of the Capon, And put the Syrup to the stew and pour in on the
capon , and serve it forth.

OR TRY THESE from my favorite source:  Scully, T. (2000).  Cuoco
Napoletano - The Neapolitan Recipe Collection:

#55  In spito cum suo sapore Piglia, quando le harai cotte bene arosto,
cinque amandole mondate he pistale bene cum zucaro fino-ho non havendo
zucaro, pone mel-he stempera cum sugo de limoni che sia un pocho spisso; he
ponerai sopra le galine, ho vero fa in scutellino el sapore et le galine in
piatelli; he manda caldi a tavola.
Roast Chickens in their Sauce (#55)

 When you have roasted them well, take five peeled almonds and grind them up
with fine sugar-if you do not have sugar, use honey-and temper with lemon
juice to make it slightly thick; put this over the chickens, or else put the
sauce in small bowls and the chicken on plates; serve warm.


#61 Starne al mod Cathalano
Piglia la sterna he cocela arosto; he quando he cotta, cazala dal spito he
parte le ale dal petto,he pone in quelle fixure questo sapore: piglia sugo
de [f? 22r] granate ho agresyo, sale he garofoli pisti he specie dolce, he
ponelo dentro de le dite fixure quandro.l'e bene calda; he not ache la
sterna non vole esser troppo cotta.

Catalan-Style Partridge
Get the partridge and roast it; when it is cooked, take it down from the
spit and slice the wings off at the breast, and into the cuts put the
following sauce: get pomegranate juice or verjuice, salt, ground cloves and
mild spices, and put this into the cuts while the partridge is hot; and note
that the partridge should not be overcooked.


niccolo difrancesco