[Sca-cooks] Spanish recipe question.

[Elaine Koogler]

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise wrote:
>
> And is desperately scrambling to get her feast menu in order. So far I 
> have decided on Granado's Carrot Cheese Pie, and an Eggplant ala de Nola 
> (MOORISH EGGPLANT)-- basically eggplant peeled and cut, boiled, squished 
> between two cutting boards, sauted, thickened with broth, and cheese 
> added-- the wierd part is this one also adds egg, but otherwise it's De 
> Nola Faced With A Vegetable... also I want to serve Food for Angels 
> (sweetened curd cheese). There should be dishes of pork, beef, and 
> chicken (though I might sneak in lamb or kid as well) and there should 
> be fish. I'm trying to avoid repeating too many recipes from the 
> previous Convivencia. 
>
> Brainstorming suggestions would be very welcome.
>
>   
Both of the following recipes were a howling success when I served them 
a couple of years ago. The first is for fish, but it is unbelievably 
easy and even those who claim to hate fish loved it:
*/
/*


      */Libro de Cozina/ of Master Ruperto de Nola*, translated by
      Vincent F. Cuenca

*Grilled Tuna*

Take a piece of tuna from the part near the belly and clean it; and 
baste it with oil, and brush also the grill and set it to roast over a 
few coals; and baste them from time to time with oil and then prepare 
its light sauce with water and salt and oil, and bitter orange juice and 
pepper and all the good herbs torn up or chopped fine: and when they 
wish to eat place our fish on the plate and pour the sauce over it; and 
if you wish to make another sauce, like for arugula or another it should 
be as you wish.

10 # Tuna
Olive Oil
Salt
Bitter orange juice (thin oj with white wine vinegar)
Pepper
Tarragon, chopped fine
Cilantro, chopped fine

Brush tuna steaks with olive oil, then grill, basting from time to time 
with oil.

Sauce:

Mix oil, water, salt, orange juice, white wine vinegar, pepper, tarragon 
and cilantro. Serve on the side with tuna steaks.

This next one isn't from de Nola, but seemed to be ubiquitous throughout 
the Mediterannean area. It seems that it would fit in with your plans...


      /The Neapolitan Recipe Collection (Cuoco Napoletano)/ by Terence
      Scully

*37. **Catalan-Style Mirausto*
In primo piglia pizoni o polastri ho caponi, conzali como se fa arosto, 
he poneli a rostire nel spido; he quando son mezi cotti, caveli for a he 
divideli in quarti, he ogni quarto in doi parti, he poneli in una 
pignata; dapoi piglia amandole he pistale molto bene; poi piglia doi 
fette di pane brusculato et quarto rossi de ova dura; poi pista ogni 
cosa cum le amandole, he distempera cum uno pocho de acceto ho de brood, 
he passa per la stamegna; da poi lo mette nela dita pignata sopra la 
carne, giogendoli de bone specie, cioe, canella assai, zucaro asai; poi 
mete la pignata supra le braxe he falla bullire per meza hora, 
continuamente menando cum lo cughiaro; et quando sera cotto, manda 
questo Mirausto a tavola in piatelli ho in scuteele, he fallo como el 
colore gamellino.

Begin by getting pigeons or cockerels or capons, prepare them as for a 
roast and set them to roast on a spit; when they are half cooked, take 
them, and split each quarter in two, and put them into a pot; then get 
almonds and grind them up thoroughly, and get two slice of toast and 
four hard-boiled egg yolk and grind up all this with the almonds and 
distemper it with a little vinegar or broth and strain it; then put it 
into the pot on top of the meat, adding in good spices—that is, a good 
lot of cinnamon and a good lot of sugar; then set the pot on the coals 
and let it boil for half an hour, stirring constantly with a spoon; when 
it is cooked, serve this Mirausto in dishes or in bowls, and give it a 
cameline colour.

My redaction:

2 Chicken breasts/thighs
1 cup Almonds, ground
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 Hardboiled egg yolk
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sugar

Bake the chicken at 350º until it is about half done. Cut it into chunks.

While the chicken is cooking, grind the almonds. Add breadcrumbs and egg 
yolks, and grind again. Add the broth and vinegar mixture, then the 
cinnamon and sugar. Cook the chicken chunks in the sauce until the 
chicken is fully cooked.

I also used a recipe from Platina to do a pork roast, then served it 
with three sauces, a garlic pine-nut sauce and Agalura sauce from de 
Nola and the Persian Relish from Platina. If you're interested, let me 
know and I'll send the recipes.

Hope this helps...though I'm sure you don't need any!

Kiri