No subject

> Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 14:07:35 EDT
> From: PhlipinA at aol.com
> Subject: SC - On roast beef and fried chicken- long
>
> Was just going through my copy of Platina, "De Honesta Voluptate et
> Valetudine", the Milham translation, 1998, and found the following
> instructions.
>
> The first is from the 6th book, Chapter 4, entitled "Assum", or "Roast":
>
> "Make a roast from whatever meat you want this way: if it is old (1), when it
> has boiled a while, take it out of the pot and lard it, and have it turned
> over the fire until it is well cooked, but if it is tender, like veal and kid,
> cook it without boiling, the same way as above. Wash in boiling water capons,
> pheasants, kid, partridges and whatever wild meat requires roasting, well
> plucked and dressed. After they are rinsed and garnished to stimulate appetite
> with fragrant herbs, pepper, and finely chopped lard, have them cooked on a
> hearth on a slow fire, but when you see that they are nearly cooked, sprinkle
> salt with breadcrumbs all over them, after the fire has been increased more
> than before and the spit turned with a faster turning hand. Then take the meat
> off at once, let the steam go away, and serve to your guests."
>
> (1) At this juncture, I'm reminded of Adamantius telling me that the Romans
> felt beef was vulgar, and would not be eaten by the upper classes- they'd eat
> veal in preference. In this case, the phrase " Si annicula erit" means, I
> think, meat from a mature animal. Ras, although this does not specifically say
> roast beef, it is a generic recipe for roasting any animal, and I feel that
> beef is one of the animals included. I suspect many of the recipes we have are
> intended to be generic. Your thoughts, Ras, Adamantius, Cariadoc, anyone?
>
> <snip of fried chicken recipe>
>
> Phlip

And another, which definitely is *not* speaking about boiling meats, but may
be later than your folks were talking about:

> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 10:12:24 EST
> From: Seton1355 at aol.com
> Subject: SC - from the Plymouth Plantation web site
>
> Since this is from 1615 I'm assuming it's not too late for us.  Perhaps
> someone will be interested.
> Phillipa
>
> G. Markham on Roast Meats - 1615
>
> 59 Of roast meats. Observations in roast meats.
>
> To proceed then to roast meats, it is to be understood that in the general
> knowledge thereof are to be observed these few rules. First, the cleanly
> keeping and scouring of the spits and cob-irons; next, the neat picking and
> washing of meat before it is spitted,
>
> 60 Spitting of roast meats.
>
> Then the spitting and broaching of meat, which must be done so strongly and
> firmly that the meat may by no means either shrink from the spit, or else turn
> about the spit; and yet ever to observe that the spit do not go through any
> principle part of the meat, but such as is of least account and estimation:
> and if it be birds or fowl which you spit, then to let the spit go through the
> hollow of the body of the fowl, and so fasten it with picks or skewers under
> the wings, about the thighs of the fowl, and at the feet or rump, according
> to your manner of trussing and dressing them.

Another example:

> Date: Sun, 31 Jan 1999 22:46:40 -0600
> From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
> Subject: RE: SC - My try at Roman Roast

> Roasted Meat (Apicius 268)
>
> Assaturam:  Assam a furno simplicem salis plurimo conspersam cum melle
> inferes.
>
> Roasted meat:  The meat is roasted plain in the oven, sprinkled generously
> with salt.  Serve with honey.
>
> This is civilian fare.  The diet of the legions was primarily bread, cooked
> grain, pulses, vegetables as available and watered wine or vinegar.  Meat
> was rarely eaten and was probably purchased outside the regular ration or
> looted from an enemy.
>
> Bear

Okay, this is getting long, but I've barely touched the examples available.
I'll stop before the list throws me off for being too wordy, but you get the
idea. Perhaps I mis-understood your comments, though.

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 ****