[Sca-cooks] Period Panacotta

[Kathleen Madsen]

Ack!  I was wrong, the credit for the translation
should go to Mistress Helewyse de Birkestad.  That's
what I get for sending this before the morning cup of
caffeine kicks in.  Here is the translated original:

The following passages are taken from Gallo, Agostino
Le Vinti giornate dell'agricoltvra et de'piaceri della
villa (1575).  This book essentially covers all
aspects of country life, from raising cattle, to
growing fruit, to making wine, to making cheese.  The
book is available on line courtesy of the Fons Grewe
Site -  http://www.bib.ub.es/grewe/showbook.pl?gw010 

    Vinc. And how do you make your head of milk. 
    Scal. First we put the cream to the fire in a well
cleaned casserole, the which (cream) we move
continually with a clean (white) stick, until is
starts to enlarge (the point just before a simmer when
the volume of cream appears to increase), then we take
it at that time from the fire and put to it to ounces
of sugar for each pound (the Italian libra or pound is
12 oz) of it, not forgetting to move it with the same
stick, until you can hold into it your little finger,
Then pass it through a hair strainer or piece of linen
rag.  And when this is done put inside it the rennet
(coagulant) dissolved/mixed with fresh water or better
still with rose water, and all at one time put
everything in little cups or plates, in order that it
cools and takes body.  And in this way we make our
head of milk very delicate, the which you other nobles
eat willingly with the fresh rolled wafers made of
flour and sugar, but it is also better than that made
in Venice and Padova. 

My redaction:

Period Panacotta
Ingredients:
2 cups of cream
3 Tablespoons of sugar
1 Tablespoon of cool water
Either 1 Junket tablet or 6 drops of Rennet

Directions:
Prepare 4 dessert dishes ahead of time and have them
ready to be filled.  In another small dish put the
Tablespoon of water in it and drop in your Junket
tablet or your Rennet, stir until Junket or Rennet is
well combined.  Junket tablet needs to be completely
dissolved.

Heat cream until it appears to increase in volume in
the pan, which will be around 175 deg. F.  Remove from
heat and stir in sugar.  Allow to cool to 110 deg. F
while continuing to stir periodically, to prevent a
skin from forming.  When the cream has cooled to 110
deg. F stir in Junket or Rennet with a few stirs of
your spoon.  Pour immediately into dessert dishes and
allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.  You can
either serve immediately or allow to set up for an
additional 30 minutes at room temperature or cover and
place in the refrigerator to cool.  You want to serve
it within 24 hours for the best flavor and freshness.

This recipe will make 4 half-cup servings.  To
increase servings do not increase the Rennet or Junket
unless you approach a gallon of cream, then increase
your Rennet to 1/2 teaspoon or your Junket to 2
tablets.

You can also use whole milk instead of cream and can
drop fresh fruit into the bowls before pouring the
milk or cream over top.  These are both modern
adaptations.

Eibhlin