[Sca-cooks] Searching for Period Italian Leek Soup recipe

[Daniel Myers]

I'm a little slow in replying, but how about this?

105. LEEK POTTAGE. You must take leeks, well-peeled, and washed and  
cleaned the night before, set them to soak in an earthen bowl filled  
with water, in the night air; and let them be this way all night  
until the morning; and then give them a boil, moderately, because  
they are very difficult to cook; and when they are well-boiled, press  
them a great deal between two chopping blocks, and gently fry them  
with the fat of good bacon; and do not cast salt upon them; and when  
they are well gently fried, set them to cook in a little good broth  
which is fatty; and then take almond milk and cast it in the pot and  
cook it until it is quite thick; and when it is thick, taste it for  
salt, and if it lacks salt cast it in; and then prepare dishes, and  
[cast] upon them sugar and cinnamon.  [Libre del Coch, R. Carroll- 
Mann (trans.)]


The others I've found all seem to call for adding fish:

xlv - For to make Blawnche Perrye. Take the Whyte of the lekys, an  
sethe hem in a potte, an presse hem vp, and hacke hem smal on a bord.  
An nym gode Almaunde Mylke, an a lytil of Rys, an do alle thes to- 
gederys, an sethe an stere it wyl, an do ther-to Sugre or hony, an  
dresse it yn; thanne take powderd Elys, an sethe hem in fayre Water,  
and broyle hem, an kytte hem in long pecys. And ley .ij. or .iij. in  
a dysshe, and putte thin (Note: Thine.) perrey in a-nother dysshe, an  
serue the to dysshys to-gederys as Venysoun with Furmenty. [Two  
Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books]

Blanche porrey. Take blanche almondes, And grinde hem, and drawe hem  
with sugur water thorgh a streynour into a good stuff mylke into a  
potte; and then take the white of lekes, and hew hem small, and  
grynde hem in a morter with brede; and then cast al to the mylke into  
the potte, and caste therto sugur and salt, and lete boyle; And seth  
feyre poudrid eles in faire water ynowe, and broile hem on a gredren;  
and kut hem in faire longe peces, and ley two or thre in a dissh  
togidre as ye do veneson with ffurmenty, And serue it forthe. [Two  
Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books]

Whisked (?) greens. Bring the white of leeks, chopped finely, boiled  
and drained, again to the boil with wine and some water. Cook salmon  
in it, and onion, well fried, and dried herring. Add saffron, pepper  
and salt and let cool. [Wel ende edelike spijse, C. Muusers (trans.)]


Viandier is oh so helpful here as he says everyone knows how to make  
leek soup, so he doesn't give a real recipe:

Of other small pottages. Small pottages such as greens of chard;  
cabbages; turnips; leeks; veal with Yellow [Sauce]; pottages of  
scallions without anything else; peas; milled, pounded or sieved  
beans with or without the pod; pork intestine; soup with pork pluck  
(women are mistresses of it, and each knows how to make it); and  
tripes – these I have not put in my viandier, for one knows well how  
they should be eaten. [Le Viandier de Taillevent, J. Prescott (trans.)]


Does that help any?

- Doc


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  La sauce ne vaut pas mieux que le poisson.
  The sauce should not be better than the fish.
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