[Sca-cooks] Roux

[Barbara Benson]

Here is a Roux thickened soup from Rumpoldt (annotated with commentary):
<<R153a>>
164. Nim{b} düerre Peltzschwammen/ lass sie vber Nacht in Wasser
weichen/ vnnd wenn du es wilt zusetzen/
so thu geschweisste Zwibeln darein/ mit eyngebrenntem Mehl/ geuss
Erbessbrüeh oder Wasser darüeber/ vnd lass ein stundt oder zwo fein
gemach damit sieden/ wüertz es ab mit Pfeffer/ Saffran vnd Jngwer/
machs saur/ dass mans kan essen/ vnd schaw versaltz es nicht/ so ist
es gut vnnd wolgeschmack.
Denn in Böehmen ist es ein gemein essen von diesen Schwam{m}en. Vnd
man kan sie auch wol hacken wie ein Lungenmuss/ vnd man kans auch
zurichten mit Eyern vnnd Essig/ ist es gut vnnd wolgeschmack.

164. Take dried Peltz mushrooms/ leave them over Night in Water to
soak/and when You wish, set them on (the fire to cook them) then put
briefly fried (chopped) onions therein/ with toasted meal (i.e.,
flour)/
[Giano commented: "flour and butter, browned, for thickening the soup.
Rumpoldt is one of the first writers in German to list this
technique."] pour Pea broth or Water thereover/and leave one hour or
two to seethe nicely and gently (i.e, simmer)  therewith/ spice it up
with Pepper/ Saffron and Ginger/make sour / that one can eat/ and see
it is not over-salted/thus it is good and well-tasting. (translated by
Ahanita/Uratatim)
Then in Bohemia it is common to eat these Mushrooms. And one can also
chop them well such as for a Lung pudding/ and one can also prepare
with Eggs and Vinegar/ it is good and well-tasting.
[Giano commented that "this seems to be a soup recipe, but the thick
kind of soup we are used to today."]

And here is one from Welserin:

5 How to cook a wild boar's head, also how to prepare a sauce for it.

A wild boar's head should be boiled well in water and, when it is
done, laid on a grate and basted with wine, then it will be thought to
have been cooked in wine. Afterwards make a black or yellow sauce with
it. First, when you would make a black sauce, you should heat up a
little fat and brown a small spoonful of wheat flour in the fat and
after that put good wine into it and good cherry syrup, so that it
becomes black, and sugar, ginger, pepper, cloves and cinnamon, grapes,
raisins and finely chopped almonds. And taste it, however it seems
good to you, make it so.

Both of these are from the last half of the Sixteenth Century in
Germany. I have made the mushroom soup and it is very, very tasty. One
that surprised me at how good it was.

Hopefully others will be able to supply you with more examples, these
are just off the top of my head.

Ciao!

--
Serena da Riva