[Sca-cooks] Rice in Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook?

[Johnna Holloway]

But rice is mentioned in the Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook.

Ok, stupid librarian's trick here but this book is indexed
at Doc's website www.medievalcookery.com

Searching under rice turns up a number of entries in this cookbook.

The Making of Khabis




And he who wants to make khabîs from rice should wash it several times  
in hot water and strain the water off and sprinkle it lightly, then  
cover it it until it softens, and when it softens, stir well until it  
dissolves, then strain it into a washtub (qasriyya) and put in it what  
was mentioned in the first, and the sugar is thickened with rosewater  
and eggwhites as before, and leaves of khabîs are fried in oil, and  
you make a sweet of it as previously described.

Preparing Narjisiyya (Narcissus-stew) With Carrots. Take tender fat  
meat and cut into the pot with salt, pepper, coriander seed and oil;  
cook till half done and then cut several peeled carrots into "reeds"  
smaller than a finger, and throw in with the meat with a little water  
and a little vinegar and saffron; then sprinkle with a little washed  
rice and when it is all done, pour in enough eggs beaten with saffron  
to bind. Take down [from the fire] and when it has cooled, cut with a  
knife, as if it were narcissus flower, and finish cooking in the pot.

Preparation of Rice Cooked Over Water [a double boiler method]. Take  
rice washed with hot water and put it in the pot and throw to it  
fresh, pure milk fresh from milking; put this pot in a copper kettle  
that has water up to the halfway point or a little more; arrange the  
copper kettle on the fire and the pot with the rice and milk well- 
settled in it so that it doesn't tip and is kept from the fire. Leave  
it to cook without stirring, and when the milk has dried up, add more  
of the same kind of milk so that the rice dissolves and is ready; add  
to it fresh butter and cook the rice with it; when the rice is done  
and dissolved, take off the pot and rub it with a spoon until it  
breaks up; then throw it on the platter and level it, dust it with  
ground sugar, cinnamon and butter and use. With this same recipe one  
cooks itriyya, fidaush and tharî d al-laban [milk tharid].

There are a number of other mentions.

Hope this helps,

Johnnae


On Sep 9, 2009, at 7:41 PM, Jim and Andi wrote:

> I just finished reading the entire Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook for  
> the
> second time, and I can't find a single reference to rice. No rice.
> Whatsoever. How is that possible? Did they not eat rice? Did they only
> eat their Buraniyyas and Tafayas with only bread?
>
> Madhavi