[Sca-cooks] Polenta was Pre-1600 recipes for "anchient grains"

Johnna Holloway johnnae at mac.com
Tue Apr 6 09:13:49 PDT 2010


Here are the early French instructions for the millet porridge.  
Courtesy of medievalcookery.com:

This is an excerpt from Le Viandier de Taillevent
(France, ca. 1380 - James Prescott, trans.)
The original source can be found at James Prescott's website

Millet. Wash it in three changes of hot water and put it in simmering  
cow's milk. Do not put the spoon in it until it has boiled. Then  
remove it from on top of the fire and add a bit of saffron. Boil it  
until it is done, and set it out in bowls.

This is an excerpt from Le Menagier de Paris
(France, 1393 - Janet Hinson, trans.)
The original source can be found at David Friedman's website

MILLET. Wash it in three changes of water and then put in an iron  
skillet to dry over the fire, and shake it well, so that it does not  
burn; and then put it in simmering cow's milk, and do not let the  
spoon touch it until it has boiled well, and then take it off the  
fire, and beat it with the back of the spoon until it is very thick.


Johnna

On Apr 6, 2010, at 8:54 AM, Terry Decker wrote:

> I know of no period recipes for millet polenta, but the grain was  
> available and the method of preparation is so simple and common that  
> it was almost certainly done.
> BTW, lightly toasting grain meals in the oven before making polenta  
> improves the flavor.
>
> Bear




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