[Sca-cooks] Substitution Challenge

[Sharon Palmer]

Awhile ago Urtatim did a challenge for period substitutions.  Here 
are a few from Rumpolt.  See if you can guess before looking them up.


1) (Lamb) Meat to braise with onions.  Brown it well to the point 
(until done)// and then put it in a fish kettle/ pour wine and 
vinegar on it/ also a little beef broth/ and brown a little flour in 
it/ put in onions/ and let it simmer with each other/ and when it is 
half cooked/ then mix it with pepper/ saffron and a little sugar/ 
then let it simmer again/ and when it has cooked/ then check it/ if 
it is well tasting.  Have you no onions/ then take _________/ then it 
is good and well tasting.

2) Orach.  Take orach/ pick it and poach it in boiling water/ put it 
on a strainer/ cool it/ and press it well off/ that the water comes 
from it/ take boiled bacon/ that is fresh/ chop it with the leaves 
through each other/ then put it in a fish kettle/ set it on coals/ 
and roast it well with each other/ dissolve with a good beef broth/ 
that is not over salted/ put a little ginger in it/ so it becomes 
good and well tasting.  Have you no beef broth/ then pour good 
_________ in it.

3) Wash the spinach nicely off/ and press the water well from it/ 
throw it in hot butter in a pan/ and roast it well in it/ pour a 
little pea broth/ and a little bacon into it/ also put a little sugar 
and small raisins into it/ a little pepper and ginger/ together let 
it again simmer/ that a short broth develops/ so it becomes good and 
well tasting.  Have you no sugar/ then pour a sweet _________ / into 
it/ and let simmer with it/ so it becomes also good.

4) Take (beef) meat and beef fat/ a little onion and saffron/ also 
eggs/ and chop it together/ make long or wide dumplings from it. 
Make a grill hot/ lay them on it and roast them/ and make them nicely 
brown on both sides/ lay them in a tinned fish kettle/ and pour a 
good beef broth over then/ Have you no broth/ then take water/ cut 
_______ in it/ and crush a little juniper/ take pepper and a little 
saffron over it/ and steam it together/ like this it becomes good and 
well tasting.

5)  Cut up the udder/ and take pepper and salt through each other/ 
have you no pepper/ then take _________ with it/ and when you have 
browned the udder/ then baste with fresh unmelted butter/ and when 
you dress it then sprinkle the pepper and salt over it/ then it 
becomes good and lovely.

And a few less surprising ones
have you no beef broth/ then take water
have you no vinegar/ then put verjuice in it/ from the unripe grapes/
have you no beef fat/ then chop bacon in it/
have you no lard/ then take the fat skimmed from beef broth
have you no bacon/ then baste with butter
have you no wine vinegar/ then take beer vinegar
have you no broth/ then take water
have you no beef broth/ then take the broth the mutton cooked in
have you no wine/ then take vinegar
have you no isinglass/ then take calves foot (to set an almond cheese)
have you no roasted fish/ then take a fried one  (in a fish soup)

Ranvaig