[Sca-cooks] nut and raisin confection

[Stefan li Rous]

<<< Maybe the Candy file in the Florilegium?
There's one I think for raisins and pine nuts.

candy-msg - 2/17/08

Johnnae

On May 15, 2011, at 11:29 PM, tudorpot at gmail.com wrote:

I was sure I read a period recipe that combined walnuts and raisins  
similar to Pynade. Help please.

Theadora >>>

I don't see any recipes that include both raisins and walnuts in that  
file. There are several period recipe for things that resemble candied  
walnuts or sugared clumps of walnuts and other things. Here is a  
recipe that has walnuts which is closest to what I thought pynade was.  
I don't remember pynade having any raisins in it, myself. From the  
above mentioned file:

---------

Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 14:13:06 -0500

From: LYN M PARKINSON <allilyn at juno.com>

Subject: Re: SC -  'Honey Nut Crunch'- [long]

The 'Za' source is given as Zambrini, Francesco, editor, *Libro della  
cucina ded secolo XIV*.  I have the original text if you need it.

This would be good in your Christmas baskets, wouldn't it?

Also, a great way to use up any of last year's nuts before this year's  
crop comes in.

  'Honey Nut Crunch'- is recipe 147, pp. 217-218.

Redon, Odile. Sabban, Francoise. & Serventi, Silvano.  The Medieval  
Kitchen, Recipes from France and Italy.   Translated, Edward  
Schneider, U of Chicago Press, Chicago & London, 1998.  ISBN 0 226  
70684 2.  This was originally published as La gastronomie au Moyen  
Age, 1991.

Begin quote

Of honey boiled with walnuts, known as nucato.  Take honey, boiled and  
skimmed, with slightly crushed walnuts and spices, boiled together:  
wet the palm of your hand with water and spread it out; let it cool,  
and serve.  And you can use almonds or filberts in place of walnuts.  
(Za 77).

This nucato is related to the delicious nougat noir ("black nougat")  
still made in the southern French town of Sisteron.  But here, there  
is an additional pleasant surprise when you taste it: the perfumed bit  
of spices.  This is a perfect treat for Christmastime.

For once, we advise departing from the technique described in the  
recipe: unless you happen to have asbestos skin, it would be very  
dangerous to spread the burning-hot mixture with your bare hands, even  
if you did wet them first.  Better to use the cut surface of a halved  
lemon instead.

3 cups honey (1 kg)

2 1/4 pounds shelled almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts (1 kg)

1 lemon for spreading the mixture

For the spice mixture

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

1 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 teaspoon ground cloves

Gradually bring the honey to the boil, skimming off any impurities  
that may rise to the surface.  Very coarsely chop the nuts and add to  
the honey along with 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture.  Cook over low  
heat, stirring constatly, for 30 to 45 minutes.  The mixture is done  
when you can hear the almonds beginning to "pop" from the heat of the  
honey.  Take care not to let the nuts burn and turn dark and bitter.   
When done, stir in the remaining spice mixture.

When the nucato is done, pour it ouyt onto a sheet pan or cookie sheet  
lined with parchment paper; spread it into an even layer with the cut  
surface of a halved lemon.  Cool completely before serving.

End quote.

Allison

--------

This sounds pretty good. I may have to see if I have some walnuts  
around.

Stefan

--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****