[Sca-cooks] Recipes for Autumn War "Seige" cooking contest

[Raphaella DiContini]

The change to getting people used to historical recipes and "shopping" in our stores seems to be progressing nicely. I've had several people comment on how much they enjoy this format as entrants, judges and observers. 
 
Here are the recipes offered for the most recent contest. This time we modified the judging format from a round robin of all the contestants presenting their dishes then fielding questions and voting on all of the entries to include an additional judging panel of three people. The contestant / populace feedback was taken into account, but it was felt by some that this would even the playing field and remove any question about whether larger teams might have an advantage simply by their increased numbers. 
 
This is still a work in progress and we are constantly looking for ways to improve the process, so any comments, hints or tips are greatly appreciated. 
 
Novice (first time entering siege cooking, or first time using a historical recipe)
 
LXIX.Savor de zenzevro biancho a caponi.
Se tu voy fare savore bianco de zenzevro, toy zenzevro biancho e tolo ben mondo e toy alquante spinaze e salvia ben monda e queste cosse pista insieme e mitige arquanto zucharo e distempera questo savore con agresta e cum axeto biancho. Questo savore se vole dare crudo con caponi arostiti e con polastri. 
LXIX.  Relish of white ginger for capons. 
If you want to make white ginger relish, take white ginger and crush well peeled and take enough spinach and sage well peeled and these things paste together and put in enough sugar and temper this sauce with verjuice and with white vinegar.  This sauce wants to be given raw with roast capons and with hens.
 
Experienced (have entered multiple siege cooking contests & /or have experience with historical recipes) please complete this recipe, and optionally the novice recipe listed above as well. 
 
II.        Ambroyno.
Se tu voy fare ambroyno, toy polastri e smenbrali, toy cipole bene trita e frigeli in lardo colato, e mitili specie dolce e forte, e zenzevro, e cenamo, e garofali, e melegette, e taglia menuti con coltello, e mitili a frizere ogni cossa in sembre. E toy mandole non monde, e maxenate, e toy agresta, e zafarano, insema. Quando sono cocti meti sopra li polastri. A tri polastri vole libre ij de mandole. 
 
II. Ambroyno (sweet food) 
To make ambroyno, take a chicken and chop into serving size pieces, mince onions finely and fry in clean lard.  Add to the pan sweet and strong spices, and the following spices cut up small: ginger, cloves and grains of paradise.  Continue to fry the mixture.  Grind whole un-peeled almonds, with verjuice and saffron.  When the hen is cooked pour the almond mixture over and heat through.  For three chickens you would use a pound of almonds. 


 
Bonus (open to either novice or experienced): 
XXI. Composta bona e perfetta.
Se tu voy fare bona composta, toy sumac o uva fassa e anixi, e fenochio, e coriandoly, e trizee e un pocho de senavra, e aceto, e maxena ogni cossa insiema, e mitige zafarano assay; poy toy rave o pere et herbe e pastenaye gentile, e fale bolire un pocho, po’ getali quel savore de sovra. 
XXI Compost good and perfect. 
If you want to make compost, take sumac or dried grapes and aniseed, coriander and tear into this a little ginger.  Add vinegar and mix everything together well making sure to add enough saffron.  Then take turnips or pears and herbs and break them up gently and let them boil for a little while, then put the relish (vinegar and spices etc) over (the cooked pears or turnips).
 
In joyous service, 
Raffaella di Contino