[Sca-cooks] Ottoman "French" toast

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

I'm slowly working my way through Shirvani's mid-15th c. collection of Ottoman recipes. Slowly because i don't know Turkish. I am using a translation of the Eski Osmanlica into modern Turkish because i have been unable to find anyone locally who can read (and thus teach me) this very archaic language - there was a significant change in the 16th c. alone (taking it from something like 12th c. Seljuk Turkish into something a little closer to modern Turkish), not to mention all the natural changes over the centuries plus several intentional governmental "reforms".

Anyway, today i translated a number of short recipes. One called Helva (halvah) involved whipping egg whites with starch, then frying several individual spoonfuls at a time in butter, and when they're all done, pouring hot honey over them and eating. Seems to me to be almost like fried meringues...

But what i've come to share is a mid-15th c. Ottoman "French" toast recipe - i can't recall who it was, but a number of years ago one of our members compiled all the recipes she could find that were like French toast, and this can join them.

(folio 112 recto)
Ekmek kayganasi
Bread kaygana

Ten eggs are placed in a bowl and beaten; a small amount of sifted flour joins until the batter becomes thick; salt is sown in it. Then slice ​​fresh soft bread into thin slices, 
...the material will become cloudy/dim.

-- ASIDE --
This is what it says literally - i have a giant thick Turkish dictionary that Charles Perry recommended to me (Redhouse) and that is what it says. However, i assume that at this point 
...the bread slices are dipped into the batter.
-- END ASIDE --

These bread slices are fried in pure sweet butter. The slices are stacked on a tray, on top hot melted honey is poured, then it is served, and eaten.

Pretty simple. But apparently much enjoyed.

Source:
"15. Yuzul Osmanli Mutfagi", Muhammed bin Mahmud Shirvani
Translated and edited by Prof. Dr. Mustafa Argunshah - Dr. Mujgan Chakir
Gokkubbe, Istanbul, 2008
(title means "15th Century Ottoman Cuisine")


Urtatim (that's oor-tah-TEEM)