DIAMANTE TO DETECT POISON IN WARM FOODS

Diamonds Always A Girl's Best Friend!
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Gr adámas (indomable for its durability) Eng diamond, a precious stone valued for its ability to ward off poison during the Middle Ages. It was second only to the ruby in value. It was extremely rare as the only source for them was India. European diamond cutting seems to have begun in Venice between 1330 and 1350, which increased the diamond supply. Lodewijk van Berquem, of Burges, was the first to discover the method of polishing diamonds in 1456.

As it was considered a cold stone, by wearing it on the ring or baby finger of the right hand during meals in medieval times, it worked against harmful elements in warm foods such as blood or meat. It was thought that it detected poison because the surface became cloudy when poison was present and it annulled it. See manos comer con. [Alonso Luengo. 1994:44; Cipriani. 1991:74-78:1.1:78-89; ES: Natural. Nov 26, 07. ES: “Precious.” Posted by li Rous. Nov 29, 07 and Villena/Calero. 2002:11a:16]

DESTEMPLAR WITH CHICKEN JANETE RECIPE

Thinning Almond Paste with Broth
Photo by: Lord-Williams

dilute, thin dissolve, blend, infuse. The term is used when combining liquids and solids. Nola uses this verb to instruct the cook to “altar” raw eggs by straining them before adding them to the dish. [ES: Nola/Carroll-Mann. Guisados 2-art. Jun 6, 01:107-108:glos; Nola. 1989: xiii-3:xvi-1:xvi-2 etc; Nola/Iranzo. 1982:168; and Nola Peréz. 1994:194-195]

POTTAGE OF MARINATED HEN WHICH IS CALLED JANETE OF HENS

ADAPTED FROM NOLA’S xvii-2 POTAJE DE ADOBADO DE GALLINA QUE SE DICE JANETE DE GALLINAS

Selecting Ingredients
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Ingredients

4 l chicken broth

salt to taste

1 chicken

2 chicken livers

12 slices of bacon

2 medium thinly sliced onions

6 small pears

3 quinces[1]

2 c honey

1 c almonds

½ c vinegar

6 small slices of dry crustless bread

1-2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp salsa fina[2] 

1 tsp saffron mashed

Garnish

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Preparation

Fry bacon in a frying pan. When crispy, set it aside. Add the onion to the frying pan and sautée until translucent. Set frying pan aside with bacon grease.

Put the onion in the broth and add the chicken. Boil gently for 30 minutes. Cut into the meat into 6 portions. Sautée the chicken in the frying pan with bacon grease. Strain the broth to remove the onions.

 Peel, blanch and toast almonds. Grind them in a good processor and set aside.

Peel quinces and pears and cut into quarters. Remove them cores and boil them in honey.

When soft, remove from heat and sprinkle fruit with half the almonds.

A Janet Fit for a King!
Photo by: Lord-Williams

PREHEAT OVEN TO 410ºF/210ºC

Roast the livers in the oven FOR 5-10 minutes until done.

Put the other half of the almonds in a food processor with the livers and toast soaked in vinegar. Blend them with 1 qt of chicken broth. Strain this into a pot and heat it. Add flour little by little until it thickens. Add spices and enough saffron to make the dish slightly yellow. Taste to see if more salt and/or spices are necessary.

Place the onions in the bottom of a casserole dish. Then put the fruit and honey in the casserole Add the pieces of chicken and pour the sauce over this. 

When ready to serve, warm in oven or in the microwave. Serve it in soup bowls.

Garnish the dish with the bacon crumbled into small pieces, chopped parsley, sugar and cinnamon. 

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[1] Use apples if quince is not available.

[2] See blog titled dárselo published November 29, 2013 for recipe.

DESHILARLA WITH 14TH CENTURY RECIPE FOR BLANCMANGE

Shreded Chicken
Photo by: Lord-Williams

OCat deffilat, to shred it, used in reference to breaking up the meat fibers of chicken breasts like thread to make blancmange. [ES: Nola/Carroll-Mann. Guisados 2-art. Jun 6, 01; Nola. 1989:xiiii-2:xiiii-5:xv-1 etc; and Nola/Pérez. 1994:194]

BLANCMANGE ADAPTED FROM SENT SOVÍ XXXXVIIII QUI PARLA CON SA DEU FFER MANJAR BLANCH. 93-94

For 6 persons

Ingredients

1 chicken

1 onion

1 c rosewater

1 c peeled and blanched almonds

¾ c rice flour

1 ½ tbsp sugar

1 tbsp duke’s powder[1]

Preparation

Blancmange with A Rosewater Twist
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Scorch and clean the chicken well. Boil it in 3 qts water with the onion. When cooked, take the chicken out of the broth and let it cool. Remove skin and bones. Shred the meat and put it in a deep bowl with rosewater. Cover and let sit overnight

Make almond milk by grinding almonds in a food processor and add 2 cups broth and the onion. Grind again. Let sit overnight and strain the following morning.

Boil the broth remaining broth until reduced to approximately 1 qt (skim off grease if there is a lot). Put a little broth in another saucepan. Add a little flour, stir until well blended then add more broth and more flour until all the flour is absorbed in broth. Add almond milk and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken with the rose water and sugar. Let it cook 8-10 minutes more, stirring constantly. If a more liquid consistency is desired, add more broth.

Serve in soup bowls. If more sweetness is desired sprinkle sugar on top. If more aroma is desired add more rosewater.

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[1] The Medieval Spanish Chef’s addition. See See blog titled cardamono published August 16, 2012 for the recipe.

DESCAMAR WITH 13TH CENTURY RECIPE FOR FRESH FISH IN EGGS

Fishmonger Scaling Hake
Photo by: Lord-Williams

to scale (fish). [Anón/Grewe. 1982:73; Anón/Huici.1966:263:153-154; Nola. 1989:lvii-4; and Villena/Calero. 2002:62a]

 

MAKING FRESH FISH IN EGGS ADAPTED FROM HUICI'S TRANSLATION OF ANÓN AL-ANDALUS  #263 HECHURA DE PESCADO FRESCO CON HUEVOS, pp 153-154 

Ingredients

1 fresh fish

salt to taste

1 c cilantro juice

1 garlic clove mashed

1 tbsp olive oil

spices such a ¼  tsp white pepper, ½  tsp dill, 1 tsp shaving of fresh ginger

4 eggs

1 tbsp chopped rue

1 tbsp chopped lavender

Serve with whole wheat pita bread thinly sliced

Fish in Eggs
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Preparation

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375ºF/190ºC

Scale the fish, clean it, remove bones, slice it open and salt it. Grease the bottom and sides a casserole dish with oil. Put cilantro leaves in a food processor with one cup very hot water and make the juice. Strain it. Add garlic and spices to it and pour the mixture over the fish.  Bake uncovered 10  minutes.

TURN OVEN UP TO 400ºF/210ºC

Scramble eggs in a bowl, add rue, pepper and lavender. Pour this over the fish and return to the oven until the eggs are done. Serve with bread.

DEASTARLO WITH 15TH CENTURY RECIPE FOR POTTAGE COLLED DUN COLORED SAUCE

Shredded Chicken
Photo by: Lord-Williams 

1. to loosen, undo, unleash, to thin, blend, dissolve, shred as in recipes for bancmange in which the chicken breast is shredded. See menearlo. [ES: Nola/Carroll-Mann. Guisados 2-art. Jun 6, 01; Nola. 1989:xiiii-2:xiiii-5:xv-1 etc; and Nola/Pérez. 1994:194]

POTTAGE WHICH IS CALLED DUN COLORED SAUCE ADAPTED FROM NOLA’S xviii-3 POTAJE QUE SE DICE SALSA PARDILLA

For 4 persons

Blending Almond Milk with Broth
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Ingredients

1 c toasted almonds

2 chicken livers

1 slice of toast

1/2 c vinegar

1 c chicken broth

1 ½ c pomegranate juice[1]

1 tbsp clarified lard

1 tbsp salsa fina without saffron[2]

2 egg yolks per dish

garnish:

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Dun Colored Pottage
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Preparation

Grind almonds in a food processor. Roast livers. Add them with the toast, without the crust, soaked in vinegar, and grind all together. Blend this with broth and pomegranate juice. Add salt to taste. Strain all into a pot.

Cook 15 minutes or until it thickens. Add clarified lard, spices, except saffron, and 2 egg yolks for each dish. Boil yolks in wster. When cooked serve the pottage in soup bowls with the egg yolks and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over each. The dish should be slightly sour for the pomegranate juice.

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[1] As pomegranates were not in season when made, ¾ c sugarless red rasberry jam was used with ¾ c water.

[2] See blog titled dárselo published November 29, 2013 for recipe.

DENTÓN WITH 15TH CENTURY RECIPE FOR DENTOL IN A CASSEROLE

Dentól
Photo from: Fco. Javier Lindo Martin

 OCast dentol, L. Dentex dentex, Eng. dentex, sea bream, toothed spras. At first it is greenish-yellow, then greenish-blue and finally reddish. It has black spots on the sides and back. It has an oval body with big strong head.  Four to six long powerful teeth are located in the front of upper and lower parts of mouth. Behind are smaller teeth but no molars. It can be anyway from 15 to 50 m. long and weigh about 15 k. It lives alone eating octopus, squid, cuttlefish, other fish and mollusks. It is found in the Atlantic, between the Bay of Biscay and north of Cape Blanc off the West African coast. It rarely goes as far north as England or as far south as Senegal. It is found in the Mediterranean but rarely in the Black Sea. During the Middle Ages, as today, it could be eaten fresh, salted, smoked or preserved in brine. [Cejador. 1998:172-173: ES: “Fish.” SIEPA. Dec 1, 03; and Nola. 1989:lix-5:xl-1:xl-2:xl-3]

BAKED DENTEX ADAPTED FROM NOLA'S lx-1 DENTÓN EN CAZUELA

Ingredients

1 dentex

1 pinch saffron

Baked Dentex
Photo by: Lord-Williams

1 tsp pepper

½ tsp nutmeg

salt to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dill

1 tbsp parsley

½ c orange juice or juice from 1 orange

Garnish:

½ c raisins without pits

½ c peeled, fried and ground almonds

Preparation

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350ºF/180º C

Clean and wash dentex. Make rounds as large as one’s hand[1]. Grease the fish and the casserole with olive oil. Cover the piece(s) with the spices ground and salt to taste. Place it/them in the casserole and bake 15 minutes.

When half cooked, add herbs and orange juice. Bake 15 more minutes or until done.

 Garnish with raisins and almonds.

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[1] as only 1 lb was prepared the meat was cut into a filete.

DELFIN - DOLPHIN A PROTECTED SPECIES TODAY

Dolphin Quarter
Dolphin Show at SeaWorld Orlando, Florida

L. Delphinus delphis, Eng common dolphin, cape dolphin, hourglass dolphin, saddleback porpoise, white-bellied porpoise. There are some 20 species of dolphins. This particular type is about 2.6 m. long and weighs about 130 kilos. 

During the Middle Ages there were numerous schools of dolphins in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. They can live in large schools of 1,000 or more or small ones consisting of 30. They are playful. They slap and jump the waves and somersault. 

They love to panic fish throwing them up into the air before devouring them. They eat all kinds of fish including mackerel, sprats, squid, cod, herring, whiting and squid. They seem to migrate in search of with their prey. Dolphins communicate to each other by whistling. Villena lists dolphins among fish eaten in Spain. 

Medieval kings had the royal prerogative to reserve certain foods for their consumption alone and repeatedly did this. In an Act of the English Parliament of 1320 whales, dolphins, porpoises, and sturgeon were declared “Fishes Royal.” They could be caught only for consumption at the royal table. This act has never been revoked. Queen Elizabeth II ordered the release of Popsie, a porpoise saved by a private zoo. 

Humans and dolphins are said to be the only species that have sex for pleasure. Is that why Flipper was always smiling? [ES: Common Dolphin. Sep 24, 04; Ritchie. 1981:75; and Villena/Calero. 2002:23a:37b]

DEGOLLAR WITH 13th CENTURY AL-ANDALUS FRIED CHICKEN RECIPE

Throat Slit and Deplumed
Photo by Lord:Williams

OCast. degüellar, Heb degoyar, Eng cut the throat, behead, decapitate. [Alonso Luengo. 1994:40; and Ibn Razīn/Granja. 1960:27]

RECIPE FOR A DISH OF CHICKEN OR PARTRIDGE WITH QUINCE OR APPLE ADAPTED FROM 13^TH CENTURY ANÓN AL-ANDALUS #72 RECETA DEL PLATO DE POLLO O PERDIZ CON MEMBRILLO O MANZANA, p 51-52

Ingredients

1 chicken or partridge
2 tbsp rosewater
½ tbsp murri[1]

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

1 fennel stalk

1 whole onion

3/8 tsp saffron

2 diced apples or quinces

1 c breadcrumbs

1 ¼ c sifted flour

5 raw eggs (two whites without yolks)

Breading Chicken
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Garnish salsa fina[2]

Preparation

Slit a bird’s throat. Hang it overnight leaving the feathers on it.

The next day, clean it and put it in a new pot. Add rosewater, murri, oil, salt, fennel, onion and saffron. Cover with water.

Peel, core and dice apples or quince and add them to the pot. Bring the water to a boil and gently simmer for about one hour until the meat is done.

Al-Andalus Fried Chicken
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Remove all the solid ingredients from the pot. Chop the onion and mix it with fruit. Put this on a serving plate.

Remove the leg and wings from the chicken and cut the breast in half. Dip each piece in breadcrumbs, then flour and finally the eggs beaten.

Heat plenty of oil in a pan and deep fry the chicken. When done sprinkle with rosewater and garnish with salsa fina. 

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[1] See blog titled almori published August 25, 2011 for recipe.
[2] See blog titled dárselo published November 29, 2013 for recipe.