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Malinas, Flem
Mechelen, Fr Malines,
Eng linen from Mechlin, Belgium. It is
located in north central Belgium in the province of Antwerp on the Dijle
River. The city is known also for lace
making.
The
Archprist of Hita mentions Mechlin cloth. Mark Singleton’s translation of this
is:
“You
wretched food in convents eat—sardines immersed in brine.
You
woolen smocks accept, poor things, of plain and coarse design.
Your
lovers’ *cjoclem you reject—you will not eat their trout.
Chemises
pleated spurn you—Mechlin clothes you go without.”
*chicken.
[Singleton. 1975:132]
Henry
IV of Castile (1454-1474) tried to prohibit the export of lambs’ wool to
Belgium to be made into cloth and establish weaving factories in Castile. He
was unsuccessful as nobles controlled the sheep paths in Castile, collecting
taxes for passage, and the shipping business. They did not want to loose that
income.
Annually,
sheep were herded up sheep paths from eastern, western and southern Castile to
Burgos where they were sheered. The wool was taken by mules to the Atlantic
coast of Castile and shipped to what today is Belgium. Sheep grazed in the
northern provinces during the summer and were herded south in the fall.
Sheep
only drink from still water. Shepherds took long breaks on the banks when they
reached such ponds on their journeys along the sheep paths. If a lamb had an
injured paw or leg, he was killed then and cooked. Many recipes handed down
through the ages come from these shepherds.
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Cooking Lamb in Onion Juice Enhances the Flavor Photo by: Lord-Williams |
DISH OF LAMB WITH TRUFFLES ADAPTED FROM HUICI'S TRANSLATION OF AL-ANDALUS #302 PLATO DE CARNE DE CORDERO CON TRUFAS, p 170
Ingredients
1 lb lamb
1 onion
½ tsp pepper
salt to taste
½ lb truffles[1]
4 eggs
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp chopped rue
Preparation
Cut the meat into bite
size pieces. Boil with onion juice, pepper, salt and water. In the meantime
wash and chop truffles. When the water has evaporated, cook truffles in a
separate pot.
When done, add them to
the lamb. Break eggs over pot and sprinkle with murri. Remove from heat
and place on hearthstone cover and let sit until eggs are cooked.
When ready to serve sprinkle with cinnamon and rue.
[1] Wild mushrooms were used as truffle prices are
prohibitive.
HUICI'S TRANSLATION OF AL-ANDALUS #302
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