RABANADA WITH 13th CENTURY RECIPE FOR CHEESE FRITTERS

Sliced Bread
Photo by Lord-Williams

OCast reuanada, revanada, Eng 1. slice of bread. It is interesting to note that Spaniards advise one to break bread by hand but the word “rabanada” is used to describe a slice of bread cut with a knife when serving bread with meals or snacks. It was customary to put slices of bread in soups called “soppes” or “sowpys dory,” (golden soppes) in England as they were toasted. Also slices of bread were used to sop of soups.

2. trencher, a slice of coarse, stale bread, used in lieu of a plate. Although wooden plates began to appear in the 15^th C, trenchers were common in noble and humble homes in northern Europe. More trenchers were changed during the meal for those of higher status than those beneath him. As per the English custom, piles of them were placed on the table next to the lord of the house. Gázquez indicates that according to the Chonicle of Alfonso XI trenchers were put on plates in Spain. As in England trenchers that were not eaten were given to the poor after the meal. Hispano Arabs did not use trenchers as all ate directly from a common bowl or platter placed in the center of the dinner table. They did consume a dish called Tharid, which consisted of pieces of meat and vegetables with toasted slices of bread.

Frying Sliced Cream Cheese Fritters
Photo by: Lord-Williams

3. Slices. Nola provide a recipe for slices of cheese wrapped in dough and fried. It is very similar to medieval recipes called "Angel's Food" found in Sent Soví CLVIIII, 173-174 and Nola xiiii-5. 

4. thickening agent. It was common to soak a slice of bread in vinegar and add it to thicken a dish as in Nola’s “Janete of Hens.”

[Anón/Grewe. CLVII, pp 172-174; Curye/Hieatt 1985:ii:65t:75:IV:84: 116:iv:79t:115; 215 etc ES: Benavides–Barajas, L. “Cocina Califal.” Sep 29, 01; ES: Lord. "a una mano." Nov 10, 2010; “alforfón.” Jul 27, 11; “andando cocinando." Mar 10, 11 etc ; Gázquez. Cocina. 2002:54; Hieatt. Pleyn. 1976:xii; Nola. 1989. xvii-2: xliiii-1:l-5 etc; Santich. 1995: p 166; and  Suárez Granda. 2006. 88:201:and 270]

See  a uno mano, published Nov 10, 2010; andando cocinando, published March 10, 2011 for Nola's recipe for soppes with slices of bread and alforfón published July 27, 2011 for another version of Cream Case Fritters; and cebrero published Mar 10, 2012.


A VERSION OF "SLICES OF CREAM CHEESE WHICH ARE FRITTERS," ADAPTED FROM NOLA'S xliiii-1 REBANADAS O TAJADAS DE QUESO FRESCO QUE ES FRUTA DE SARTÉN

Ingredients

Cheese Lovers Delight!
Photo by: Lord-Williams

8 pieces of cream cheese
1 c flour
1 pk yeast
1 ½ c water
5 egg yolks
1 ½ c lard for frying

Garnish:
sugar

Preparation

Slice cheese into pieces as thick as a finger. Make dough with flour, yeast and water and let rise. Kneaded well. Add egg yolks to it and knead well. Dip the slices of cheese into the dough. Heat lard and fry the cheese like fritters.

When browned on all sides, sprinkle with sugar and eat hot, otherwise they are not good.

NOLA'S xliiii-1 REBANADAS O TAJADAS DE QUESO FRESCO QUE ES FRUTA DE SARTÉN

RAZES (al-Razi), WITH 13TH CENTURY RECIPE FOR CHICKEN

Al Razi_Medicine
Photo from Khair Indonesia

Eng. Rhazes, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-Razi (865-925 A.D.), These dates are debatable as other dates given are within the years 841-936. Rhazes was born in Rayy, northeastern Persia near Teheran and trained in Greek science. He was a physician in the court of Baghdad, hospital director and teacher. Rhazes devoted his life to scientific research and almost 250 written works are attributed to him.

The Greco-Roman civilization disintegrated between the 7-8 C. A.D. As a consequence, the Arab world picked up the threads and furthered scientific research. Physicians, like Rhazes, were highly esteemed in Muslim countries. He was influenced by Galen and Hippocrates and with them became one of the founders of clinical science. Like Hippocrates, Rhazes observed patients carefully and keep clinical records on them. Due to the insistence of Ibn al-'Amid, vizier of Rukn al-Dawla, these were edited and divided into some 25 volumes known as the Kitab. al-Hawi fi 'l-tibb (“The Comprehensive Book on Medicine”). King Charles of Anjou in 1279 had his Jewish physician Faradj b. Salim (known as Farraguth) translate them. This became one of the most popular medical books in medieval Europe and continued to be as late as the 18 C.

Plump Stuffed Chicken
A Food to Cure all Ills
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Rhazes was the first physician to distinguish the difference between measles and smallpox. His findings were published separately. His most important work on alchemy Kitab Sirr al-asrar (“Secret of Secrets”) covers distillation, calcinations, and sublimations processes. He established procedures for separation, purification and mixing of substances. As a result of his development of simple and composite medicines, mercurial ointments were introduced into the western world. Further, because Europeans followed his instructions, they learned how to prepare important acids such as pure sulfuric acid.

Rhazes’ Kitab al-Mansuri fi al-tibb (“The Book on Medicine for Mansur”), dedicated to Mansuri, Governor of Rayy, contains 10 books that Tobiel ben Samuel de Leiria, a Jewish physician living in Portugal the last half of the 14 C. translated from Latin into Hebrew.

The Ninth Book became the standard source in therapeutics in Europe and continued to be throughout and after the Renaissance. Rhazes developed pharmaceutical apparatuses used by apothecaries until the early 20^th C. including beakers, flasks, phials, glass vessels, mortars and pestles. Further, he wrote about nutrition. See cafeto and jengibre. [Benavides-Barajas. Nueva-Clásica. 1995:15; ES: Anon/Perry. Sep 5 00:ftn 3; and ES: Rhazes. Nov 5, 02]

CHICKEN MEAT ADAPTED FROM IBN RAZIN’S  RELIEVES DE LAS MESA ACERCA DE LAS DELICIAS DE LA COIDA Y LOS DIFERENCTES PLATOS, MANUELA MARÍN ED. SECCIÓN TERCERA SOBRE LA CARNE DE AVE, CAPÍTULO SEGUNDO, SOBRE LA CARNE DE GALLINA, 1. PLATO,  p 198

Meatballs Ready for Frying
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Ingredients

1 chicken

salt for depluming

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp mastic

1 cinnamon tube

1 tbsp cilantro

1 tsp salt

2-3 small onions

1 chicken breast

2 egg yolks

1 tsp mixed spices

2 egg whites

½ c breadcrumbs (optional)

oil for frying

Garnish

Ground cinnamon

Sprigs of mint leaves

Preparation

Select and was a plump chicken. Rub it with salt to help loosen the feathers. Discard feathers and remove innards.

When clean fill the cavities with ginger, mastic, cinnamon, cilantro, salt, and onions. Sew the breast shut and tie the legs together.

Healthy and Delicious
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Fill a pot with water. Add the chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and gently cook until the meat is cooked.

In meantime, select a chicken breast and remove the bones. Grind the meat in a mortar. Make meatballs with it. Dip them in slightly beaten eggs. Mix spices with breadcrumbs and roll the meatballs in them. 

Heat oil in a frying pay and fry the meatballs. Set aside when done.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from pot and carve. place the meat on a serving platter and place meatballs around the edges. Garnish with ground cinnamon and sprigs of mint leaves. 

Serve warm. Chicken throughout the ages has been recommended to cure all ills and thought very healthy for all. 

  

IBN RAZIN’S  RELIEVES DE LAS MESA ACERCA DE LAS DELICIAS DE LA COIDA Y LOS DIFERENCTES PLATOS, MANUELA MARÍN ED. SECCIÓN TERCERA SOBRE LA CARNE DE AVE, CAPÍTULO SEGUNDO, SOBRE LA CARNE DE GALLINA, 1. PLATO,  p 198

RAYA WITH 14TH CENTURY RECI0PE FOR ANGEL SHARK WITH ROCKET

Angel Fish
Photo from: Sea Life®

OCat rayada,  Eng. ray, skate. A large flattened fish of some 130 species including the angel fish, stingray, electric ray and eagle ray. They have a flat body dorsally and ventrally, excessively developed pectoral fins radiating from its sides and head. The eyes are located on the upper surface of the body and the clefts of the gills and mouth on the underside. The tail is very slender and whip-like in form and there is no anal fin. Some types are viviparous while others are oviparous. They are found on all Iberian and British coasts. 

Although a tasty fish, they were the poor man’s fish for those living on coasts of the Atlantic for its abundance. Recipes for it are varied and numerous. Rays can be baked in sauces, such as a vinegar sauce, or lard or they can be boiled. Sent Soví provides a recipe for boiled ray served with rocket. 

[Anón/Grewe. 1982:CCXVIII:214-215; Corbera. 1998:60-65;. 1969:207-208:751; and Villena/Calero. 2002:23a]

ANGEL SHARK WITH ROCKET ADAPTED FROM SENT SOVÍ CCXVIII 
QUI PARLA CON SE COU RAYADA AB ARUGUA, pp 214-215 

An

gel Fish with Rocket
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Ingredients

1 ray fish such as angel fish
salt to taste
a vinegar marinade[1]

2 bunches of rocket

1 c vinegar
1 tsp spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and white pepper

½ c mosto

Preparation

Select angel fish and wash it well. Scald it in boiling water.  Remove it. Discard the liver, innards and head.  

Put it in a casserole with salt water and bring to a boil. Remove from the casserole and remove the scales and bones.  When clean set aside on a serving platter in a vinegar marinade.

Wash the rocket and scald it in boiling water. Chop it well in a mortar while adding vinegar. Season with spices. Add enough mosto to make it sweeter than acid. Cover the fish with the rocket and serve.

---

[1] No recipe was provided. The Medieval Spanish Chef made the following marinade including the following ingredients: ½ c olive oil, 3 tbsp vinegar, juice from ½ lemon, zest from ½ lemon, 2 tbsp diced onion, 1 tbsp capers, 2 tbsp fresh parsley, ½ tsp dried tarragon, salt to taste, ½ tsp pepper. After shaking well this was poured over fish and left to marinate over night.

SENT SOVÍ CCXVIII QUI PARLA CON SE COU RAYADA AB ARUGUA, 
pp 214-215 

RAVIOLI WITH 15TH CENTURY FOR SWEET RABIOLI

Boiling Ravioli
Photo by: Lord-Williams

OCast rabioles, rafieli, OCat robíoles, Eng ravioli. It was brought to Al-Andalus by the North Africans between the 11^th-14^th C. Manuscripts from the 13^th C in the Alhambra mention it. Nola’s raviolis are stuffed with hazelnuts and pine kernels and fried in lard. The recipe appears with others for fried dough, which can be interpreted as pastries or ravioli.. See fruta de sartén and pero. [Benavides-Barajas. Alhambra. 1999:104; ES: Medieval Chef. Manteca. Mar 16, 16; and Nola. 1989:xlvii-5]

FRITTER CALLED ROBIOLES[1] IN
CATALONIA ADAPTED FROM NOLA'S xlvii-5 

FRUTA LLAMADA ROBIOLES A LA CATALANA

Ingredients

ready made ravioli pasta[2]

⅓ c hazelnuts

⅓ c pine nuts

4 yolks of hard boiled eggs

2 whole eggs

¼ c sugar

1 tbsp rosewater

1 tsp ginger scrapings

Garnish:

¼ c rosewater

¼ c honey

1 tbsp sugar

1tsp cinnamon

Preparation

Fried Ravioli with Nut Filling
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Grind hazelnuts and pine kernels with yolks from hard boiled eggs. Add raw eggs and blend them into the nut mixture until neither thin nor thick. Add sugar, rosewater, cinnamon and ginger. Blend this mixture with the milk and flour paste. Let rise 2 hours or overnight.

Fill the pasta with the nut mixture. Place the ravioli in boiling water for 5-6 minutes, or until they float. You can also test for doneness by nibbling on the edges to test.

Heat lard with fresh melted pork fat in a copper or bronze pan. When hot fry the cakes. When done remove them with a skimmer and put them on a platter.  Sprinkle with rosewater and drizzle with honey; serve immediately after sprinkling with sugar and cinnamon.

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[1]Carroll-Mann relates that Veronika (?) Leimgruber claims that this is an adaptation of the Italian word ravioli. This is documented in Italy from the 14^th Century. The English Forme of Cury calls them "rauioles." These were normally filled with cheese, making Nola’s recipe unique as there is no cheese in the ingredients. As ravioli was homemade until recently, it did not necessarily have to be squared and the stuffing was up to the cook.

The Medieval Spanish Chef made pastries with this recipe, which were very tasty. See blog titled manteca published March 16, 2016 for the recipe.

[2] Ravioli can be homemade but ready made ravioli is an option.

NOLA'S xlvii-5 FRUTA LLAMADA ROBIOLES A LA CATALANA

RATÓN WITH 13TH CENTURY RECIPE FOR A DELICIOUS MEAT TART

Cigarette Card - The Town Mouse & Country Mouse

Photo from: dant melys

OCast, mur, Eng mouse. In the 13th C Ruíz presents an adaption of the fable: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse attributed to Aesop (6th C). The country mouse offers a fava bean while the city mouse fresh bacon, baked bread, cheese etc but the message amounts to the same: "Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear.". . Mice, by the way, were consumed by Spaniards during famines. [Ruíz-Brey. 1965:1370a-1384d:211-213]

ONE OF THE BEST VINEGAR TARTS ADAPTED FROM ANÓN AL-ANDALUS #369. TORTA DE VINAGRE, QUE ES UNA DE LOS MEJORES, p 203

Ingredients

Sautée in Ingredients
Photo by: Lord-Williams

1 lb lamb
½ c olive oil
salt to taste
1 onion chopped
½ tsp white pepper
vegetables such as:
          ½ lb turnips
          1 eggplant 
           ½ lb gourd
1 tsp saffron mashed and dissolved in liquid
1 tsp cumin
1 garlic clove mashed
1 c strong vinegar
1 c breadcrumbs
1 c coucous

A Nutritious Cake for All Critters
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Preparation

Chop lamb using the fattest parts. Heat olive oil in a pot and sautée them over moderate heat with salt, onion, saffron, cumin, garlic and half the vinegar.

When the meat is done select vegetables such as the largest possible turnip, eggplant and gourds. Peel them.  Leave them whole. Put them in a separate pot. Add enough water and the rest of the vinegar  and cook them.

When done, combine the meat and vegetables, sprinkle the with breadcrumbs from white leaven bread and mix well and moisten with broth from the meat and vegetables. Repeat until a cake is formed. Pour couscous on top. The result is marvelous.

ANÓN AL-ANDALUS #369. TORTA DE VINAGRE, QUE ES UNA DE LOS MEJORES, p 203

RATA

Greater egyptain herboa (Jaculus Orientalis)

Photo from a_ dg

During Avenzoar’s time, it was thought that if rat meat was roasted, it was consumed by children, they would stop drooling. It did not work for adults. All are hot and dry; the most useful of all is the wild purple one, larger than ordinary rats that are consumed and smaller than rabbits. The best next is the jerboa, a jumping desert rodent the size of a rat found in Africa. Rats are known to have been consumed by humans but basically as famine food.[Ibn Zuhr/García Sánchez. 1992:59:125]



No recipe is provided as consumption of rats is thought to be disgusting.

RASPAR

to scrape.  Once the pig is slaughtered the epidermis is singed and scraped off with a scraping knife, piece of cloth, a stone or chip of wood. See lacas. [Pers. Memories. Slaughters Mostoles. 2000:2001:2003; and Serradilla. 1993:147]

RASPADAS

OCast ráelas, rayeduras, rayadas, rayda, Eng scrapings. See rayada. [ES: Lord-Williams: “lepra.” Nov 20, 15; Nola. xxxix-2; and Nola/Iranzo. 1982:171]

RARO

OCast ralo, Eng thin, sparse, rare, said of things having the appendages more separated than normal. [ES: Lord-Williams. “adarme.” Oct 23, 10: “avenante:” Dec 28, 11; “azotarlo.” Jan 17, 12; Nola. 1989:xiiii-2:xxvii-2:xxix-2 etc; and Nola/Pérez. 1994:120-121:208]

RAPE WITH RECIPE FOR MONKFISH

Monkfish
Photo from; Will

Ast pixín, L.Lophius piscatorius, Eng. monkfish. It lives in the Atlantic from the northeastern section to the Iberian Peninsula and is common in the Mediterranean. Monkfish have been described as "a tadpole almost the size and shape of a baby grand piano.” They are normally 40-60 cm. long. Lladonosa provides a modernized medieval recipe for monkfish fried and served with clams while Benavides-Barajas’ is cooked in a sauce.

[Benavides-Barajas. Alhambra. 1999:121; Corbera. 1998:104-05; and Lladonosa. Cocina. 1984:35-36]

MEDIEVAL SPANISH CHEF’S RECIPE FOR MONKFISH ADAPTED FROM LLADONOSA'S RECIPE TO EXCLUDE MODERN INGREDIENTS

Ingredients

Washing Clams
Photo by: Lord-Williams

8 garlic cloves

½ c olive oil

4 parsley sprigs

6 slices of thin bread

1 lb squash

1 ¼ qt fish broth

1 ½ k monk fish

30 clams[1]

salt to taste

white pepper to taste

Preparation

Finely chop garlic and fry in a little olive oil.  When it browns, add one sprig of parsley chopped. Toss for a few seconds and put it in a mortar with the remaining parsley.

Add the remaining olive oil to the frying pan and fry the bread until golden brown. Add it to the mortar.

Delicious!
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Fry the squash, chopped and without seeds, for a few minutes. Dip it in 1 ¼ qt of broth . If available; if not, use water.

Chop the ingredients in the mortar. Add them to the broth and cook for five minutes. Add salt to taste.

Put sliced fish in an earthenware casserole with clams seasoned with salt and pepper. and heat until fish is cooked, Dampen with sauce from the frying pan and cook until fish is cooked, about 10 minutes.

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Ingredientes: 30 clams or 1 kg, 1 tbsp onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp flour, olive oil for sautéeing, 1 c white wine, oil, 1 tbsp parsley, salt to taste. Preparation: finely chop onion, gently sautée in a little oil. When they start to brown, add flour and mix until disolved. Cook for a few minutes. Add white wine, Mix well with the flour. Add clams and cook until they open. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

RECETA DE JOSEF LLADONOSA

RANA WITH BUTTER FRIED FROGS LEGS

Frog
Photo from: Patrick Findeiss

L. Rana vulgarius, Eng. frog. In Spain frogs were eaten when fish were scarce. Villena describes the frog as a medicinal reptile that refreshes the liver. 

An English prescription of Thomas Fayreford, an English practitioner, from the first half of 15th century states: take a green frog that leaps in the trees as it will anoint any tooth that you wish to fall out (ordinary pond frogs are not so good for the purpose). 

Frog references have had derogatory connotations throughout history. During the Middle Ages in particular the English called Parisians ‘froggies’, for their love for frogs’ legs and their rivalries. When something goes badly in Spain "it turns into a frog," not the other way around as happened to the prince as happens in the Grimm brother’s German fairy tale.

Frogs are born tadpoles and live in water the first part of their lives until they develop into amphibian frogs. Frogs’ eyes are on the top of their heads so that they can see all around. Their tongues ae attached to the front of their mouths making it easier to catch bugs to eat. Frogs can jumo across a football field in four leaps. There are more than 4,000 different kinds of frogs in the world. Not only are there green frogs but transparent, red, blue, orange and yellow ones. Some are poisonous.

Chez Aux - Frog Legs
Photo from: Michael T.

Most frogs have eyes on top of their heads, so they can see all around to watch for predators. If you could hop like a frog, you would be able to cross a football field in just four jumps. A frog’s tongue is attached to the front of its mouth, not the back, so it can reach farther for yummy bugs.

No medieval Spanish recipes for frogs seem to have survived but the French are famous for skinning and breading frogs' legs with flour, chopped garlic and parsley and frying them in butter after soaking them in milk. They are served with a butter, garlic and parsley sauce. 

[Castro. Alimentación. 1996:279; and Villena/Calero. 2002:23]

RAMADÁN - RAMADAN WITH A RECIPE FOR COUSCOUS

Fit for a Caliph
Photo by: Lord-Williams

This is the period of the Islamic fast, lasting almost one month, during which Islams do not eat, drink liquids or participate in sexual activity from sunrise to sunset. This is done during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar year. Like Christian’s during Lent, it originally was a time to purify the body, to clear the mind and to make the senses more acute. 

Ramadan ends on the 27^th day following the religious service with a feast commencing with harira containing chickpeas, meat, noodles and vegetables. Traditionally, harira is served to prepare the stomach for the feast of lamb, either roasted, couscous or in tagines which are accompanied by fruits and dates. Following the dinner, there is street dancing and singing. [Benavides-Barajas. Alhambra. 1999:53-54; Pers. conversations with Rania Gharib 1989-1990; and Van Dozel. 1994:369]

For other Ramandan dishes see blogs:
alcucero published 12 Juk 11, alcuzcuz published haria

published Feb 13, 15.

A RECIPE FOR COUSCOUS FROM RANIA GHARIB OF RABAT, MOROCCO


Ingredients

Ideal for A Cold Autumn Day
Photo by: Lord-Williams

1 kg mutton
1 kg bones ¼ c extra-virgin olive oil
5 to 6 qts water or broth
½ c  chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ lb carrots, soaked overnight, scraped and cut in half

1 large turnip (½ lb), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

½ lb pumpkin or winter squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes 

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground cinnamon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium onion

2 large garlic cloves
2 c instant (precooked) couscous

1 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

garnish:
cinnamon

Preparatuion

Cut meat into bit sized junks. Put it in a pot with 5-6 qts of water or broth with bones . Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes hour.

Drain chickpeas and rinse. Add them to the pot. after 25 minutes add the carrots and squash. Continue cooking for 20 minutes. After 5 minutes, add squash.

In a separate pan heat oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft and golden about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir and cook 1 minute. Add 1 c boiling broth, cover and let sit 5 minutes. Add butter, fluff and serve with the other ingredients. Garnish with cinnamon.

Serve with broth in a bowl to be used as a sauce.