Sunday, February 15, 2009

A pink dish for Meat Days - Taillevent

Ung Roze a chair: A Pink dish for Meat Days - no.191


Grind unskinned almonds well, then take beef broth, wine and verjuice and steep your almonds in it and strain them; then take your meat - that is, breast of veal, or whole or quartered chicken cooked with a knucke of beef, or with some other good cut of beef - fry this meat in bacon grease until it is a russet colour, then take a very small amount of fine cinnamon, white mecca ginger, and lesser spices such as grains of paradise, cloves and long pepper. For colour you should have orchil and alkanet - alkanet is as suitable as orchil, if you can get it, becuase its colour is not so pronounced as is that of orchil; it should be soaked in a little water, which is hot and not just wrm, for three or foru hours; then put it into the pottage after it has boiled, and stir it thoroughly until it has the proper colour for a Pink Dish.
No. Quantity Item Per 50
Per 100


0.5 cup ground almonds 2.5 cups 5 cups

1 cup boiling water 5 cups 10 cups


splash wine & verjuice





800 grams beef 4 kilos 8 kilos

0.5 tsp cinnamon 2.5 tsp 5 tsp

0.25 tsp ginger (galingale) 1.25 tsp 2.5 tsp

0.25 tsp ground cloves 1.25 tsp 2.5 tsp

1 pod cardamom, ground 5 pods 10 pods

1 pinch Salt





1 tsp pepper 5 tsp 10 tsp

Method







Make the almond milk - boil the water, and pour over the ground almonds. Leave it sit until it is cool enough to handle, strain. RESERVE the almonds - it is used for the cold almond cream! Add a splash of wine & verjuice to the almond milk. Set this on the stove to simmer gently. I didn't colour it in the test recipe - but a drop of food dye would be nice (see the notes on orchil p. 244). Add the spices - the flavour should be predominatly pepper-ish - effectively this is a medieval poivrade. Correct as necessary and add salt. Leave to warm while frying the beef. The beef should be done at the last minute. Heat skillet and fry the beef in lard until browned (don't over cook). I am choosing to serve the sauce separately to the beef.

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