I have the privilege of cooking for Ducal Challenge again this year. I have been bestowed this honor for each year the event has been held; and this is the fourth. Every year I’ve had the distinct pleasure to have some of the children of the East volunteer to help me.
Last year, I decided that if I were going to cook again, I would let them pick a dish for themselves. We are in for quite a treat this year. Below is the preliminary menu, and a little about each dish.
Rice Fritters
Last year, a young lady helped me make rice balls, a sweet Italian rice fritter from The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi (1570). She enjoyed making them so much, she will be making them again this year. I am sure she will receive the same compliments on them, as they were a crowd favorite. This year, I am going to make sure we have twice as much batter!
142. To prepare rice fritters. Cook two pounds of rice in a fat meat broth or else in goat’s or cow’s milk and sugar so that it is quite thick. Take it out of the pot and let it cool. In a mortar grind four ounces of sugar and eight fresh eggs with one pound of creamy cheese. Make balls of that mixtures; dredge them in fine flour, then fry them in rendered fat. When they are done, serve them hot with sugar on them.
Fruit and Almond Fritter
A young man, who has shown so much enthusiasm to cook, selected this recipe from the website a Boke of Gode Cookery. It is a fruit and almond fritter/cake from “The Middle English Culinary Recipes in MS Harley 5401: An Edition and Commentary.” Medium Ævum vol. 65, no. 1 . I have not made it yet, but am looking forward to experimenting and adjusting the recipe for a larger crowd. I am also wondering if I can make them like pancakes, which will make the cooking of them faster. I’ll play this weekend and let you know!
Frutowr for Lentyn. Recipe flour & almondes mylk, & temper þam togyder; þan take fyges & rasyns of corance & fry þam with þe batour with oyle & tyrne þis & serof.
Translation courtesy of GodeCookery.com: Fritter for Lent. Recipe: flour & almond milk, & temper them together; then take figs & raisins of Corinth & fry them with the batter with oil & turn this & serve.
Brisket
I figured I would get lynched if I didn’t make the brisket again this year. This time, however, I’m going to make an entire case, not half. The recipe is very simple. Braise the brisket in a hotel pan with red wine, beef stock, garlic, salt, and pepper. I cooked it, covered with aluminium foil at 225 for 14 hours. I’m going to need another hotel pan.
A Salat of Roots
The Opera strikes again. This time with a salad of roasted root vegetables. I was doing a basic search for ideas, when I came across the website http://greneboke.com. It had just what the menu needed; vegetables. You see, my co-cook this year, Matteo Cole Amici, recommended that we add vegetables to our protein and carb laden menu. They were right on the nose with it, and found a roasted carrot recipe in a modern cookbook. So, when I happened to find a very similar period recipe, I snapped it up.
To use in salads (similar to other roots one makes) one puts them to cook under hot coals and allows them to rest a while, until they become soft, not unlike how one treats parsnip, and peel of the skin, and then divide them into pieces, and dress them with vinegar, with oil, and salt and of course with pepper.
Carrots
http://greneboke.com/recipes/saladofroots.html
Parsnips
Turnips
Olive Oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Wash and peel your carrots, parsnips and turnips. Cut into pieces and roast until tender, then chill. Mix ingredients together. Dress with oil, vinegar and salt and pepper.
Mushroom Toast
Another non-period recipe I chose was a mushroom toast. This was also made last year, and was very well received. I sauteed mushrooms, onions, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper together until the onions were translucent, and the mushrooms browned nicely. I added a little red wine, and cooked until the wine was reduced by half. I didn’t want a lot of liquid, but wanted the flavor the wine would provide.
Once the mixture had completely cooled, I scooped out the center of several long loaves of bread, filled it with the mushroom mixture, and topped with with mozzarella cheese. I baked it until the cheese was fully melted, cut into 1 inch slices and served.
Next Steps
The menu is by no means complete. I have four other young people whose recipes I do not have yet. But, I have plans to speak with each of them over the course of the next week or two so we can finalize the menu and test out the new recipes before the big day.