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[Merikrotti hapanimelä] Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France & Italy, Odile Redon, Francoise Sabban, Silvano Serventi, Patricia gl Smith 118-119 |
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Brodo of fish. Take as much well-washed fish as you need: fry it in plenty of oil, then let it cool; then take onions sliced crosswise; fry them in the oil left from the fish; then take skinned almonds, raisins, dried elecampane, and prunes, and fry them together with the onions, and remove the excess oil. Take pepper, saffron, and other selected spices, finely pounded, and rnix with the onions, and wine and vinegar; and when it is thoroughly blended put it on the fire until it boils; then take it off the fire, and put it into another container: put it in alternating layers with the fish. And if you like it sweet, add either boiled wine or sugar in the appropriate quantity. (Za 29)
The mixture of ingredients here is a little disconcerting at first. But it is altogether characteristic of the Italian taste for sweet-and-sour flavors and of the lack of a clear line in medieval cooking between sweet and savory. This brodo, while differently named, falls into the category of an escabeche; the same text contains a recipe for a simplified Innkeeper's Escabeche (recipe 61). This, on the other hand, is a variation that is richer in sweet flavors: the sweetness of the onion is greatly increased by that of the dried fruits.
In our version we have skipped the elecampane
(Inula helenium) , because we have no idea which part of the plant
would have been used.
62. Sweet-and-Sour
Fish
| Imperial | Metric | Ingredient |
| 1 ¾ to 2 ¼ pounds | 800 g to 1 kg | monkfish or other firm-fleshed fish |
| 4 | 4 | medium-large onions, sliced |
| 2/3 cup | 100 g | blanched almonds |
| generous ½ cup | 100 g | raisins |
| 20 | 20 | prunes |
| 10 tablespoon | 1,5 dl | wine, red or white |
| 3 tablespoons | ½ dl | vinegar |
| 3 tablespoons | ½ dl | olive oil |
| 10 threads
(approximately) |
pinch | saffron |
| ¼ teaspoon | ¼ teaspoon | ground black pepper |
| 1 generous pinch | 1 generous pinch | ground ginger |
| 1 generous pinch | 1 generous pinch | ground cardarnom |
| pinch | pinch | salt |
- Cut the fish into chunks and dry it thoroughly.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the fish and fry until just done. Remove the fish and reserve.
- In the same oil, fry the onions until they begin to turn golden, then add the almonds, raisins, prunes, spices, and salt to taste.
- Stir to combine, then add the wine and the vinegar. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Place the fish and the sauce in alternating layers in a deep dish
of glass, glazed pottery, or other non reactive material.