Shakespeare's Kitchen (5 page)

SERVES 4

 … I must have saffron to colour the warden pies; mace; dates?—
none, that’s out of my note; nutmegs, seven; a race or two of ginger,
but that I may beg; four pound of prunes, and as many of
raisins o’ the sun.

THE WINTER’S TALE,
4.3

 D
URING THE
Middle Ages and into Elizabethan times, foods such as Shakespeare’s pear, or “warden” pie, were often colored yellow with saffron or sandalwood. Other dishes were colored green with parsley or spinach juice, white with ground almonds, rice, or milk, and black with prunes. In this recipe the baguettes are brushed with saffron-infused oil to give a hint of color and flavor.

2½ cups dessert wine

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of saffron

8 ounces ground veal

2 tablespoons minced onion

2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs

2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 large egg yolk

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

16 ¼-inch-thick slices French baguette bread

½ cup grapes, quartered (green, red, or black)

1.
    Place the wine in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour, or until reduced to about ¼ cup. Set aside.

2.
    Combine the olive oil and saffron in a small bowl and let it steep for 30 minutes.

3.
    Place the veal, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, and egg yolk in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix until combined. Divide the mixture into 16 portions and roll into balls. Form each ball into an oval patty about ¼ inch thick. Cook the patties in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until done.

4.
    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush with the saffron mixture. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown.

5.
    Place 4 slices of bread in the center of each plate. Add the grapes to the reduced wine and stir until coated. Dip each of the veal patties into the glaze and place one on each of the bread slices. Arrange the grape quarters on top of the veal and drizzle with the remaining glaze.

Saffron, originally imported from Greece, Sicily, and Asia Minor, was the most expensive spice available in Shakespeare’s day. England began small-scale cultivation of saffron in the 1400s, but it was mainly imported from Spain. Saffron was prized for its subtle flavor and the golden color it imparts. Thought to strengthen the heart, it was listed in many remedies as well as used in cooking and to flavor wines.

Pottage: Soups and Stews

CHAPTER TWO

VELVET SOUP WITH GRAPES

“PEARS” IN BROTH

FISH BISQUE WITH CHESTNUTS AND ARTICHOKES

OYSTER STEW

SEAFOOD SOUP WITH ROSEMARY CROUTONS

ALMOND–ORANGE BROTH

CAULIFLOWER CHOWDER

ITALIAN PEA POTTAGE

LAMB WITH SORREL

PORTUGUESE RENAISSANCE SOUP

“OLEPOTRIGE” STEW FROM RENAISSANCE SPAIN

BEEF STEW WITH CHESTNUTS AND ONIONS

Asses, fools, dolts! chaff and bran, chaff and bran!
porridge after meat!

TROILUS AND CRESSIDA,
1.2

......................................

 
The English
ate soup, or porridge as they called it, with the first course and considered it absurd to serve it following the meat course. However, for the rest of Europe, pottage accompanied the second or third course of roast meats.

In general, pottage and broth were more popular in England than in the warmer Mediterranean countries. As one traveler of the time noted, “Potage is nat so moch used in all Crystendom as it is used in England.”

The Oxford-trained Elizabethan physician Thomas Cogan expressed frustration with his countrymen who, after traveling to the Continent, would adopt unhealthy foreign dining customs and, “despising the olde order of England, would not begin his meales with potage.… But,” he wrote, “wise Englishmen I trust will use the old English fashion still.”

Velvet Soup with Grapes

SERVES 4

 T
HE ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS
for this delicious soup are a little imprecise, with vague but charming advice such as “take heede you boyle them not too much, nor yet too little” and “stir them a good while.” However, the original recipe is very clear on the simple technique of slowly adding egg yolks to obtain a velvety-smooth and rich broth. The sweet flavor of the soup is perfectly complemented by the tang of the grapes.

8 green grapes, quartered

8 black grapes, quartered

8 ounces cooked chicken (or lamb), shredded

4 large egg yolks

2 cups
Renaissance Stock

2 tablespoons verjuice (available at gourmet grocers, verjuice is a light vinegar made from unripened grapes, or use any fruit vinegar)

¼ teaspoon dried savory

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried rosemary

¼ teaspoon dried marjoram

2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 8 cubes

1.
    Combine the green and black grapes and the meat in a small bowl. Let stand for 1 hour or heat for 1 to 2 minutes in a small saucepan to bring to room temperature.

2.
    Whisk 1 egg yolk and ½ cup of the Renaissance Stock in a double boiler over gently boiling water until creamy. Add another egg yolk and ½ cup of stock and whisk until creamy. Repeat until all stock and egg yolks are used and the soup is warm. Whisk in the verjuice, savory, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. Whisk in the butter and remove from the heat. Do not allow the soup to boil, or it will curdle.

3.
    Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Arrange the chicken and grapes in the center of each bowl.

“Pears” in Broth

SERVES 6

 T
HIS IMPRESSIVE DISH
was designed with a feast in mind. The meatballs, with their sage-leaf stems, resemble tiny speckled pears. Since ancient times chefs have taken pleasure in delighting diners with meat, marzipan, and dough sculptures of animals, fruits, flowers, and even the likenesses of special guests.

8 ounces ground veal or pork

¼ cup dried whole-wheat bread crumbs

1 large egg

1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ teaspoon salt

Pinch of ground cloves

12 small green seedless grapes

12 sage leaves, with stems

1½ quarts
Renaissance Stock
, warm

Pinch of saffron threads

1.
    Combine the veal, bread crumbs, egg, thyme, parsley, salt, and cloves in a bowl. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Wrap each portion of meat around a grape and form a pear shape. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

2.
    Preheat the broiler. Place the pears upright on a well-greased pan and broil 4 to 5 inches from the flame for 4 minutes, or until done. Using a toothpick, gently imbed a sage leaf into the top of each pear.

3.
    Carefully place 2 pears in each serving bowl and ladle the Renaissance Stock with saffron threads around the pears.

Fish Bisque with Chestnuts and Artichokes

SERVES 6

 T
HIS FRENCH RECIPE
was referred to as “Bisk” by the Elizabethan chef who misspelled
bisque
. The “corbolion” he mentions also derives from French for “court bouillon,” a mix of water, white wine, vinegar, and herbs used for cooking fish. The word
jacks,
however, was the English term for pike and was also the English nickname for sailors.

Although odd spellings and new words attracted me to this original recipe, it was the chestnut and fish pairing that inspired me to cook it. Chestnuts, mostly relegated to my Thanksgiving stuffing, have now become a standard ingredient in soups and stews.

2 onions, minced

2 celery stalks, minced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup white wine

One 8-ounce sea bass fillet, cut into 1-inch cubes

One 8-ounce cod fillet, cut into 1-inch cubes

⅛ teaspoon dried thyme

⅛ teaspoon dried savory

⅛ teaspoon dried marjoram

⅛ teaspoon dried rosemary

2 whole bay leaves

1 cup finely chopped assorted fresh greens (such as flat-leaf parsley, baby spinach, or endive)

1 cup blanched chestnuts, diced

4 artichoke bottoms, cooked and diced

4 prawns, shell on

¼ cup coarsely chopped pistachios, lightly toasted

1.
    Sauté the onions and celery in the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over low heat for 10 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and the wine and bring to a boil. Add the sea bass, cod, thyme, savory, marjoram, rosemary, bay leaves, greens, chestnuts, and artichoke bottoms and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every 2 or 3 minutes to help break apart the fish. Add the prawns and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the prawns, peel, and finely dice.

2.
    Ladle the soup into the bowls and top with the diced prawns. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the soup and serve immediately.

Oyster Stew

SERVES 4

Why, then the world’s mine oyster,
Which I with sword will open.

THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR,
2.2

 T
HE ORIGINAL RECIPE
calls for “slic’t nutmeg,” a sophisticated touch to add flavor to a dish. Nutmeg, one of the most common spices in Elizabethan recipes, became so popular that eighteenth- and nineteenth-century ladies and gentlemen carried small personal silver nutmeg graters with them to dinner parties.

1 small red onion, diced

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup white wine

12 small oysters, liquid reserved

1 cup milk

½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Salt

½ teaspoon freshly milled pink peppercorns

½ cup coarsely cut toasted bread

1.
    Sauté the onion and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, add the oysters and their liquid, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the milk, nutmeg, and salt and cook for 3 minutes.

2.
    Ladle the stew into the serving bowl and top with the pink peppercorns and toasted bread.

Seafood Soup with Rosemary Croutons

SERVES 4

 T
HIS RECIPE
caught my attention with its instructions to use “a good many of sliced Onyons,” always a sign to me of a tasty soup to come. The currants contribute a light sweetness and the simple-to-make rosemary croutons top it off perfectly.