Recipes in the Recipes in the middle agesmiddle ages

Mª Victoria Martín Zorrilla Mª Victoria Martín Zorrilla Maria Jesús Gómez GutiérrezMaria Jesús Gómez Gutiérrez

1 BS21 BS2

Lemon saladLemon salad

Ingredients:

4 large lemons6 Tbsps sugar (raw sugar works best, if you can find it)

preparation:

After washing and drying the lemons, use a vegetable peeler and remove narrow strips of peel lengthwise.

Half an inch apart, and reserve. Slice the lemons as thinly as possible. Remove seeds. Arrange the slices on a platter in an X pattern Sprinkle the sugar over them, and garnish with the lemon

peel. Pass a bowl of additional sugar when serving for guests

who prefer a sweeter flavor.

Herb and flower saladsHerb and flower salads Ingredients:

1 small head of butter lettuce1 cup watercress1/4 cup fresh mint leaves1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves1/2 cup flower petals (you can use roses, primroses, nasturtiums, chive blossoms,violets, or

calendulas, but be sure they haven't been sprayed with insecticides)1 cucumber, pared and sliced2 hard boiled eggs, sliced4 Tbsp olive oil3 Tbsp white wine vinegar1/2 tsp salt1/8 tsp pepper1/2 tsp brown sugar

Preparation:

Wash the lettuce, watercress, and herb leaves in cold water and pat dry or use a salad spinner; refridgerate.

Rinse the flower petals in a bowl of cold water and gently pat dry; refridgerate.

Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces and combine with the watercress and herb leaves.

Mix together the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar; stir until blended. Add dressing to the salad and toss until well coated. Gently mix in the flower

petals. Top the salad with the egg slices and garnish with the reserved flower

petals.

blank-mang, a chicken and blank-mang, a chicken and rice dishrice dish ingredients:

2 large, boneless capon or chicken breasts2 1/2 cup water1 1/4 tsp salt1/2 cup blanched almonds2 Tbsp ice water1 tsp salt1 cup rice1 Tbsp butter4 tsp brown sugargarnish:candied anise (I've never found it, but I'm told it exists) toasted slivered almonds

Preparation:

Bring the 2 1/2 cups water and 1 1/4 tsp salt to a boil, and boil the chicken. Covered, for 15 minutes or until done. Grind the almonds with the ice water in a blender or with mortar and

pestle, until smooth. To make "almond milk", combine 2 cups of the broth with the ground

almonds, and allow to stand for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put the almond milk into a pan, and cook the rice in it with the salt, butter,

and brown sugar. Meanwhile, dice the chicken breasts. Just before the rice is done, add the

chicken. Stir to distribute the chicken pieces, and finish cooking the rice. Just before

serving, garnish with the toasted almonds.

Mushrooms and leeksMushrooms and leeks Ingredients:

8 small leeks, sliced into rings and carefully washed (white part only)3 Tbspbutter1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, quartered1 cup vegetable or chicken stock1/2 tsp brown sugarpinch of saffron threads1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced3 Tbsp butter3 Tbsp floursalt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and saute the leeks for a few minutes until they begin to wilt.

Add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Combine the stock, sugar, saffron, and ginger, and pour over the

vegetables. Simmer for about 2 minutes. While the dish is simmering, melt the remaining butter in a small skillet and

add the flour. Cook until thickened and a golden brown. Add this roux to the vegetables, and continue to cook until the liquid has

thickened slightly and the vegetables are evenly glazed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cherry pottageCherry pottage Ingredients:: 2 lbs ripe red cherries1 1/2 cups white wine3/4 cup sugar4 Tbsp butter1 cup breadcrumbspinch of saltgarnish:flower heads of clove pinks (optional)sugar, preferably raw sugar if available

Preparation:

Wash the cherries and remove the stems and stones. Puree the fruit in a blender with 1/2 cup of the wine and half the

sugar. Add a little more wine as needed to get a smooth puree. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the fruit puree, breadcrumbs,

remaining wine, remaining sugar, and salt. Simmer, stirring often, until the puree is very thick. Pour into a serving bowl, cover, and let cool. The cherry pottage should be the consistency of a thick apple sauce. Refridgerate until served. Before serving, decorate the edge of the

bowl with the clove pinks, if desired. Sprinkle the sugar over the dish.

Mutton in beerMutton in beer Ingredients:

2 lb leg of lamb or mutton (this recipe also works well with beef)

1 pint dark beer or ale2 onions, thinly sliced1 tsp saltpepper to taste2 Tbsp butter

Preparation:

Bone the lamb, trimming off any skin or excess fat. Cut into thin slices across the grain. Place in a heavy pan with the beer and onions, cover and

simmer for an hour. Add the salt, pepper and butter and continue simmering

for 30 minutes, or until tender. Though it's not in the recipe, I've found that adding 1/2

tsp or so of malt vinegar or cider vinegar really sparks up the dish.

Serve with fingers of fried bread.

Spinach tartSpinach tart Ingredients: 2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach3/4 cup sour cream2 Tbsp butter, melted2 tsp sugar1 tsp salt1/4 tsp pepperpastry for a 9-inch two-crust pie1-2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Preparation:

Cook the spinach according to package directions. Placed cooked spinach in a colander and allow to drain and cool. When cool, take handfulls of spinach and gently squeeze to remove

remaining water. Place in a large bowl, and blend in the next 5 ingredients. Roll out half the pastry and line a 9-inch pie pan. Spread the spinach mixture evenly in the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the remaining pastry to make the top crust. Place on the spinach mixture, seal the edges and cut six small slits in the

top crust to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over the top. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until crust is golden

brown. The pie may be served either hot or cold.

Magic spell of witchesMagic spell of witches

Two black snakesTwo black snakes Three pink wormsThree pink worms Four black spidersFour black spiders A few hair of mouseA few hair of mouse

Abracadabra tail of goat, you are Abracadabra tail of goat, you are turned into a pig!turned into a pig!