Mrs. Charles Darwin's Fish Croquettes

Sometimes I just pick a cookbook off the shelf and look for a recipe to make from it.  Today's recipe is from Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book, Revived and Illustrated, by Dusha Bateson and Weslie Janeway.

ISBN: 978-0-9801557-3-0

Like many wives, before and since, Emma Wedgwood Darwin, wife of Charles Darwin, compile a cookery notebook.  ... this book offers a glimpse behind the kitchen and dining-room doors of one of the Victorian era's most eminent families. ... More than a cookbook, Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book delineates a lifestyle at the top of English society and intelligentsia.   (quoted from inside flap)

I bought the book because I am a Charles Darwin fan of sorts, so when you combine that with cookery and yet more Victoriana information, well, it had to happen.  The production of the book is lovely, with botanical art scattered throughout and reproductions of Mrs. Darwin's recipes in her own writing.  In other words, very pretty and visually appealing.  

The recipes themselves aren't necessarily very different from other Victorian era recipes I've seen before, although some didn't look familiar when I skimmed the book.  I was particularly drawn to the desserts section because like Charles Darwin, I have a sweet tooth.  However for this post, I was well-behaved and chose to make a savory dish.

The fish croquettes recipe appealed to me because it looked fairly straightforward but it also has one twist:  instead of binding the fish flakes together with the usual cooked potato, it uses a very thick white sauce.  Please see page 61 for this recipe.

Fish Croquettes

1 pound (450 g) cooked fish, chilled

1 ounce (30 g) butter

1 ounce (30 g) flour

1/2 cup (125 ml) milk from cooking the fish

1 tablespoon cream

1 egg yolk

Salt and pepper

1 egg, beaten and breadcrumbs for coating

Butter for frying

1. Flake the fish into a bowl, being careful to remove any skin and bones.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, cook for 1 - 2 minutes.

3. Add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, stirring constantly to make a thick, smooth sauce.  Let it bubble gently for a few minutes.  Add the cream.

4. Add the egg yolk, give the sauce a quick stir, and remove the pan from the heat.

5. Stir the fish into the sauce and mix gently to combine the two without breaking up the flakes of fish too much.  The mixture should be fairly stiff; it will become more so as it cools.  Let it get cold.

6. When ready to cook, take spoonfuls about the size of an egg and dip them in the beaten egg, then into the breadcrumbs.  Flatten them slightly and fry gently in butter for 8-10 minutes, turning them once.  They are done when crisp and golden on the outside and well heated through.

My Notes

The authors comment that if you don't start with leftover fish, you can poach the fresh fish "in a little milk together with some parsley, a sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf."  Note that if you do start with leftover fish, you still need that milk-based poaching liquid, so plan ahead.  

They also commented that many different kinds of fish can be used; they used smoked haddock and fresh cod.  From this I decided that the big piece of bonita I had would work.  Bonita is a sea fish (I caught it myself!) and has a fairly strong flavor.  Since the authors had used smoked haddock, I felt that a strong flavor wouldn't go wrong.

I didn't have any milk but I did have half-in-half, so I made up a poaching liquid of that with a small bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf.

The liquid and herbs were combined in a pan, then the fish set on top of it.  Since the fish was a big piece, I placed it in the cold liquid.  The whole thing was brought to just the beginning of a boil, then I reduced the temperature to make it have a slow simmer.  After about 4 minutes, I turned the fish pieces over, then cooked it for another 3 minutes.  

The fish was removed from the liquid to drain, and both fish and liquid were allowed to cool.

I used my hands to skin, debone, and flake the fish.  This made it easy to find the bones, pick off the little bits of skin, and to remove the dark red meat that bonita always has.  I have never liked that part and decided it would be best to leave it behind.  I tried to make the flakes large, considering that they would be broken up more when I mixed in the white sauce.

The recipe didn't specify when to add the salt and pepper, so I chose to add 1/4 teaspoon of each to the fish, using forks to toss it in well.

I made the roux in a cast iron frying pan, using a fork to mix the butter and flour well.  It was very thick, and stayed that way even after I mixed in the poaching liquid and egg yolk.  Since I used a half cream/half milk liquid for the base, I did not add the cream listed in the recipe.

The completed white sauce.

I used a rubber scraper and the technique of folding to mix the sauce and the fish together.  This worked well and didn't break the fish flakes up too much.

All together now.  

The mixture went into the refrigerator for about 45 minutes to chill.

In the meantime, I used the leftover egg white and one more egg, all beaten together, to make the egg wash.  

Then I formed the patties.  The authors said this should make 8 to 10 croquettes; I got 9 comfortably-sized ones.  

Fish patties and the breading station.

Each patty was dunked in the egg wash, rolled in breadcrumbs, and placed in the hot butter.  I estimate the butter was about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.  I kept the butter hot enough to make the food bubble when it went in but was careful to not let the butter burn.  The instructions said to cook the patties gently, and this seemed to achieve that.

The foaming butter did a good job of cooking the sides.

I shifted the patties around as they cooked to make sure they were all getting that golden brown coloring on both sides.  

It took about 8 to 10 minutes to cook them, as the recipe suggested.

Voila!  Croquettes!

The Verdict

We didn't have them as a meal, really.  It was more like a taste test.  I was primarily interested to see what my guest taster thought of them because he didn't know how they were prepared.  I interrogated him at length  : )  and here are his thoughts:

He could taste the fish but also got a definite herbal taste.  This showed me that using the poaching liquid was a good idea -- it put the parsley, thyme, and bay flavors into the dish.  

He could not taste the pepper but thought it might be there in a subtle way.  The salt content was just right.

The texture was nice:  a crunchy exterior with a good interior that was not creamy because "it has some substance."  In fact, he said the "crust is excellent."

It was not greasy or spicy, and was heated through to the center.

He tried them just as they were out of the frying pan, which he thought was very good.

He also tried them with some adornments, and thought they were best with either tartar sauce (homemade with mayonnaise, mustard, capers, sweet pickle relish, and a dash of white wine vinegar) or a sprinkling of lemon juice.  It was okay with a drizzle of a very aged balsamic vinegar but he wasn't as thrilled with that.

The tomatoes were a nice side for the croquettes.

We imagined them being served at a buffet, and we thought they could be topped with a piping of tartar sauce to look more interesting and to make the sauce readily available.

Like this but with a star tip for piping to make it prettier.

We declared it a success!  I think the keys here were using the poaching liquid, keeping the flakes big, and gently cooking the patties.  

The authors commented that they had to be careful or the croquettes would fall apart while cooking.  I did not have that issue.  They were firmly together the whole time and I used a metal spatula below and a fork above to turn them.

The only thing I would change in my process is the chilling time -- the mixture wasn't chilled to the center when I formed the patties, which I think would have been better for handling.  So chill at least an hour, or even longer.  This is a bonus because you could make the mixture in advance of cooking.  What a convenience!

A Digestive Biscuit. Very British!

My guest taster was given a very special bottle of wine:  an 80 year old bottle of Sercial Madeira.  We were told it would go best with cheese, nuts, and digestive biscuits.  I accepted the challenge and found a recipe for the biscuits, all the while wondering why they are called that.

A quick trip to Wikipedia answered my question.  Two Scottish doctors created the biscuit in 1839 with the idea it would help with digestion, because of the supposed antacid properties from the sodium bicarbonate in them.  (Click here for the article.)  It was also pointed out that,

[d]igestive biscuits are frequently eaten with tea or coffee.  Sometimes, the biscuit is dunked into the tea and eaten quickly due to the biscuit's tendency to disintegrate when wet.  Digestive biscuits are one of the top 10 biscuits in the United Kingdom for dunking in tea.  The digestive biscuit is also used as a cracker with cheeses, and is often included in "cracker selection" packets.

I found a recipe in The English Biscuit and Cookie Book by Sonia Allison.  Ms. Allison describes them as "Traditional midmorning and very British biscuits".

ISBN 0-312-25347-8

Digestive Biscuits (page 8)

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon oatmeal

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons brown sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons cold milk

Cold butter, cold whole wheat flour, cold milk

1.  Sift the flours and baking powder into a bowl.   Add the oatmeal.

2.  Rub in the butter.  Add the sugar.  Run the mixture through the fingers to mix well.

3.  Using a fork, stir in the milk to form a stiff paste.

4.  Turn onto a floured surface.  Knead lightly until smooth.  Roll out thinly.

5.  Cut into 12 rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, re-rolling and re-cutting trimmings to make the required number.

6.  Transfer to greased cookie sheets and prick all over with a fork. 

7.  Bake until pale gold, allowing 15 to 18 minutes in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

8.  Cool on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight tin when cold.

My Notes

Start the oven preheating!

When I read over the recipe, it struck me that it is basically a pie crust made with whole- wheat flour and with sugar added.  So I treated it as such.

I measured out the butter first (4 tablespoons is 2 ounces) and put it in the freezer.  It wasn't frozen solid but it was very cold.  

My whole-wheat flour lives in the freezer, so it was used that cold. 

The flours and baking powder well mixed.  Oatmeal waiting for inclusion.

When it came time to rub in the butter, I first grated the butter and then mixed it with my fingers into the very cold flour.  

Grated very cold butter.

The same with the sugar -- I measured it into the flour and butter mixture, then mixed it with my fingers until it was well blended (it was still cold).  

The butter is mixed in.

The brown sugar has been added.

It took 5 tablespoons of milk to get the dough to come together like a pie crust.  Four tablespoons just wasn't damp enough.  

With four tablespoons of milk.

Then I put the dough into a covered bowl to rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes while I cleaned up and set up for rolling and cutting.

With 5 T of milk and some mixing with my hands.

The recipe says you will end up with 12 biscuits, but I got 20.  

Instead of pricking it all over with a fork, I used my Uzbekistan chekich, a bread stamp with a pretty design made from nails.  Actually, I used both of my chekich to see how the biscuits would turn out.  (My daughter brought them back from her trip to Uzbekistan several years ago.)

The first batch came out golden brown in 15 minutes.  The second batch overcooked a little in 14 minutes.  

Second bread stamp pattern

The Verdict

Crispy!  Slightly sweet, and then nutty from the whole wheat.  Overall sort of bland but not in a bad way.  

I can see them as a backdrop for butter or cheese and to go with tea (what I drink) or coffee (what my guest taster drinks).

We had them with the Madeira along with a white cheddar studded with cranberries and also some almonds.  Delightful!  Eighty year old Madeira is smooth, flavorful, and perfect with the suggested accompaniments.  

There is still some Madeira left so making a second batch of digestive biscuits is a high priority.  

Success!

Sausage Rolls and Queen Victoria

 Wow.  I watched the entire three seasons of Masterpiece Theater's Victoria series.  I am excited for the fourth season!  I think the actors are wonderful and I am thoroughly caught up in the stories of their lives.  But, as what happened when I watched Downton Abbey, my attention got riveted on the kitchen scenes.

I was impressed with the actor, Ferdinand Kingsley, who played the chef Charles Elmé Francatelli.  Something they showed several times was him vigorously mixing things in bowls -- and the actor looked like he was really putting in the effort it took to make mayonnaise and other goodies.  

My favorite guest taster noticed my interest, did some research, and discovered that Mr. Francatelli (the real one!) had published some cookbooks.  He bought me A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes.  It was originally published in 1861.  

What I like about this book is that the man who wrote it was in charge of cooking for Queen Victoria and her royal household.  Later, he was a cook/chef/manager for a number of notable clubs in England, mixing with all sorts of upper class people, I'm sure.  He could have looked down upon the working class as not worthy of tasty food that is prepared well.  He could have thought his talents and experience were too high for the common folk.  But he wrote this book, for them.  He included tips and advice to the woman of the house, encouraging her to think broadly about what she can fix with inexpensive cuts of meat, or to treat her family, or to stretch what she can afford.  To me, he comes across as a kind man.

There are several recipes I want to try.  This one, Sausage Rolls, is quick and convenient because today I have bread dough.  Usually I make one big loaf with my sourdough starter but today I used half to make a loaf and the other half is reserved for this recipe.  It is recipe number 85 on page 44.

Sausage Rolls

Procure a quartern of dough from the baker's, knead this with four ounces of butter, dripping, or chopped suet; divide it into twelve equal parts, and use each piece of paste to enfold a beef sausage in it; place these rolls on a baking-tin, and bake them in the oven for about twenty minutes or half an hour.

My Redaction

1 pound and a little more sourdough bread dough

1 ounce and a little more butter (softened)

1/2 pound homemade sausage, blend #3  (click here to learn what this is)

My Notes

A quartern of dough was about four pounds by weight.  My dough was a little over 1 pound, so I kneaded it with a little over 1 ounce of butter.  This made the dough very slippery and buttery. 

I didn't have beef sausages but, being a resourceful working-class cook, I made do with some of my homemade sausage.  I cut the meat into four equal pieces and patted them into beef sausage shapes.  

I cut the dough into four equal pieces, flattened them out as best I could, and embedded a piece of sausage in each one.  This was challenging because buttery dough does not really want to stick to itself.  I persevered and encased the sausage completely, although I don't think the rolls were really very attractive to view.

They baked in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes, which made them lightly brown and smell really good.  

The Verdict

I let them cool to be comfortable to handle, and served them with a good, coarse mustard.  My guest taster and I weren't hungry enough for a full meal, so we just had one roll each and some pinot noir on the side.

I worried that the bread-to-sausage ratio would be too big, that we would feel like we were eating chunks of bread that might have some sausage in it somewhere, but that wasn't the case.  There was a lot of bread but it wasn't dominating over the sausage except near the ends, which is usually what happens when you have a bread-encased whatever.  

The butter proved to be a good addition.  The bread was flaky, not doughy or dense, which my guest taster commented on favorably.  I was pleased with the result.  A few places were a little undercooked but not in any way that put me off.

The flavor was what you might expect:  tasty bread with tasty sausage.  The mustard was a good addition, as long as it was put on lightly, or you couldn't really taste the meat.  The bread and meat combination was a good one, but that is not surprising.  I enjoyed it and so did my guest taster.

It might have been better to cook them at 400 degrees F instead.  The bread soaked up the fat from the sausage, especially on the dough between the meat and the metal tray.  It was moist but not raw or sticky.  I think a higher temperature might have browned the surface better, and cooked the dough more to the middle, but I do have to point out that the sausage was cooked all the way through.

I suspect that I should have kneaded the dough longer to mix the butter in.  I'm not sure why I think that but it seems like it might have given the dough more time to absorb it before shaping and baking.

Success!  I would do this again for a simple dinner or fun food for a gathering.  We had the two other sausages for breakfast the next morning, which was tasty and fun.  I might try it again (the next time I make bread!) with actual sausages, and attempt to make the bread casing thinner.

And, just for kicks and bragging rights, here is my loaf of sourdough bread:

Pickled Shrimp - The Carolina Housewife

Last year when I went to South Carolina for a week, I came home with several cookbooks.  This is not a surprise as I prefer them as my souvenirs when I travel.  I wrote about one of them shortly after I returned:  see this post on Cheese Pudding.

Another book I found was The Carolina Housewife by Sarah Rutledge.  (ISBN 978-0-87249-383-4)

It was originally published in 1847 (mine is a facsimile).  Ms. Rutledge was a descendent of a signer of the Declaration of Independence and related to another.  She was born and died in Charleston and was educated in England.  The introduction, written in 1979 by a cousin, Anna Wells Rutledge, holds stories of what Charleston was like during Sarah Rutledge's time as well as tidbits of its history over the decades.  I certainly got a feel for what life was like there!

I particularly enjoyed Anna's "translation" of the culinary terms used in the book:  gill as one-half cup, hyson tea as green tea from China, shaddock as grapefruit (although she mentions our modern day grapefruit has been developed beyond what Sarah knew), and "brown it with a salamander" meant to broil under a heated metal plate.  (page xxvi).

Today's recipe is on page 216.

To Pickle Shrimps

Pick your shrimps, and rinse them well in salt and water; take two parts of strong vinegar, and one of water, add a few allspice, and boil this pickle; pour it hot over the shrimps.  If the shrimps are to be sent to a distance, the pickle should be boiled again; adding a little more vinegar, and pouring on the shrimps hot, again.  They must be entirely covered by the pickle; a paper wet with brandy, should be placed over the top.  They will thus keep sound a long time.

My Redaction

2 pounds medium shrimp

1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup water

6 whole allspice berries

My shrimp were raw and frozen, so I defrosted them, put them in 2 quarts of boiling salted water (1/2 tsp salt), brought it back to a boil, then simmered them for 2 minutes.  The picture above shows them after I drained them and rinsed them with cool water until they stopped steaming.

To "pick" my shrimps, I simply peeled them, removing the tail and any remaining little bits of the vein I found after the shell had come off.

I filled a clean one quart canning jar with water and put it in the microwave on high for five minutes.  (Put a plate under it to catch any water that might boil over.) While that was going on, I put the vinegar, water, and allspice berries in a pan and brought them to a boil.

Then I dumped the water from the jar and filled it with the shrimp.  The two pounds fit in there pretty well; just a few were kept out only because I didn't want to stuff them in.  

I poured the boiling "pickle" over the shrimp until it covered them by at least 1/2 inch.  That used up almost all of the liquid.

Then I put the lid on the jar and let it cool on the counter.

My Notes

I wasn't sure if my vinegar would have qualified as "strong" but I went ahead and mixed it with the water.  

I hoped that 6 allspice berries were enough to give some flavor.  

I was surprised that all the shrimp fit in the one jar.  (Honestly, I had hoped they all didn't so I could try other recipes with them.  That will be for another day.)

The hot vinegar sealed the lid (it popped, as a good canning jar lid should), so I skipped using the paper soaked in brandy idea.

The Verdict

I looked around on the internet for other shrimp pickling recipes.  They tend to contain many more flavors than simply vinegar and allspice but those recipes were for making a complete appetizer that was ready to go on the table out of the jar.  They looked good!  One of them noted that the longer you keep the shrimp in the flavored liquor, the more "pickley" they tasted.  

The jar sat on the counter for four days.  This was tough for me to do because I really, really dislike food poisoning, and I worried the whole time that I was making something that would make me sick.  But I stuck it out.

When the day came to try it, the jar looked just as it did in the picture above, with a little bit of sediment at the bottom.  The liquid had a mild scent and the shrimp was firm, not slimy or bad smelling.  My guest taster and I were both willing to do a taste test.

It tasted of shrimp.  The flavor was lightly vinegary, not enough to overwhelm the delicate shrimp flavor, so I guess the 2 to 1 ratio of vinegar to water was just right.   I couldn't taste the allspice but I couldn't say it didn't have influence.  Probably very minimally.  Perhaps cracking the spices or using more would have been better, but I don't know how much allspice I really wanted to taste.

The goal was to make shrimp last a long time, not make it an intriguing flavor.  I think the recipe accomplished that goal.  We tried it straight out of the jar and then later on top of a tossed green salad.  It was fine!

I can see why this would be a good baseline recipe for making the shrimp more exciting.  The online recipes (mostly from the USA's deep south) include capers, onions, red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, Tabasco sauce, lemon slices, and/or various herbs and spices.  

This was an easy recipe to prepare.  The most "challenging" part was peeling all the shrimp, which turned out to be a nice contemplative time at the dining room table.  Everything else was quick and simple.

Even though Ms. Rutledge assures us the shrimp will keep for a long time, after the jar was opened, I kept it in the refrigerator.  

Success!  I'd do it again, especially as an appetizer if I added more flavors.

Chile Relleno Souffle -- one of my Most Favorites

I always reserve the last post of the year for one of my favorite recipes.  This year I am sharing with you a recipe I have been making since the early 1980s!  It is quick and easy to assemble, and tastes great.

This particular recipe isn't the specific one I've used because I seem to have the habit of acquiring a recipe for it, then losing it, then acquiring another one and losing it, again and again.  I'm not sure why this keeps happening, but it never mattered because every one of them has been good!

A thick book with about 600 recipes, I'd estimate

This recipe I found in one of my Ladies' Group cookbooks; that is, one published as a fund-raiser for the group.  My aunt JS gave this book to me from her collection; it is from the Volunteer League of San Fernando Valley, published in 1976.  It is called "More of Our Best" because their first edition was published in 1968.  From the Foreword:

It contains recipes selected from hundreds of favorites submitted by Volunteer League members, their families and friends.  Over a 4-year period, members of the League tested all recipes so that we could present to you what are, in our opinion, the very best of the lot.

Most of the recipes in our collection are easy to prepare.  Because Volunteer League members are busy being wives, mothers and homemakers as well as active participants in community activities -- and in some cases also students or wage earners -- we appreciate the shortcuts to good cooking that mixes and prepared foods provide.

This is what I love about the ladies' group cookbooks:  They all contribute and they only contribute their best.  In this case, they also tested their best to find the best of the best!  You can rely on their recipes to be good.  My aunt was one of those wives, mothers, homemakers, and wage earners.  She also did community service.  I don't know if she was a member of the League or not, but she would have appreciated the recipes no matter what, and she loved San Fernando Valley.

The versions of the souffle I've made over the years had some different ingredients, like a bit of baking powder to fluff it or salt-and-pepper, and they had different ratios of the ingredients.  But still, they were all very tasty!

Chile Relleno Souffle (page 211)

"Can be served hot or cold (we like it hot best) as an appetizer, or cut in larger squares and served for lunch or as an addition to a Mexican dinner."

2 small cans diced green chilies
1/2 lb grated Jack cheese
1/2 lb grated Cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1 small can evaporated milk

Four ingredients, if you count all the cheese as one.

Grease bottom and sides of an 8 inch square pan.  Spread chilies on the bottom and sprinkle cheese over chilies.  Beat eggs with milk and pour over casserole.  Do not stir.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  This dish will puff up and be golden brown on top.  Cut into squares.  Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 as a main dish.  -- Mrs. Patrick C. Ross


My Notes

Drain the chilies, even if there is only a little liquid in the can with them.  These chilies are often labeled as "Ortega chilies."

Spread those chilies across the bottom.

I had a block of mixed Jack and Cheddar cheese, but it wasn't quite a pound so I included some more Cheddar, too.

The cheese filled the deep dish pan!

Beat the eggs well before adding the milk.  I used a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk.  This is probably bigger than what the recipe is calling for; it is okay to put in two more eggs to make sure it firms up well.  I used four eggs this time.

One pound of cheese is A LOT of shredded cheese!  I used a deep dish pie pan and then pushed the cheese down into the egg mixture before baking.

With the egg and milk mixture poured over it, and pressed down a little.

This made a very moist souffle, so it took 40 minutes to bake it to a clean knife.  I let it sit and cool a bit before I cut it to serve it so it could solidify.  There was still liquid around the edges of the souffle.

If I cooked it any more, it might have burned or been over-cooked.

I served it with some salsa and sour cream over the top.

The Verdict

This is so very good, always, and this particular recipe has more cheese in it than most.  If that bothers you, I think it would be fine to use less.

The cheese makes it rich, the chilies (which are not spicy hot) give it an exotic twist, and the milk-and-egg mixture, which cooked like a custard, ties everything together and yet also adds a depth of savory flavor, probably from the milk being condensed.  The salsa and sour cream just bring the flavor combinations to a peak, especially with the coolness of the sour cream as a counterpoint to the hot souffle.

It is rich, so a small piece can be very satisfying.  However, the taste is so good, you will probably want a second piece.  The leftovers are good, too!

A close up of the cut-away view.

I made this for a party appetizer once, so I used a bigger pan -- this makes it thinner -- and 6 eggs to make sure it was firm and more like a fritatta.  Once cool, I cut it into small squares so that the party guests could get two or three bites from each piece as a taste.  I served it with a salsa-and-sour cream mixture they could spoon over the top.  It worked well.

The extra liquid is sometimes worrisome, so I have drained it off before serving the souffle.  This is especially helpful when serving it at a party -- cut the pieces and let them drain a bit, then put them on a serving platter.  That makes it easy (not sloppy) to serve.

Reheated, with toppings.  Not soggy; firm and easy to serve

Success, as always!  I hope you try and enjoy one of my Most Favorite recipes.

Stuffed Eggs, part 2 -- another recipe from the Transylvanian cookbook

This is my second attempt at stuffing eggs by following a recipe from the Transylvanian cookbook.  You can see the first attempt's write up here. 

This is the digital translation of a book in Hungarian that I have tried recipes from before.  Here is the book reference:

The Prince of Transylvania’s court cookbook 

From the 16th century 

THE SCIENCE OF COOKING

You can find a copy of it here:  http://www.medievalcookery.com/etexts/transylvania-v2.pdf

The recipes I have tried are here:  Prince of Transylvania's court cookbook

These are the recipes I picked out.  Today I am trying the second one, using the experience and ideas I got from trying the first one.

Stuffed Eggs

(532) Stuffed eggs. Poke a hole into the eggs, blow out the insides, fry it and slice it, stuff it with honey, black pepper, currants, saffron and cinnamon, then put it on a thin skewer, roast it far from the coal, then serve it.

(599) Egg stuffed in shell. Put twelve eggs on a plate, poke a hole in them, blow out the white and the yolk. Once blown out, add black pepper, saffron and salt, put them into butter and cook it, cut it with a knife, whip two raw eggs, add sugar, small grapes and some parsley. Then pour it back into the egg shell. Make a skewer, put the eggs on it, and roast them.

(601) Stuffed egg white. Wash the egg, boil it, once boiling, pour the hot water down and add some cold water. Poke the end, blow out the yolk onto a pot, leave the whites inside. Cook the yolk like scrambled eggs, add sugar, saffron, black pepper, salt and small grapes. Put some parsley and whip some eggs into it, stuff it into the shell, boil it again in water, once boiled, take down the shell, only the white will be stuffed. Put it on a skewer and roast it; you can make any sauce.


My Redaction

5 eggs
butter for cooking the eggs
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pinches ground saffron
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons dried currants
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.

Pierce and blow four of the eggs as described in part 1.  Set aside the shells.

Beat the whites and yolks well, then mix in the black pepper, saffron, and salt.

Melt the butter and scramble the eggs, but stop the cooking while the eggs are still very moist.  Immediately move the eggs into a bowl and cut or mash with a fork.

Scrambled, still moist

Scrambled, moist, and broken up with a fork

Add the sugar, parsley, and currants, then mix well. 

All the ingredients together

Pierce and blow the remaining egg.  Beat the white and yolk, then add to the scrambled egg mixture.  Mix well.  The result should be very wet and chunky.

Wet!

Using a small spoon, fill each shell to almost full.  It is like feeding a baby:  Spoon some into the hole and then use the spoon to scoop up and redeposit what didn't make it into the hole the first time.  Also, it helps to hold the shell so that one finger covers the little hole in the bottom to stop leaks.

Wipe the filled shell with a damp cloth to clean it, then dry it with another cloth. 

Once all the shells are filled, bake for 35 minutes.  Serve hot or warm.

Note:  The stuffing may have expanded and run onto the outside of the shell.  You might want to wipe it off with a warm, damp cloth before serving.

In need of cleaning

The Verdict

One goal I had this time was to boost the flavorings up to make the stuffing more interesting.  All my guest tasters agreed I achieved that goal.  Even the person who said the first attempt was bland and not exciting!  While one said the texture was still very much like oatmeal, it was intriguing and flavorful oatmeal, which made all the difference.  Everyone liked the result.

Easiest to eat it cut in half.

I could taste the egg (the chunks were bigger this time) and the pepper made an interesting tingle on my tongue.  The salt and sweet balance were just right, and the saffron and parsley made a light undercurrent of flavor throughout.  The currants were pleasant little bursts of chewy and sweet to give a change to the texture.

We all agreed this would make a fun sotelty, as something to serve at the beginning of the meal to start it off with a fun surprise.  Each egg was just a few bites, a perfect size for an appetizer.

Success!

It was easier to stuff the shells with the very moist mixture.  The moisture made the mixture flow more into the shell.  It was easier to compact it by gently shaking the egg or stirring the mixture with a thin tool.  It took less time to stuff each shell.

I baked them longer this time because I wanted to make sure it they were cooked all the way through.  35 minutes achieved that, although I think they could have gone longer, up to 40 minutes.  The inside texture was moist but cooked, and not at all dry.