More on Liquamen - Oh Wow!

Last May I wrote about my experiments with the Roman condiment called "liquamen."  You can read about it here:  Liquamen.  I was working from the book Cooking Apicius by Sally Grainger.

I didn't make it from fermented fish but used a more convenient recipe involving reduced grape juice and premade fish sauce.  My taste test showed that the best ratio of juice to fish sauce was 7 to 1.

Well, that turns out to be a good ratio if you are tasting the sauce from a spoon.  When it comes to using it as a base for a sauce, Ms. Grainger's recommendation of 3 to 1 is much, much better.

I have been experimenting with using the liquamen as a base for a variety of uses.  My favorite so far is as a steak sauce.  Another good use is as a dressing for steamed green beans.

Liquamen in a Sauce

Reduced grape juice and a purchased fish sauce or liquamen made from fermented fish
Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper

For the steak sauce, I used

6 tablespoons grape juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Mix well in a bowl and serve with a ladle so your guests can pour on the amount they want.

For the green beans dressing, I used

3 tablespoons grape juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Mix well in a bowl and then pour over the hot, steamed green beans.  Toss to coat.  Good to toss them again before serving.

Very peppery

The Verdict

The steak sauce is very thin and runny.  I liked it poured over the steak, using enough to have the sauce make a puddle around the meat.  It is amazingly tasty and inspires the eater to want more!

In analyzing the flavors, I would say it touches all five of the tastes our tongues can sense.  It is salty, it is sour from the vinegar, it is sweet from the grape juice, it is bitter from the pepper, and the fish sauce makes it richly umami.

I wondered if the spices I used on the steak influenced my interpretation of the sauce.  Probably they do as I use a salt-free blend with black pepper, garlic, onion, brown mustard seeds, lemon peel, chile pepper, allspice, coriander, marjoram, and oregano.  Hey, I use this blend because it tastes good on the steak!  But the steak is even better with the sauce.

One of my guest tasters smoked a tri-tip and tried my sauce on it.  He said he couldn't get enough of the sauce once he started putting it on the beef.  He was surprised at its flavor because he expected it to taste fishy and it didn't.  He was also surprised at the pleasant sweetness.

And the wine!

The dressing stuck to the green beans because of the olive oil.  I liked the stronger pepper flavor and the other tastes, most of which were like the steak sauce.  I think the dressing might be even better with some vinegar in it, like an oil-and-vinegar dressing.

These mixtures are so much of a success that, once the meat and beans were eaten, we cleaned up the rest of the sauce on our plates with the pesto crescent rolls.  A simple and yet very tasty meal.

I have the ingredients to make more liquamen, so I will post updates if I find any other uses.

And Yet More on the Ymbre Tart

I had the opportunity to bring something to a holiday gathering, so I decided to make the onion tarts as individual servings, in mini-phyllo cups.  For the original recipe, see http://historicalrecipes.blogspot.com/2013/09/tart-in-ymbre-day-onion-tart.html

I bought the pre-made cups, 15 to a package and I used three packages.

The only difference in the recipe was that I used the food processor to chop the onions finely.   This is to make sure the batter spooned easily into the tiny phyllo cups.

I used finely-chopped prunes instead of currants since I liked them so much last time.

Fill the cups very full.  Even though the filling puffs during cooking, it settles once it cools.

I used all 45 cups and probably could have gone to about 50.  The left-over batter went into a glass custard dish and it baked along with the second batch of cups.

I baked each batch at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 - 25 minutes -- until the edges were brown and a little stick poked in the middle of the deepest one came out clean.

The Verdict
This worked great!  I tasted one and it was marvelous (as usual).

I am happy to take these to share with others.

Update:  The batch sat in the refrigerator overnight, which caused the tart shells to soften.  They didn't fall apart so it wasn't a problem, just a small worry.  People who ate them said the tarts were sweeter than they expected -- I think the word "onion" made them think "strongly flavored".  The overall opinion was that they were like a quiche.

More on the Ymbre Tart

I made this tart to take to a potluck party.

From my experience in the previous post, I microwaved the onions for 8 minutes on high, which made them cooked to tender.

I also used the food processor to chop them so they were bits instead of long, thin slices.

Finally, I had no dried currants so I used three dried prunes.  I cut them into slices with a knife and added them to the onions in the food processor before they were chopped.

The result was OUTSTANDING.  The prunes added that extra depth-of-flavor and a light sweetness that I have never gotten from using the currants.  The fully-cooked onions were a joy to taste -- mild and subtle.

Overall, my reaction was "I can't stop eating this!"   I received several compliments at the party, including one from a professional caterer who wanted the details of the recipe.

It was even better the next day after it had chilled.

From now on, I will use prunes instead of dried currants for this recipe!

Success!

And Yet More on Fruitcake

Recently I attended a fruitcake competition in a local town.  

The rules were simple:  Bring a fruitcake (with recipe) to the given location at the given time.  The judges were the lead actors in a play that involved fruitcakes and they were a treat to watch as they were in character the whole time.  

There were no limits on what could go in your fruitcake and we were invited to present our recipe to the judges.  I took the opportunity to point out that this was from an original 1845 recipe and that it didn't have that sticky, imitation-colored, dried fruit mix or even baking soda or yeast.  I emphasized how the fruitcake was baked in August, soaked with brandy (they liked that part!), and wrapped and stored for three months.

The Verdict:  In the end, they awarded my fruitcake with the title of "Best Traditional".  I was thrilled!

It was a fun day and we were all allowed to taste the entries.  You just can't go wrong with that!

Mine is front row, right

And now you can call Mrs. Elizabeth Ellicott Lea's recipe, "An Award-Winning Fruitcake!"

More on Fruitcake

After I made five loaves of an 1845 fruitcake recipe (see Sept 1, 2012), I ate one and stored away the rest.  My goal was to wrap them in cheesecloth and soak them with brandy to see what they were like after a few months.

And so I did.  A few layers of cheesecloth was all that was needed and any extra bits got put to the underside of the loaf to soak up extra brandy.

I wrapped the loaf,

Fruitcake Mummy!

poured enough brandy over it to soak the cloth, plus a little extra for the loaf,

Soggy Mummy.  Plate catches the drips.

encased it in plastic wrap (put all edges on the top of the loaf, to prevent leakage),

Set the loaf on a sheet of plastic, then wrap upward.

and put it into a plastic bag, labeled with the contents and the date.


Three loaves went into the bottom of the refrigerator and one went into the dark, cool cupboard to keep the container of mincemeat (August 15, 2012) company.  I was curious to see if the fruitcake with brandy really needed refrigeration to keep from getting moldy.

I wondered if the cheesecloth was really needed.  After all, plastic wrap is a modern invention -- would it be able to take over completely?  I don't think so, just from observing how the brandy quickly soaked the entire cheesecloth.  I suspect the cloth will keep the brandy distributed over the entire loaf, instead of just sitting at the bottom.

I also think it would be okay to use muslin instead of cheesecloth, or any other undyed, natural fiber cloth, as long as it was clean and had the sizing washed out of it.

After two months, I pulled the loaf out of the cupboard and gave it a try.

Looking good despite no refrigeration

While unwrapping the plastic, I looked it over carefully for any signs of mold or spoilage.  I noticed it was uniformly moist (not soggy) and smelled nice.  The brandy was barely noticeable.

The cheesecloth wrap looks and feels moist

The loaf itself was moist and smelled fresh and inviting.  The slightly scorched part on the bottom was still there (ugh!) but it wasn't dry at all.

I sliced it open in the middle and found it was moist all the way through.  The flavor was lovely -- I could taste the spices, the fruits (cranberries were a good choice) and nuts, and a very light brandy overtone.

The Verdict:  Success!  It was nice to have it out of my refrigerator and still be good later.  I like it better than the freshly-baked loaf since it was more moist.  The slightly scorched part didn't taste as strong although for my second piece, I sliced it off.

This is definitely worthwhile.  Most people complain about fruitcake, saying it is like a brick or filled with cheap, artificially-colored peels and dried fruits.  This one is fresh, flavorful, tender, moist, and most definitely has no artificial colors or additives.  Quite yummy!

More On Mincemeat -- The Pie

A few days after I covered the mincemeat in brandy and set it into a dark, cool cabinet, I looked in on it.

Interestingly enough, all the brandy on top was gone.  The mixture itself looked like it had absorbed a lot of the liquid throughout -- it was thick and not as fluid in the jar.  I took this to be a good sign for its "ripening" and poured more brandy over the top.  I felt it was important to have a 1/4 to 1/2 inch layer of brandy to help avoid mold growth.

After a month had passed, it was time to try it in a pie.  I kept it simple, as Mrs. Leslie suggested:  "These pies are always made with covers, and should be eaten warm."  (Here is her ebook:  Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches.)

Just two ingredients

I took that to mean that I should put down a crust, fill it with mincemeat, cover it with a second crust, and bake it until done.

Crust plus filling

With its top cover

The filling was thick and a little juicy.  Not at all what I had put into the container originally and for this I was glad.  Before I used it I inspected it carefully -- there was no mold in the jar and no "off" smells, so I think it was fine to use.  I tasted a little of it and liked the overall flavor although the brandy was strong for my tastes. 

My ancient copy of "The Joy of Cooking" said to bake it at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook it for another 30 minutes.  This was for a store-bought mincemeat filling.  I wasn't certain if my filling needed significant cooking time but I guessed that at least the suet needed a chance to melt and make the filling rich. I really didn't want to take a bite of pie and get a mouthful of uncooked beef fat, even if it had been marinating in Madeira and brandy for a month!

I ended up cooking it for 35 minutes at 350.  It probably could have gone a little longer to be more browned on top.

I estimate that I used about 3 cups of the filling in this pie.  It looks like I could get another 5 to 6 pies out of what was left.  This looks to be a fun holiday season.

Hot out of the oven

The Verdict:  I sliced the pie when it was cool enough to handle but still warm.  With each bite I could still taste the brandy -- it was strong enough to warm me on the way down but not so strong as to make me want to stop eating it.  The juices, sugar, and spices combined to make a lovely syrup around the dried fruit and meat.  Occasionally I got a taste of meat as it was chewier than the fruit.  The flavor overall was very, very good; hearty, rich, flavorful, and in its way, old-fashioned.  It reminded me of the mince pies I've had before but was still different.  Partly, I think, because it wasn't as sweet as regular mince.  Yes, definitely a success!  I can imagine people eating this one to two hundred years ago, savoring the rich flavor with spice, brandy, meat, and fruits.

Other thoughts about it:  This is definitely an "adult" dessert.  The brandy was too strong for children, I think.  Also, as Mrs. Leslie recommends, it is best warmed.  When cold the flavors were harsh and the suet congealed.  I really didn't like seeing cold bits of fat in my pie.

Old-fashioned delicious

Mrs. Leslie leaves us with one more piece of her wisdom:  "Whenever you take out any for use, pour some additional brandy into the jar before you cover it again, and add some more sugar."  Done!  I mixed in about 1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed the filling down to remove air bubbles, wiped the sides of the jar above the filling level, and poured in enough brandy to cover the top.  Then I cleaned the outside of the jar well and put it back in the cabinet.

More on Tarte Goyere -- Upgrade!

I recently had the most incredible appetizer while having dinner with my daughter.  It was a bleu cheese creme brulee served with a thick fig jam on the side.  You scooped both onto a crostini drizzled with a bit of balsamic vinegar reduction.  Yes, the creme brulee even had that light crust of caramelized sugar on top.  Heavenly.  We could have made the entire dinner off of that (but glad we didn't; the entrees that followed were also dreamy!)

This sparked a discussion between us about the Tarte Goyere -- wouldn't it be great to add that fruit flavor to this medieval dish?

So we did!  We searched a farmer's market and a store and had no luck acquiring fig jam.  However we did decide that a rich cider apple butter would make an acceptable substitute.  

My daughter quickly made the tarte and put it into the oven for 15 minutes.  Then she thinly covered the top with a mix of 4 tablespoons of apple butter and 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.  We tasted the mix before it went on -- she adjusted it until you got that light bite of the vinegar but it did not come through strongly as vinegar.  Then she cooked it for 10 minutes more followed by just a few minutes under the broiler.

After dinner picture!

The Verdict:  My, oh my!  The taste was lovely.  We both agreed that it needed more of the apple butter flavor so we simply spooned more on our slices at the table.  I made sure some of the apple butter got on my crust, too.  This was definitely a culinary success.

Notes:  She used an egg beater to whip the eggs and only got them to the foamy stage.  (The original recipe said, "Whip the eggs" which means I took it to soft peaks.)  This did not affect the overall texture of the tarte but she believes the broiling is what made it right.  She commented that the tarte didn't get puffy until it was under the broiler.

She also used 6 ounces of bleu cheese for a stronger bleu flavor, thinking it would go better with the apple butter.  She was right!

She also feels that next time she would start with the thicker layer of apple butter because it would be easier to spread.  She would also make sure it got on the crust, which was folded over the edges of the tarte.  

More on Brawn en Peverade

Last night I made Brawn en Peverade but I made a variety of modifications.

The first was that I didn't have my usual spice selection available (it's a long story!) so I had to get creative.  Instead of the specified mace, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves, I used Grains of Paradise, cardamom, and cinnamon.

I'm pretty new to using Grains of Paradise; they are considered a pepper substitute.  They do have a peppery-bite that is strong before they are cooked and milder afterwards.

The spice combination was very fragrant while cooking.  The meat and gravy had a lovely flavor, too.  I really liked it!  One thing about the Grains of Paradise -- they had a "slow peppery bite"; that is, first I tasted their flavor then shortly thereafter a light pepper burn spread across my tongue.  Not unpleasant at all! 

In my first attempt at this recipe, I loved the gravy but noticed it was a bit gritty when I first made it.  So my thoughts then were to start soaking the dried bread crumbs in the wine and wine vinegar when the meat went into the oven.  I did that this time but without the results I had hoped for.  The gravy was not gritty, however it never did thicken properly.  I had to make adjustments to get it to thicken.

Also, I used white wine instead of red and the flavor was good.

More on Meatose

Today I took about 1/2 cup of the meatose, mashed it with a fork, then mixed in a few teaspoons of mayonnaise.  I mixed it until it was spreadable and moist.  Then I added some finely chopped dill pickles.  This made a great spread on crackers!  I think it would be a good sandwich spread, too.

Now that the meatose has been chilled, it comes across as a bit dry.  I think if I did a half recipe again, I would pull it out of the steamer after about 1 hr and 30 minutes, instead of 2 hours.  Or as soon as it seemed firm.

I wonder what else I can do with this?  : )