A Red Mulberry -- A Medieval Main Course

My mulberry tree is producing, and I am loving it.  Fresh mulberries!  They are excellent just on their own, and they are also good paired with gouda cheese and white wine.  

But I wanted to do something historical with them.  For this I returned to Cindy Renfrow's Take a Thousand Eggs or More, a collection of 15th century recipes for my inspiration.  I had previously made a recipe from it named "Tart de ffruyte".  Click here to see it.

ISBN 0-9628598-2-6

What appealed was on page 200, taken from the Harleian MS. 279 - Potage Dyvers:

Early English above, modern English below

My Redaction

I was not convinced that this was served as uncooked meat and eggs, and it looked to me like a fruit-and-spice meatloaf.  That is approach I took in redacting it.

2 pounds boneless beef round steak

1 pound, 13 ounces fresh mulberries

2 egg yolks

2 ounces dried bread crumbs

2 + 1 teaspoons poudre fines

2 teaspoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a handful of mulberries in the center of a damp cloth (I used a thin cotton cloth normally used for drying dishes), gather the cloth around them, then use your hands to squish the berries, letting the juice flow into a waiting bowl.  Twist the cloth around the berries, extracting more juice, until the mass feels firm and no more juice flows.  Discard the spent berries, then repeat until all the berries are juiced.  This gave me 1 cup of mulberry juice.

Cut the meat up into cubes then run them through the meat grinder.  (Or buy pre-ground beef.)

If the bread isn't already in crumbs, run them through the grinder after the meat.  Mix them into the meat.

Mix the meat mixture and the juice, then add the sugar and 2 teaspoons of spices and mix again.  Then mix in the egg yolks.

Shape the mixture into a loaf.  I made a round that was about 8 inches in diameter and 2 to 3 inches high.  Sprinkle the top with one teaspoon of the spices.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked all the way through.  Serve it forth.

My Notes

The poudre fines mixture I have contains cinnamon, cloves, ginger, grains of paradise, pepper, and saffron.  You can mix up your own version using most or all of these, and I believe you will still be mimicking the medieval time period well.

Meat and bread after grinding

A handful ready for juicing

Squeezed and twisted

Mulberry juice

Beginning to bake

Serve it forth!

The Verdict

It was cooked just right:  no pink left but everything was still juicy.  Also, the loaf was firm enough and held together when cut and served.  I would not change the number of egg yolks, although I usually use whole eggs when I make a meatloaf.  (I enjoyed the leftover whites for breakfast the next day.)

Don't ignore those juices!

The flavor was interesting!  The mulberry juice didn't taste like mulberries, but it added a lovely fruit element to the meat and spices.  The spices were a nice support for the juice and did not conflict with the meat.  

I think I would not put a full teaspoon of spice over the top; a half teaspoon would probably be better.  That was too strong.  But I liked the amount in the meat.  In fact, I think I could put in more and still enjoy it.

I'm glad I didn't put in much sugar.  I didn't taste it, and I was glad.  

My guest taster and I both enjoyed this meatloaf.  We found ourselves spooning the pan juices over the  top of our pieces just because they made it taste even better.  A piece of bread also did a good job sopping up the extra juice.

Success!  Definitely worthwhile repeating.  If I didn't have fresh mulberries available, I would try mulberry molasses diluted with water.  

When I make meatloaf, I typically soak the liquid (red wine!) in the bread crumbs for 10 to 15 minutes before mixing them into the meat.  I think I would do this with the juice if I did this recipe again.  It might disburse the flavor throughout the meat better, although you do not hear me complaining.  

Just in case you were worried, the juice did not stain the white cloth.  Most of the color left when I rinsed the cloth out in the sink, and the rest washed out in the laundry.

Loquat and Mulberry Jam -- a riff on a Pinedo recipe

When I tried this recipe from Encarnacion Pinedo's book, Pear and Fig Jam, (visit here to see it) it turned out wonderfully and also surprised me.  I had expected the pear to add a background note to the fig, but the recipe had me candy the pear chunks first, then embed them in the fig jam.  

This technique intrigued me, and I wondered how I could apply it to other fruits.  

My loquat tree is producing great quantities after the wet winter, and my mulberry tree is mature enough to produce well, too.  I decided to try candying the loquat chunks and embedding them in a mulberry jam.  Why not?

My Recipe

2 pounds, 3 ounces mulberries

3 pounds, 8 ounces loquats (weight before removing seeds and most of the peels; 1 lb, 12 oz after)

3 cups water

1 pound sugar

a splash of lemon juice

Mmmm.  Loquats and mulberries!

Loquats halved, seeded, and peeled

Mix the water and sugar.  Bring to a boil and hold it there for 2 minutes.

Cut the loquats into small chunks and add to the sugar syrup.  

Bring to a boil and then simmer for two hours.  I noted the temperature reached about 200 degrees F, the syrup was getting thick, and the loquats looked candied.

Cut the mulberries into small chunks if they aren't already small.  (Mine are Pakistani mulberries, so they are long.)  Add to the loquats.

Add the lemon juice.  Stir it in.

Continue to simmer until the temperature reached 210 degrees F, then remove it from the heat.

Put into jars.

Loquat chunks, nearly candied

Mulberries ready for the pot.

Finished jam

The Verdict

The color is a lovely dark red, the seeds from the mulberries and the orange loquat chunks add visual texture.  The scent is of mulberries but also a little something else.

The flavor is absolutely luscious.  Mulberries with little bursts of loquat, and it is sweet but not overly so.  The splash of lemon juice was a good choice -- while the lemon flavor is not discernable, the acidity helps the jam from being too sweet.

Oh my, success.  Wonderful success!  I would do it again if I can get enough mulberries at one time.  

I'm glad I was able to make this technique work.  Now I wonder what other combinations would be good?  Also, if mulberries aren't available, I think blackberries would also work well.

Later I made a jam from mostly loquats with a small handful of mulberries and a splash of lime juice.  The loquats didn't break up in the cooking process, so I used a stick blender and pureed the mixture once it cooked to about 210 degrees F.  This made it more like a spread or a fruit butter, and it was also very tasty.  I do love loquats.

Fish in Fine Marinade -- a Pinedo recipe

It is time for another Pinedo recipe!  (See the key words list to the side for the word "Pinedo" for the others.)

I knew I was going to be near a fish market, so I planned ahead to buy some sort of fish there for a Pinedo recipe.  I was hoping to get some whole fish, but to no avail.  They did have rockfish, which Miss Pinedo references in a number of recipes, so I bought 0.84 pounds of it (four filets) and chose this recipe on page 200:

My Translation

Fish in fine marinade.

         This marinade is composed of hyssop or peppermint and garlic, all finely chopped; salt, vinegar and pepper and some other spices if you like.

         The fish is put in large pieces in a casserole in layers, one with fish and another with onion, mint, tomato juice, salt, pepper and garlic; drizzle with vinegar and oil.

         Cook the well-covered casserole over a low heat for two or three hours.

My Redaction

0.84 pounds rockfish filets (or about that much, and any kind of mild, white fish)

6 ounces tomato juice

1 medium brown onion, peeled, halved, then thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely crushed

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Start the oven preheating to 300 degrees F.  Choose a lidded casserole dish whose size is appropriate to the amount of fish you have.

Mix garlic, mint, salt, and pepper, then add the tomato juice and mix again.  This is the marinade.  Set it aside.

Mix the olive oil and vinegar, then set aside.

Oil the bottom of the casserole with a little olive oil.  Put in two fish filets to cover the bottom.

Spread half of the sliced onions over the top of the fish.  Pour half of the marinade over the top of that.  Then pour half of the olive oil and vinegar mixture on that.  (This is how I interpreted "drizzle.")

Repeat the layering with the rest of the fish, onions, marinade, and oil-and-vinegar mixture.

Put the lid on the casserole and bake for 1 hour.  

My Notes

My hyssop plant isn't big enough to harvest from yet, so I got some fresh mint from my garden.

I didn't have tomato juice by itself or even fresh tomatoes from which to make juice.  So I opened a can of stewed tomatoes and used the juice from that.  (The tomatoes themselves made a sauce for a side dish with the fish.)

*True confessions:  The stewed tomatoes had some celery flavor in it, but I didn't think it would make much of an impact on the overall flavor of the fish dish.

I estimated the quantities of flavors in the tomato juice by recalling that Miss Pinedo cautioned her readers to only use a few cloves in any recipe.  I thought one tablespoon of finely chopped mint would be enough to taste without being overwhelming.  Marinades are typically strong in flavor before cooking, so that was my goal.

Yes, that finely chopped!

Garlic, mint, salt, and pepper mixed.

The marinade

First layer:  the fish

Then the onions

With the marinade

Finally, with the oil and vinegar.

A second layer, ready for the oven

After one hour of baking.

The Verdict

I served it with a side dish of potatoes that were baked, then sliced and slowly fried in a cast iron pan with olive oil.  I made a sauce of the stewed tomatoes that were pureed and mixed with garlic, salt, and pepper.  This was poured over the potatoes in the pan, then the whole thing was topped with shredded asiago cheese.  I covered the pan and let it cook slowly to fry the potato bottoms, heat the sauce, and melt the cheese.

Potatoes on the left, fish on the right.

The fish in fine marinade was very good!  I am becoming convinced that cooking fish immersed in liquid makes it nearly impossible to overcook the fish.  Usually fish cooks quickly but I baked it for one hour -- it was done perfectly, moist and tender.  I suspect the long cooking time gave the onion a chance to soften and get a mellow flavor.

One serving.  Wine included but not in the picture.

Fish is cooked and moist.

I was intrigued by the use of the mint in the marinade.  I don't think I've ever had fish cooked with mint before, and I was not disappointed.  Its flavor was not strong -- it was really just a hint of mint, a lot like a tingle on the tongue while eating a bite.  I actually think doubling the amount of mint would be good, just to give it more of a leading role in the flavor profile.  

The garlic taste was there, but not overwhelming.  I think it was balanced in the mix.  The onions were subtle, too.  I didn't not taste the vinegar, but I think the balance would have been lacking without it. 

I believe I could have used half the amount of oil and vinegar and still have a good outcome.  That would fit better with the idea of "drizzle" as she specified. 

Viewed as a whole, the fish in its sauce was tasty and we enjoyed it very much.  My guest taster said, "If I was served this in a restaurant, I would not be unhappy."  In other words, it wasn't Earth-shattering or an amazing meal, but it was a good meal.  The potato side dish was a good pairing.  We had both parts for two meals, and enjoyed them both times.

Miss Pinedo was cooking for a large family, so I suspect she could put many layers together in a big pan, put it over a slow fire, and go do other things while it cooked.  A large quantity would benefit from cooking for two to three hours as she specified.  She would still serve a delicious main course, with time to fix side dishes or perhaps work on writing her cookbook.

Success!

Strawberry Preserves -- a Pinedo recipe

 On page 79 of Encarnación Pinedo's book, El cocinero español, I found this recipe:

I translated it to this:

Strawberry preserves.

         After the strawberries are rinsed, the calyx is removed: a layer of strawberries and another of sugar are placed in a container, and alternately the layers are put on until the pan is filled, leaving them so overnight.

         The next day the honey that the strawberries have discharged is taken and a quart of water and another of sugar are added: everything will boil to the point of joining the fingers[1]: when the syrup has that point, the strawberries will be emptied into it, and be careful that they only give two boils, so that they get well soaked and do not fall apart.

         NOTICE-When the preserves are boiled enough, a peeled and segmented orange is added, but without breaking it, it is left to boil for one or two hours in the preserve, and it is removed without breaking it. With this operation, the preserves are not sweetened.

         ANOTHER-A little Spanish anise[2] is added to the preserves, which will be tied in a piece of white canvas and placed inside the vessel or pan in which they are being cooked.

---

[1] Possibly the thread stage, 230° F.

[2] Pimpinella anisum or aniseed.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Ah, now I have a goal for my visit to the farmer's market!

After a diligent search for just the right berries, I was successful:

You see, most of the farmers were selling baskets of giant, beautiful strawberries.  But I walked the entire market to find a basket of small, beautiful berries.  The big ones are showy, but they aren't robust in their berry flavor.  The small ones, often sold as jam berries, are the best when you want a strong taste of strawberry.

Notice in her recipe, Miss Pinedo emphasizes that the berries are not supposed to fall apart.  This tells me the goal is to preserve the berries as a whole, that they will be presented that way.  This is not a strawberry jam to spread on toast.

My Redaction

Strawberries - I forgot to weigh them, but this is three of the typical baskets found in the United States

1 1/2 cups sugar for the berries

4 cups sugar for the syrup

4 cups water for the syrup

Optional orange

First I rinsed the berries, then removed their green calyx, as directed.  Since the goal was good looking berries, I used the tip of a thin-bladed knife to remove the calyx without damaging the rest of the berry.  

A swirl of the knife tip did the job.

Once they were all ready, I began to make the layers.  Note the sugar amounts with each layer.

First layer with 1/2 cup sugar

Second layer of berries

Second layer with 1 cup sugar

Once I had completed the layering, I put on a cover and let them sit (without disturbing) for 24 hours.

The sugar worked its magic, and a lot of liquid was extracted from the berries.

I separated the berries from the two cups of liquid.  It was mixed with 4 cups of sugar and 4 cups of water in a 4-quart pan.

Note:  This pan was not big enough!  I should have used a Dutch oven or anything much bigger so the liquid and then eventually the strawberries had enough room to swell while cooking.  

I got a nifty new candy thermometer!

After some of the water boiled away, the level was low enough to really let the boiling cut loose without worrying it would overflow.  I think a too-full pan made it take longer to reach my goal temperature of 230 degrees - the thread stage.

Almost to temp.

Once it reached temperature, I changed to a bigger pan.  The strawberries were already in it, so I poured the hot syrup over them.  I used the back of a slotted spoon to stir everything -- this did so without breaking up or cutting the berries.

Coming to a boil

Miss Pinedo says to "be careful that they only give two boils".  Having read her book, I interpret that as bringing the berries to a boil, then lowering the heat until the boiling subsides.  Repeat.  This makes sense when you consider she was cooking over fire -- once the boiling starts, pull the pan off the fire, then put it back on again.  This is what I did.

Boiling berries

After the second boil, I used a slotted spoon to put just the berries into the sterilized jar.

Some syrup traveled with the berries.

I recognize that the foam should have been removed.  I didn't even try.  I knew I wasn't canning them, so it wasn't a worry.  Once the jar was full, I poured some hot syrup over the top and sealed the jar.

I could have put more berries into the jar.  I could see how they floated up and there was a significant gap between the berries and the bottom of the jar.  It wasn't such a problem in the second jar, which was bigger and contained all the rest of the berries.

Still more foam!

There was a lot of leftover syrup, so I decided to try her recommendation to cook it with the orange.

I found her directions somewhat confusing.  It wasn't clear to me why I was cooking the orange: was it to make a candied orange?  Or was it to add an orange flavor to the strawberry syrup?  After checking her words against my translation, I decided it was to add an orange flavor, otherwise I would be putting more oranges in to cook.

Also, I had already reached the thread stage for the syrup, and I wondered how I would cook it more without going to a higher stage.  I decided to keep a low heat under the syrup so it would cook for a long time as she directed.  

I watched the thermometer while keeping the mixture at a simmer for 1 hour, 30 minutes.  I never saw the temperature exceed 230 degrees.

Once that was done, I saved the orange slices for tasting and all the extra syrup into jars.

This was just one jar.

Everything went into the refrigerator.

The Verdict

First, the strawberries.  I had four guest tasters and the verdict was unanimous:  they were wonderful!  The fresh, just-picked strawberry flavor came shining through.  The sweetness level was just right.  The syrup wasn't too thick.  One guest taster said, "It is perfect."

We speculated that they would be good over vanilla ice cream.  Or on top of a cheesecake.  But we all loved it just eating a berry from a spoon.  

The syrup the berries were in was wonderful, and we thought it would make a good syrup flavoring in a soda or on top of shaved ice or in tea or in lemonade.

Next, the oranges.  Again, the verdict was unanimous:  they were not very appealing.  The outside skin was chewy, which was not pleasant.  The overall flavor was strawberry-with-orange but with an underlying bitterness that most of us did not like.  One guest taster who likes bitter (in particular, bitter orange marmalade) was willing to enjoy them.  

The syrup was better -- it still had some bitter, but that was not off-putting.  It was decidedly thicker than the syrup on the strawberries, which could be good for mixing into beverages.  I found that one small spoonful was enough of a taste for me, but I am enjoying it in tea.

Success!  I would not try the orange part again, but perhaps I would try the berries with a little aniseed or other spice.  But you just can't beat the pure flavor of the berries that came through by themselves.

Tips to remember:  

Use a very large pan to boil the syrup.  That way you have room for the liquid to expand and foam, and then you have room for the berries, too.

Cooking the syrup to the thread stage, 230 degrees F, was just right.  If you want a thicker syrup, let it simmer for a while after the berries are cooked.  Or maybe before.  How could it hurt?  Just make sure to barely cook the berries so they stay whole.

Perhaps the orange flavor would be better if it wasn't cooked very long.  Just enough to add a hint of orange to the strawberries.

You can probably double the amount of strawberries and their "honey" and still add them to 1 quart of water with 1 quart of sugar.  I had plenty of syrup left over even after the berries in the jar were covered.

Ramps, wild leeks from West Virginia

My friend and guest taster, RK, sent me some ramps from his yard in West Virginia.

One ramps.  One ramp?

Ramps (Allium tricoccum) are wild leeks found in eastern North America -- including the mountains where RK lives.

He sustainably harvests them for himself and what he is willing to share with me.  It is always a treat when a package arrives!

The ramps have a broad leaf, which makes them distinctive from garlic and other onions, and they have a scent that I find alluring.  It is hard to describe; I think of it like "garlicky-onion plus."  I get the same sort of "food high" from the scent and flavor that I can get from really good quality sushi.

If you look around the internet, you can find recipes for pickled ramps, ramp butter, ramp pesto, and more.  

But with my batch, I made a simple side dish to go with a grilled steak.

You can see above that my ramps came with roots and some dirt, so my first task was to wash them.  Each one, individually, must be rinsed.  I trim the root end off with scissors and then slide the outer part of the stem off.  The rest of the plant cleans up easily from there.

It does take time to get through the batch, but the scent while I'm working is worth it.

Clean!

Sometimes I cook the ramps by themselves.  This time, though, I rehydrated some dried mushrooms in some hot red wine.  They soaked while I washed the ramps.

I like to chop the ramps, leaves and stems, into about 1-inch long pieces.  Then I start sautéing them in a little butter.

Starting to cook in melted butter.

The greens wilt quickly, but the stems take longer to cook.  Once I saw the stems looking softer and more transparent, I added the mushrooms with their wine.

Ready for the mushrooms

All together now.

Once everything was in the pan, I reduced the heat to let the ramps finish cooking and the wine to reduce.  The last touch was to sprinkle in a little salt and pepper.

Yes, it was that simple.  The flavor of the ramps came shining through.  The mushrooms added some flavor and a nice chewy element to the dish.  The wine, salt, and pepper were a good flavor support team.

It was the perfect match for the steak:  the ramps onion-garlic flavor really stood out to make the meal special.  We included more of the red wine, of course.  

Ahhhh, success.  My one batch of ramps for the year yielded a successful side dish.  I'm glad to have documented it here.

If you can find ramps somewhere -- make sure they are sustainably harvested! -- give them a try.  Maybe you will experience the food high I get from them.

Thanks, RK.