asparagus-msg

asparagus-msg - 1/22/05

Period asparagus and asparagus recipes.

NOTE: See also the files: vegetables-msg, vegetarian-msg, turnips-msg, fd-Mid-East-msg, fd-Italy-msg, veg-stuffed-msg, fruits-msg.

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Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 16:44:35 -0400 (EDT)

From: Gretchen M Beck <grm+ at andrew.cmu.edu>

Subject: Re: SC - re:period recipes and sources/mustards

Excerpts from internet.listserv.sca-cooks: 4-May-98 SC - re:period

recipes and .. by Ceridwen at commnections.co

> Asparagus: found a reference to it in Digbie (p 194) in the Savoury

> toasted cheese recipe, but no actual recipe. I was unable to find it in

> any of the other cookbooks I checked, (earlier ones). I haven't been

> through the Islamic ones yet.. anyone else???

Platina has asparagus--prepared exactly as described some 150 years

later in Castelvetti (sp?): "Boiled asparagus is laid out on a platter

and salt, oil and vinegar are added." Platina adds "There are those who

sprinkle it with herbs...There are those who cook them in wine and they

are even more effective in this way (i.e. good for chest, spine, and

intentinal pains). I'm pretty sure Apicus has asparagus recipes, too.

Platina also describes Fennel, one recipe is for fennel potage, and

another is for verjuice with fennel.

toodles, margaret

Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 23:45:14 -0700

From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>

Subject: Re: SC - re:period recipes and sources/mustards

At 4:01 PM -0400 5/4/98, Ceridwen wrote:

>Asparagus: found a reference to it in Digbie (p 194) in the Savoury

>toasted cheese recipe, but no actual recipe. I was unable to find it in

>any of the other cookbooks I checked, (earlier ones). I haven't been

>through the Islamic ones yet.. anyone else???

There is an "asparagus with meat stuffing" in the Andalusian--and the

Miscellany. Also two or three other asparagus recipes in the Andalusian. I

haven't checked al Baghdadi.

David/Cariadoc

http://www.best.com/~ddfr/

Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 19:13:38 +1000

From: Robyn Probert <robyn.probert at lawpoint.com.au>

Subject: SC - RE: Recipes as promised (long)

TOMC = The Original Mediterranean Cuisine

Fried Asparagus TOMC

"If you want to eat asparagus, clean them and parboil. And when parboiled,

coat them in wheat flour; then out them in the frying pan, and fry them

until cooked. And serve them on platters. And if you like, add vinegar."

Aspargus with Shallots TOMC

"Take asparagus, and boil it; and when boiled, set it to cook with onions,

salt and saffron, and with ground spices, or without."

Rowan

Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 15:18:15 -0700

From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Seeking period recipes & sources...

At 4:49 PM -0400 5/2/98, Kallyr wrote:

>I am seeking period recipes, documentation and sources for the following:

>Asparagus

Mentioned in Kenelm Digby (mid-17th c. English) Savory toasted cheese

recipe, also in 13th-c. Andalusian cookbook.

>Fennel (fresh as a veggie, not as a spice)

Fenkel in soppes, in Curye on Inglysch (specifically, Forme of Cury), 14th

c. English. I think there is a worked-up version in Pleyne Delight.

>~~MinnaGantz <KALLYR at aol.com>

Elizabeth/Betty Cook

Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1998 11:58:16 -0500 (EST)

From: Gretchen M Beck <grm+ at andrew.cmu.edu>

Subject: Re: SC - Side dish suggestions needed

My favorite side dish is the asaparagus recipe from The Herbs, Fruits

and Vegetables of Italy (echoed almost exactly in Platina):

Boil asparagus for a few minutes. Place on a plate. Toss with olive

oil. Toss with good vinegar (my favorite is balsamic, but a good red

wine vinegar works, too). Add salt and pepper. Serve.

toodles, margaret

Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2000 09:16:00 EST

From: ChannonM at aol.com

Subject: SC - Re: Asparagus

owner-sca-cooks at ansteorra.org writes:

<< No, storage usually isn't a problem; they're rarely in the house for

more than a couple of hours. I've heard of people cooking them upright

in a tall pot, like a coffee pot, though.

In Apicius, this method is outlined as

Asparagos siccabis, rursum in calidam summittes: callosieres reddes

from Flowers & Rosenbaum

"Dry the asparagus. Plunge again into hot water: this will prevent them from

getting too soft"

rursum suggests that the boiling of asparagus is interupted, ie first they

are blanched then dried and put again into boiling water

From Vehling

"Asparagus (Tor. In order to have it most agreeable to the palate)must be

(peeled, washed and) dried 1 and immersed in boiling water backwards 2

1Vehling believes the asparagus must be dried because the cold water clinging

to the stalks is likely to chill the boiling water too much.

2Vehling translates rursum in calidum as rursum being a contraction of

revorsum or revursum (reverse in English)-

I have to say that although Vehling is off on a lot, sometimes he has some

insight that Flowers & Rosenbaum lack.

On a search in a Latin dictionary

rursus, rursum, and arch. r°sum or russum (rursum and rusum are the most

usual forms in the ante-class., and rursus in the class. per.), adv. [contr.

from revorsus or revorsum, from reverto; cf. prorsus and sursum], turned back

or backwards, back, backwards (opp. prorsus): rursus retro, Non.

Maybe we should all hold on to those Vehling editions of Apicius?

Hauviette

Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 18:39:08 -0500

From: "Robin Carroll-Mann" <harper at idt.net>

Subject: Re: SC - Asparagus anyone??

And it came to pass on 27 Mar 00,, that Elaine Koogler wrote:

> I am looking for a recipe...or at least references...to/for asparagus in

> the late Tudor/Elizabethan period. I'm getting ready to cook a feast

> based in that period, and would love to serve asparagus.

If Spanish of that period will suit, here's what Granado (1599) says:

PARA HAZER ESCUDILLA DE ESPARRAGOS SILVESTRES Y

DOMESTICOS -- To make a dish of wild or cultivated asparagus

Take the most tender part, cause it to boil in hot water until they seem

tender, and finish cooking them with good broth of capon or of veal: and

these want to be served with a little broth. With the wild ones you can

put raisins. The cultivated ones can be served with orange juice, sugar,

and salt.

note: orange juice would refer to the juice of sour oranges. In _The

Medieval Kitchen_, it is suggested that one can substitute the juice of

two oranges mixed with the juice of a lemon.

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 19:37:39 -0600

From: Magdalena <magdlena at earthlink.net>

Subject: Re: SC - Asparagus anyone??

> The accompanying commentary

> states that asparagas was known in England as early as 1000 C.E. I know

> that Italian sources, like Platina, have references to it, but even

> Epulario has nothing.

Gerard says:

ch171 Of Spearage or Asparagus

The Vertues

The first sprouts or naked tender shoots hereof oftentimes be sodden in flesh

broth and eaten; or boiled in faire water and seasoned with oile, vinegar, salt,

and pepper, then are served up as a sallad; they are pleasant to the taste.

- -Magdalena

Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 10:52:20 EST

From: MPengwyn at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - Asparagus anyone??

There are two recipes for asparagus in The Original Mediterranean Cooking by

Barbara Santich. One is Fried Asparagus and the second is Asparagus with

Shallots. Both very simple.

Fried Asparagus - Esparaguat - Sent Sovi

If you want to eat asparagus, clean them and parboil. And when parboiled,

coat them in wheat flour; then put them in the frying pan, and fry them until

cooked. And serve them on platters. And if you like, add vinegar.

Asparagus with Shallots - De Li Sparaci - Libro Della Cocina

Take asparagus, and boil it; and when boiled, set it to cook with oil,

onions, salt and saffron, and with ground sppices or without.

Meghan

Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 03:10:34 +0200

From: Thomas Gloning <gloning at Mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE>

Subject: SC - asparagus salad from Rumpolt 1581

Rumpolt (1581) has a recipe for "Spargel Salat" (asparagus salad):

"15. Spargel Salat/ der auch gequellt ist/ vnnd klein geschnitten/ oder

gantz angemacht/ ist auff beyde manier gut. Du kanst jn machen mit

Erbe?bru:eh/ mit ein wenig Butter/ Pfeffer vnnd Essig/ warm auff ein

Tisch gegeben" (fol. 158a).

Roughly: 'Asparagus salad. Soak/water the asparagus and cut to small

pieces or leave it in whole pieces and dress it, it is good in both

ways. You can make it with pea broth/ with some butter/ pepper and

vinegar. Serve it warm'.

Best, Thomas

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 23:06:57 -0500

From: "Siegfried Heydrich" <baronsig at peganet.com>

Subject: Re: SC - asparagus salad from Rumpolt 1581

> I'm curious as to how often vegetables were eaten raw in the "olde

> dayes" (and, yes, i understand that if so, it would vary from place

> to place) and when vegetables were cooked, just how "well done" were

> they?

As I recall, one of Octavian's (Caesar Augustus) favorite sayings was

'as quick as boiled asparagus', which would indicate to me that it was eaten

crisply, and not reduced to mush..

Sieggy

Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 00:17:35 EDT

From: allilyn at juno.com

Subject: Re: SC - Asparagus anyone??

Kiri,

I realize I'm back on line too late for your feast, but in terms of

asparagus, I tried some according to some suggestions/recipes in the

mediterranean books--Redon et al's Medieval Kitchen, etc.

Use nutmeg, lemon juice and butter on the asparagus. I was working on a

time-sensitive project and didn't have time to grate my numeg, so used

mace. Heavenly! The aspaagus is still lovely in the stores, today, so

get out your mace and nutmeg, guys.

Regards,

Allison, allilyn at juno.com

Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 02:48:05 EDT

From: CBlackwill at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - Asparagus anyone??

allilyn at juno.com writes:

> Use nutmeg, lemon juice and butter on the asparagus. I was working on a

> time-sensitive project and didn't have time to grate my numeg, so used

> mace. Heavenly! The aspaagus is still lovely in the stores, today, so

> get out your mace and nutmeg, guys.

Taragon, Chervil, and Sweet Woodruff are also very good on asparagus (either

sprinkled on fresh after cooking, or infused into the cooking liquid)

Balthazar of Blackmoor

Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 12:00:28 -0400 (EDT)

From: Gretchen M Beck <grm+ at andrew.cmu.edu>

Subject: Re: SC - Asparagus anyone??

CBlackwill at aol.com said:

> Taragon, Chervil, and Sweet Woodruff are also very good on asparagus (either

> sprinkled on fresh after cooking, or infused into the cooking liquid)

I've always found the best to be "boil in salted water until al dente,

remove to platter, add olive oil, toss. Add salt, toss. Add balsamic

vinegar, toss." It's period too (Platina and Castrovetti [sp] both

describe boiled with oil, vinegar, and salt)YUmmmmm. Even my butter

loving husband has abandoned asparagus in butter for this.

toodles, margaret

Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 04:45:11 EDT

From: CBlackwill at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - Asparagus anyone??

LrdRas at aol.com writes:

> << Tarragon, Chervil, and Sweet Woodruff are also very good on asparagus

> (either sprinkled on fresh after cooking, or infused into the cooking liquid)

> >>

> This is interesting. I am familiar will the asparagus recipe Allison posted

> but a was not aware that the herbs you mentioned were used in any pre-1600s

> asparagus recipe that I am aware of. Documentation, please?

I'm sorry...I was not aware that this was a period recipe she was referring

to. No, I have no documentation for use of these herbs on asparagus. This

was just my personal suggestion. Sorry for the confusion.

Balthazar of Blackmoor

From: "Vincent Cuenca" <bootkiller at hotmail.com>

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2001 18:51:06

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Asparagus in sauce (long)

>By the way, I tried the recipe for asparagus in sauce last night. Now, I

>ordinarily don't like asparagus all that much, but this stuff... I ate

>nearly a pound by myself. Hooboy!

>I'll post it to the list separately; don't want to be a spoon tease.

>Vicente

Here's that recipe:

"Libre de Sent Sovi (Receptari de Cuina). 1979 Editorial Barcino. Edited by

Rudolf Grewe.

Capitol CXVII. Qui parla con sa deuen aperellar esparechs ab salsa.

Si vols aperellar esparech ab salsa, se ffa axi: Prin lo tendre dels

esparechs, e cou-los be'. E quant seran cuyts, prem-los de aquella aygua, e

capole-us be': e puys soffrig-los en una casola ab molt holi. E talle-y hom

ceba manut tallada e escaldade. E quant son prop de soffits ab les sebes

una pessa, a hom arop o mel, met-n'i hom un poc.

E ffa hom salsa axi': Prin om pa torrat mullat en vinagre e de bones salces,

e trempa hom ab un poc d'ayguo calda ho brou. E quant los esparechs son

soffrits, a hom la salsa, axi com demunt es dit; e va ab ells, e axi cou-se.

E no.n deu hom pertir la ma entro' que an perdut lo bolir e son levats del

ffoch.

Quick and dirty translation (wanna help me out, Master Thomas?)

Chapter CXVII. Which speaks of how to prepare asparagus in sauce.

If you wish to prepare asparagus in sauce, it is done this way; take the

(tenderest?) of the asparagus, and cook them well. And when they are

cooked, take them out of the water, and chop them well; and you can sweat

them in a pan with much (holi? oil?). And add finely chopped and blanched

onion. And when they are properly sweated (ab les sebes una pessa?

Unsure.), add a little sugar syrup or honey.

And make the sauce this way: take toasted bread moistened with vinegar and

some fine spices, and temper them with a little hot water or broth. And

when the asparagus are sweated, add the sauce to them, as is said above; and

it goes with them, and so cook it. And you should not remove yur hand from

it until it has lost its boil and you remove it from the fire.

Redaction:

1 bunch asparagus

2-3 scallions, finely chopped (I had no small onions)

1 handfull (perhaps 1/2 cup) breadcrumbs

1/2 t. honey (approx)

1 pinch ground cinnamon

2 pinches ground ginger

4-5 peppercorns

2 cloves

1/8 t grains of paradise

red wine vinegar

I peeled and trimmed the asparagus, then set a pot to boil. I ground the

peppercorns, grains of paradise, and clves to a fine powder, then added the

other spices. I toasted the breadcrumbs in a small pan, then added them to

the mortar. While the asparagus was cooking, I sweated the scallions in a

little oil. As soon as the asparagus were done, I lifted them out into the

pan with the scallions, then mashed up the breadcrumbs with a little

vinegar, the honey, and some of the cooking liquid from the asparagus to

form a thin paste. I scraped it out over the onions and asparagus, then

added more cooking liquid to thin the sauce a little more.

Since I was working so fast, I didn't take the time to chop the asparagus.

The sauce was a nice light brown color, and was absolutely amazing with the

asparagus. Much easier than hollandaise!

I served it with a recipe from "Renaissance Cooking"; that one with the

pomegranate on the cover and the nice pictures inside. The recipe I did is

supposedly from Scappi; pot-roasted capon stuffed with breadcrumbs, egg,

cheese, nuts and herbs, then braised in water, wine, verjuice, and dried

fruit. I used figs and raisins, and oh by der yumpin Yiminy dot dere vas

goot. Anybody know what the actual recipe is?

Vicente

(If I can track down the original, I'm putting it on a feast menu.)

From: "a5foil" <a5foil at ix.netcom.com>

To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Asparagus in sauce (long)

Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 22:05:43 -0400

Vincent and folks: I'm making a long post longer still, but it's hard to

comment without the original post. I'm going to make some minor adjustments

to the translation and offer some comments and suggestions to augment

Vincent's excellent redaction. And Vincent, please don't take these as

corrections, just expanding on the idea.

> Here's that recipe:

> "Libre de Sent Sovi (Receptari de Cuina). 1979 Editorial Barcino. Edited by

> Rudolf Grewe.

> Capitol CXVII. Qui parla con sa deuen aperellar esparechs ab salsa.

Actually it is Chapter CXVIII. 117 is another asparagus dish, equally good,

but different (fried asparagus with sugar and spices).

> Si vols aperellar esparech ab salsa, se ffa axi: Prin lo tendre dels

> esparechs, e cou-los be'. E quant seran cuyts, prem-los de aquella aygua, e

> capole-us be': e puys soffrig-los en una casola ab molt holi. E talle-y hom

> ceba manut tallada e escaldade. E quant son prop de soffits ab les sebes

> una pessa, a hom arop o mel, met-n'i hom un poc.

> E ffa hom salsa axi': Prin om pa torrat mullat en vinagre e de bones salces,

> e trempa hom ab un poc d'ayguo calda ho brou. E quant los esparechs son

> soffrits, a hom la salsa, axi com demunt es dit; e va ab ells, e axi cou-se.

> E no.n deu hom pertir la ma entro' que an perdut lo bolir e son levats del

> ffoch.

> Quick and dirty translation (wanna help me out, Master Thomas?)

> Chapter CXVII. Which speaks of how to prepare asparagus in sauce.

> If you wish to prepare asparagus in sauce, it is done this way; take the

> (tenderest?) of the asparagus, and cook them well. And when they are

My interpretation was "take the tender [part] of the asparagus", so wash the

asparagus and snap off and discard the woody part of the stems, leaving the

tender part.

> cooked, take them out of the water, and chop them well; and you can sweat

Don't confuse "prim" and "prem". Prem means to press them. In this case,

remove them from the water and press them of that water. The technique

explained elsewhere in the original text is to put the asparagus between two

platters and (gently) press the water out. They end up slightly flat, but

they fry better.

Soffrig-los means to lightly fry. The translated term is deceptive. The

technique is a low-temperature fry (as opposed to a saute' which is a

high-temp fry), but the food might or might not be fried until well done

(e.g., onions gently fried until caramelized and dark brown, but never

burnt). Makes you wish for a time machine so you could go back and see just

how far they were or were not frying this stuff. I would fry these until the

asparagus just starts to brown.

> them in a pan with much (holi? oil?). And add finely chopped and blanched

molt = much/plenty, holi/oli = olive oil

> onion. And when they are properly sweated (ab les sebes una pessa?

> Unsure.), add a little sugar syrup or honey.

and when they are properly (or sufficiently) lightly fried with the onions

awhile (una pessa = a time), add a little grape syrup or honey.

Arrop/arop = a grape syrup made from reduced grape juice that has just

started to ferment before it is reduced. There should be a recipe for this

in "confits". There is a recipe in MS 2112, but I haven't gotten that far,

yet. Today, Arrop refers to a unique dish made with reduced grape juice and

calabash.

> And make the sauce this way: take toasted bread moistened with vinegar and

mullat = wet or soaked. Adding the acid to the toasted bread is vital to the

outcome of the sauce. The bread needs to soak in the vinegar.

> some fine spices, and temper them with a little hot water or broth. And

> when the asparagus are sweated, add the sauce to them, as is said above; and

> it goes with them, and so cook it. And you should not remove yur hand from

N.B.: This implies that there is enough liquid in the sauce that you have

time to finish the dish without drying up the sauce. Better to start with a

sauce that is a little thin that to end up with goop.

> it until it has lost its boil and you remove it from the fire.

stirring constantly, so the sauce doesn't burn (and it will, if you let it).

> Redaction:

> 1 bunch asparagus

> 2-3 scallions, finely chopped (I had no small onions)

> 1 handfull (perhaps 1/2 cup) breadcrumbs

> 1/2 t. honey (approx)

> 1 pinch ground cinnamon

> 2 pinches ground ginger

> 4-5 peppercorns

> 2 cloves

> 1/8 t grains of paradise

> red wine vinegar

> I peeled and trimmed the asparagus, then set a pot to boil. I ground the

If you set the pot to boil, first, you can parboil your onion while you prep

the asparagus. Then, while the asparagus is cooking in the water, mince the

onion. By the time you finish mincing the onion, the asparagus will be

cooked. Remember that you are going to fry it, too, so you don't want it

overcooked. When I do this dish, I try to get it just cooked, but still with

a little bit of crunch.

The wild, mountain asparagus I saw in the markets was pencil-thin or

slightly larger in diameter - about 3/8 inch - like early spring asparagus

in the U.S. If you get asparagus this size, you won't need to peel them,

just snap off the woody stems. Much thicker and you really do need to peel

them, because as elegant as this dish is, you don't want to be fighting

thick, fibrous asparagus.

> peppercorns, grains of paradise, and clves to a fine powder, then added the

I used the Salsa Fina mixture described in the collection. You could use the

one from Nola, too. In my beta testing, I've found that cloves make

asparagus go bitter. Try grating some fresh nutmeg in place of the cloves.

Incredible.

> other spices. I toasted the breadcrumbs in a small pan, then added them to

> the mortar. While the asparagus was cooking, I sweated the scallions in a

> little oil. As soon as the asparagus were done, I lifted them out into the

> pan with the scallions, then mashed up the breadcrumbs with a little

Remove the asparagus from the water and put them on a flat plate. Place

another flat plate on top of the asparagus, and holding the plates together

(gently), turn the plates up on end and press out the excess water from the

asparagus. Press too hard, and the asparagus will go flat and mushy. Don't

press hard enough, and the asparagus falls out. If you did it right, the

asparagus will be relatively free of excess water and oval in shape instead

of round. Being oval also makes them easier to turn in the frying pan...

Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Put the chopped asparagus in a pan

with plenty of olive oil. Add the minced onion, which will soak up a lot of

the oil. Lightly fry until the onions are nicely caramelized, but not burnt,

and the asparagus are just beginning to brown.

As you prep the sauce, let the toasted bread soak with the vinegar for 10 to

20 minutes. You only need enough vinegar to make the bread thoroughly wet

without leaving excess vinegar in a puddle. The acid seems to break down the

toast, and when you cook the sauce, it makes for a velvety finish you just

don't get without the acid.

> vinegar, the honey, and some of the cooking liquid from the asparagus to

I realize this is a matter of taste. The medieval Catalan aesthetic called

for the sweet and sour to be in balance. Just keep the honey and vinegar in

balance, however much you are making.

> form a thin paste. I scraped it out over the onions and asparagus, then

> added more cooking liquid to thin the sauce a little more.

This effectively stops the browning of the onions and the asparagus. At this

point, you are mostly heating up the liquid, and blending in the remaining

olive oil, to achieve a starch-thickened sauce. It will be velvety smooth

and nicely thickened. Using the mortar beforehand significantly reduces the

time it takes to achieve this. Stir constantly, so the starch and sugar

don't burn.

> Since I was working so fast, I didn't take the time to chop the asparagus.

> The sauce was a nice light brown color, and was absolutely amazing with the

> asparagus. Much easier than hollandaise!

I think you did a marvelous job. If you felt that way about the sauce, you

got it right, because it is amazing.

Regards,

Thomas L.

Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 19:51:11 -0400

From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler1 at comcast.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Easter morning, was Verjus

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Carper, Rachel wrote:

> You will be posting recipes won't you? And the asparagus with sauce is

> that the good stuff made with all the cheeses? I can never remember the

> name but it was an Atlantian staple. And soooooo good.

> Elewyiss

Yes, for whoever is interested, I will share the recipes. No, it is not

the one you remember. You remember "Savory Toasted Cheese" which is

adapted in Atlantia from the Digby recipe. The feast I'm doing is

Italian Ren...and the asparagus has a totally different kind of sauce.

This one is from Libre de Sent Sovi, as translated and redacted by

Vincent Cuenca:

Asparagus in Sauce

Libre de Sent Sovi (Receptari de Cuina). 1979 Editorial Barcino. Ed.

By Rudolph Grewe. Translated and redacted by Vincente Cuenca (SCA

Cooks' List)

Capitol CXVII. Qui parla con sa deuen aperellar esparechs ab salsa

Si vols aperellar esparech ab salsa, se ffa axi: Prin lo tender dels

esparechs, e cou-los be'. E quant seran cuyts, prem-los de aquella

aygua, ecapole-us be': e puys soffrig-los en una casola ab molt holi.

E tall-y hom ceba manut tallada e escaldade. E quant son prop de

soffits ab les sebes una pessa, a hom arop o mel, met-n'I hom un poc.

E ffa hom salsa axi': Prin om pa torrat mullat en vinagre e do bones

salces, e trempa hom ab un poc d'ayguo calda ho brou. E quant los

esparechs son soffrits, a hom la salsa, axi com demunt es dit; e va ab

ells, e axi cou-se. E no.n deu hom pertir la ma entro'que an perdut lo

bolir e son levats del ffoch.

Chapter CXVII. Which speaks of how to prepare asparagus in sauce

If you wish to prepare asparagus in sauce, it is done this way; take

the (tenderest?) of the asparagus, and cook them well. And when they

are cooked, take them out of the water, and chope them well; and you can

sweat them in a pan with much (holi? Oil?). And add finely chopped and

blanched onion. And when they are properly sweated, add a little sugar

syrup or honey.

And make the sauce this way: take toasted bread moistened with vinegar

and some fine spices, and themper them with a little hot water or

broth. And when the asparagus are sweated, ad the sauce to them, as is

said above; and it goes with them, and so cook it. And you should not

remove your hand from it until it has lost its boil and you remove it

from the fire.

Redaction:

1 bunch asparagus

2-3 scallions or onions, finely chopped

1 handful (1/2 cup) breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp. honey

1 pinch ground cinnamon

2 pinches ground ginger

4-5 peppercorns

2 cloves

1/2 tsp. grains of paradise

red wine vinegar

Peel and trim asparagus, then set pot to boil. Grind peppercorns,

grians of paradise and cloves to a fine powder, then added other

spices. Toast breadcrumbs, then add to mortar. Sweat scallions in a

little oil. When asparagus is done, lift them out into the pan with the

onions. Mash breadcrujmbs with a little vinegar, the honey and some of

the cooking liquid from the asparagus to form a thin paste. I scraped

it out over the onions and asparagus, added more cooking liquid to thin

sauce a little more.

Since I was working so fast, I didn't take time to chop the asparagus.

The sauce was a nice light brown color, and was absolutely amazing with

the asparagus.

Be sure sauce is thin enough...by adding asparagus water.

Serves 4

We did cut the asparagus up into lengths of about 2". And we used

regular onion. It was a yummy dish, and one that I think our folk will

enjoy.

Kiri