frittours-msg – 4/10/08
Period fried pastries. Recipes. Serving frittours large crowds in the SCA and period.
NOTE: See also the files: fried-foods-msg, eggs-msg, pastries-msg, fried-breads-msg, French-Toast-msg, fried-cheese-msg, cooking-oils-msg, pancakes-msg.
KEYWORDS: fried batter frittour fritter pancake
************************************************************************
NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 18:04:50 +1000
From: Kiriel & Chris <kiriel at cybergal.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Frittours
With things like Fritters, I find that if I dry fry them; ie, in a
non-stick frypan with no oil, then they both freeze and reheat well.
You can make a gigantic batch either before the day, on during the day,
and just heat them up in the oven, or even the microwave.
Kiriel
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 09:56:13 +0100
From: "Yeldham, Caroline S" <csy20688 at GlaxoWellcome.co.uk>
Subject: RE: SC - Frittours
> From: LrdRas [SMTP:LrdRas at aol.com]
> << However, I am puzzled by fritters, which are a common recipe ->>
> Common? Please share sourses and/or recipes, please. :)
Common as in frequently occuring. I did a quick look through the
recipe books to hand last night and came up with:
Cindy Renfrew
Apples in batter Harlean MS 4016
Leche Vyandez (apples in batter) Harlean MS 279
Brown Fryes (bread in batter) Harleian MS 4016
Leche Vyandez (apples, figs, haddock and almonds in batter)
Ordnance of Pottage
Samacays - cheese and elderflowers in batter
Long Fryturys - cheese in batter
Lombardy Fritture - meat and cheese
Pleyn Delit
Parsnips FC 149
Frytor of herbes FC 151
Crisps (fried batter) Harlean 4016
Kings Taste - L Sass from Forme of Cury
Apple, Parsnip or Skirrit Fritters
Queens Taste - L Sass - spinach and date fritteurs from Thomas Dawson
Some of these may be duplicates (in that they come from the same
manuscript) but there are signficant variations in the source, so may
represent variations of the recipe in the manuscript.
Lots of variety, frequently occuring (and I'm not even counting
endoring using a batter over, say, meat balls).
> Last Clash of the Peons, I did, or rather tried to do apple frittour-like
> thingies and found that it was impossible to keep up with the demand. So I
> would tend to believe that tyhey were not served to the masses but rather used
> at more formal intimate get togethers although I have no documentation for
> this.
I've done cheese, apple and parsnip fritters (separate) on different
occasions, and on each occasion found it very difficult to keep up with
demand. The last time I served parsnip fritters I think they would have
kept on eating as long as I produced them! I think they were either served
only to the top table or privily, I wondered if anyone else had any
views/evidence.
On the other hand, quite a lot of the recipes we have are for the
sick, so presumably weren't served at generally, but in small quantities to
the sick room. Perhaps fritters were to tempt the appetite?
Caroline
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 22:36:01 -0700From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>Subject: Re: SC - FrittoursAt 8:50 AM -0400 5/12/98, LrdRas wrote:>Common? Please share sourses and/or recipes, please. :-)There is a whole heap of fritter/fried pastry recipes in the Miscellany;original sources include 14th and 15th c. English, Platina (he calls themfricatellae), and (depending on how you define fritter) Islamic.>Last Clash of the Peons, I did, or rather tried to do apple frittour-like>thingies and found that it was impossible to keep up with the demand. So I>would tend to believe that tyhey were not served to the masses but rather used>at more formal intimate get togethers although I have no documentation for>this.>>RasThe largest feast I have done fritters for was about 50 people, I think,and that worked. For more people, you might have a fritter assembly linerunning in the kitchen, with servers whisking them away as soon as they areready, starting with high table; you would need a fair amount of availablecooks' time and a free stove to manage this.Elizabeth/Betty Cook
Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 19:57:15 +1000
From: Robyn Probert <robyn.probert at lawpoint.com.au>
Subject: Re: SC - Frittours
At 08:50 AM 12/05/98 EDT, Ras wrote:
><< However, I am puzzled by fritters, which are a common recipe ->>
>
>Common? Please share sourses and/or recipes, please. :-)
The Original Mediterranean Cuisine has recipies for Cheese fritters, Onion
and herb fritters, Pancetta dn herb fritters, The Emperor's fritters
(ricotta and pine nuts), Apple fritters and Rice frtters.
I've tried the last three, all of which were good.
Kiriel's make in advance and reheat system is the only way to serve large
numbers, but I reheat in a high oven, rather than a microwave which can
toughen the texture. If you have access to a professional kitchen (ho ho),
I'd undercook, then use the deep fryer to reheat and recrisp.
Rowan
Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 09:08:29 +1000
From: Robyn Probert <robyn.probert at lawpoint.com.au>
Subject: RE: SC - Frittours
At 01:36 PM 14/05/98 +0100, Caroline wrote:
>Sorry, I meant 'how were they served in period - ie under period
>conditions', not how to serve large quantities today!
Ah, sorry I misunderstood you my lady. I guess there might be several answers...
(1) With a large number of kitchen staff you could have several people
making frittours at once and serving them forth as they were made. Certainly
the woodcuts/pictures of large kitchens seem to be well stocked with staff.
(2) Although I agree they are best hot, they are still good warm and they
can be kept warm while other batches are being cooked
(3) How many people were being fed anyway? Frittours for 50 is not too bad
with 2 people, it's hot frittours for 300 that's the problem.
(4) Why should our "hold and reheat" ideas be modern and not used earlier,
even if they used different re-heating options? (although deep frying was
used then as now even if microwaves were not :)
Rowan
Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 04:29:42 GMT
From: korny at zikzak.net (Kornelis Sietsma)
Subject: Re: SC - Frittours
On Fri, 15 May 1998 09:08:29 +1000, Robyn Probert wrote:
>(3) How many people were being fed anyway? Frittours for 50 is not too bad
>with 2 people, it's hot frittours for 300 that's the problem.
Definitely. We did frittours for 70 people, with a production line
approach - one person made them from the mix, one person fried them, and
one person served them to each table as soon as a batch were done. They
didn't come out all at once, but they didn't take all that long - and
anything deep fried is much nicer when eaten hot, imho.
- -Korny
- --
William Bekwith MKA Kornelis Sietsma | http://zikzak.net/~korny
Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 23:28:23 -0700
From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>
Subject: RE: SC - Frittours
Rowan asks:
>(4) Why should our "hold and reheat" ideas be modern and not used earlier,
>even if they used different re-heating options? (although deep frying was
>used then as now even if microwaves were not :)
>
>On the last, has anyone come across such instructions in period recipes?
I've just looked through our worked-up fritter recipes. Almost all of the
ones with any serving instructions say "serve it forth hot." In the one
exception, you take the fritters after frying, pour over a honey-wine
mixture, and bake; I assume this is to let the honey soak in while keeping
it hot.
Frytour Blaunched
Curye on Inglysch p. 132 (Form of Cury no. 153)
Take almaundes blaunched, and grynde hem al to doust withouten eny lycour.
Do therto poudour of gyngeuer, sugur, and salt; do thise in a thynne foile.
Close it therinne fast, and frye it in oile; clarifie hony with wyne, &
bake it therwith. [end of original; thorns replaced with th]
1/2 lb blanched almonds
1/2 t ginger
1 T sugar
scant 1/4 t salt
pastry: 2 c flour, water
oil
2/3 c honey
1/4 c Rhine wine
Grind almonds thoroughly: 1/2 lb = 1 1/2 c whole = 2 c ground. Stir
together with ginger, sugar and salt. Mix flour with enough water to make a
slightly sticky dough. Roll out dough very thin and cut into 2" squares.
Place a heaped teaspoon of ground almond mix on each dough square. Fold
corners to center and seal. Fry in 1/2"-1" of oil in a frying pan until
brown, drain on paper towels, then place in baking pan. Heat honey and wine
together; pour over fritters and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Elizabeth/Betty Cook
Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 11:10:23 -0400
From: Christi Redeker <Christi.Redeker at digital.com>
Subject: RE: SC - Frittours
Ras,
How could you forget my Ham fritter discourse about a month and a half ago.
The Original Mediterranean Cuisine has an excellent recipe for Ham fritters
and we fried em up and served them in a second course of a feast. Everyone
loved them!
Just so you all know I am not a spoon tease I don't have the recipe on hand
but it was I believe, pancetta, fresh cheese (we used ricotta), good herbs,
eggs and flour. Use enough flour to stick them together and this is a
wonderful recipe!
Murkial
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 17:32:35 +1000
From: Robyn Probert <robyn.probert at lawpoint.com.au>
Subject: RE: SC - Frittours
At 11:10 AM 15/05/98 -0400, Murkial wrote:
>Just so you all know I am not a spoon tease I don't have the recipe on hand
>but it was I believe, pancetta, fresh cheese (we used ricotta), good herbs,
>eggs and flour. Use enough flour to stick them together and this is a
>wonderful recipe!
Barbara Santich's erdaction in her book used:
3 Tbsp chopped cooked ham
100 g ricotta
2 Tbsp each chopped parsley, mint, basil
1 Tbsp flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
oil for deep frying
Rowan (who now has half her SCA cooking library at work...)
Date: Sun, 5 Jul 1998 18:22:32 -0500
From: allilyn at juno.com (LYN M PARKINSON)
Subject: Re: SC - period snack foods? (was corn chips)
>How about fritters? Lots of those in a number of sources.
Here's one, a little late, from LaVarenne, that you should like, as you
were looking recently, for frog recipes. Is this the precursor of
buffalo wings???? This is from the Falconwood Press Reprint.
Fritters of frogs.
Choose the finest and the biggest, dress them cherrie like, that
is to say, scrape the thigs (sic) of your frogs, so that the bone be
clean at one end, whiten them a very little, and dry them; make a paste
with flowre, salt, milk, white cheese, of each a very little; stamp all
in a mortar, and make it liquid, untill it be like a paste for fritters;
take your frogs by the bone end, and dip them in, and put them in very
hot butter, fry them as fritters, and serve garnished with fryed parsley.
Allison
Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 23:38:39 EDT
From: DianaFiona at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - OOP & OT - The Twins!!!
"Frytour Blaunched
Curye on Inglysch p. 132 (Form of Cury no. 153)
Take almaundes blaunched, and grynde hem al to doust withouten eny lycour. Do
+ erto poudour of gyngeuer, sugur, and salt; do + ise in a thynne foile. Close
it + erinne fast, and frye it in oile; clarifie hony with wyne, & bake it +
erwith.
Ldy Diana
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 07:13:16 -0500
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - period snack foods? (was corn chips)
> Aren't frittours served warm or hot? I was thinking of cold snack foods.
>
> What is a good definition for frittours? I started a file on frittours
> after the messages on here about them. But as I've started fileing stuff
> in there, I've realized I don't have a good idea of what makes something
> a fritter (or frittour) or not. A pancake-like thing with lumps of
> something else mixed in? :-) If it isn't mixed in, wouldn't that be
> a crepe?
> Stefan li Rous
The chief differences are in technique and goals. Fritters are deep fried,
while crepes are cooked on a light oiled pan. Crepes are pan breads made
from batter to be filled, fritters, in general, other foods dipped in
batter. Modern fritters would likely include battered mushrooms, breaded
zucchini and cheese sticks.
Bear
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 21:39:54 EDT
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - period snack foods? (was corn chips)
Mordonna22 at aol.com writes:
<< Hmmm, I don't know what medieval cooks called a frittour.
But I suspect it was quite a bit like what my Aunt Ruth calls a fritter and
my Big Mama called a fried pie, >>
This may be a regional aberration. I looked through all of my cookery books
and without fail a "frittour" was basically a batter with meat, vegies or
fruit mixed in which was then fried or deep fried. I found no reference to any
wrap around dough being referred to by this term.
A'aql (pronounced Ras)
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 15:46:41 -0800From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>Subject: Fritters (was: SC - period snack foods?)Mordonna described what her family calls fritters, and Ras responded:>>This may be a regional aberration. I looked through all of my cookery books>and without fail a "frittour" was basically a batter with meat, vegies or>fruit mixed in which was then fried or deep fried. I found no reference to any>wrap around dough being referred to by this term.>I am curious if any one has any info along these lines. Thanks in advance.For a period example:Frytour BlaunchedCurye on Inglysch p. 132 (Form of Cury no. 153)Take almaundes blaunched, and grynde hem al to doust withouten eny lycour.Do therto poudour of gyngeuer, sugur, and salt; do thise in a thynne foile.Close it therinne fast, and frye it in oile; clarifie hony with wyne, &bake it therwith. [end of original; thorns replaced with th]1/2 lb blanched almonds1/2 t ginger1 T sugarscant 1/4 t saltpastry: 2 c flour, wateroil2/3 c honey1/4 c Rhine wineGrind almonds thoroughly: 1/2 lb = 1 1/2 c whole = 2 c ground. Stirtogether with ginger, sugar and salt. Mix flour with enough water to make aslightly sticky dough. Roll out dough very thin and cut into 2" squares.Place a heaped teaspoon of ground almond mix on each dough square. Foldcorners to center and seal. Fry in 1/2"-1" of oil in a frying pan untilbrown, drain on paper towels, then place in baking pan. Heat honey and winetogether; pour over fritters and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.Elizabeth/Betty Cook
Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 07:50:21 -0400From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>Subject: Re: Fritters (was: SC - period snack foods?)Mordonna22 at aol.com wrote:> ddfr at best.com writes:> <<> Grind almonds thoroughly: 1/2 lb = 1 1/2 c whole = 2 c ground. Stir> together with ginger, sugar and salt. Mix flour with enough water to make a> slightly sticky dough. Roll out dough very thin and cut into 2" squares.> Place a heaped teaspoon of ground almond mix on each dough square. Fold> corners to center and seal. Fry in 1/2"-1" of oil in a frying pan until> brown, drain on paper towels, then place in baking pan. Heat honey and wine> together; pour over fritters and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.>> Elizabeth/Betty Cook> >>>> YES ! ! !> Or use stewed fruit, or fruit jam, or freshly sugared fruit, or savory meats> instead of the almond paste.>> MordonnaI think this falls into the "exception-that-proves-the-rule"category...fritters are named for the fact that they are fried, andtechnically, anything fried could be called a fritter. Unless there areseveral more examples such as the one you describe above, then dishes offritters wrapped in dough, being called fritters, are in the _extreme_minority compared to fritters made from various batters. If you isolatethe dishes made wrapped in dough, you'll find they are more commonlyknown as ryschews or rissoles in English or French. Which is interestingbecause in some ways the recipe above sounds more like something out ofEin Buoch Von Guter Spise...probably the final baking that brings it tomind: it sounds a bit like a krapfen.Adamantius
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 11:31:35 -0600
From: "Jennifer D. Miller" <jdmiller2 at students.wisc.edu>
Subject: Re: SC - Platina - questions
>For keeping fritters hot, I wonder if you could use an electric roaster
>on warm, or low, with the fritters in layers separated by paper towels,
>or brown paper? Our Barony has 3 of the ovens, my Event Steward has 2,
>and a good friend has 3. I'm not very experienced using them; used to a
>stove. Would it work as a warmer? Things shouldn't dry out under the
>glass lids, as they might in an oven, should they? Has anyone done this?
>Allison
When I was very young we used to eat at a local pancake house that came
around to all the tables with apple fritters dusted with powdered sugar.
They were hot and very delicious. However, they never served them all at
once as a dish, (they were not on the menu), they just sent around a few
waiters with trays of fresh fritters. The waiters simply returned to the
kitchen for fresh ones when they ran out (which was usually very quickly).
Why not just serve the fritters continuously throughout the feast instead
of making it a course to be served at a specific time? This will of course
depend upon having servers willing to keep mingling with the feasters and
someone to be the "fritter master" that keeps on frying up the yummy
things. Could work....
Ilyana Barsova (Yana)
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 18:22:48 -0600
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - [Fwd: [Apicius] must cakes & doughnuts]
> From: Marilyn Traber[SMTP:margali at 99main.com]
> this is from a followup post, i dont have the book she refers to so i
> dont know how it stacks up in the grand scheme of documentation
Giacosa's "A Taste of Ancient Rome" seems to be a good source. It contains
a number of the Apician recipes and recipes from other Roman works, in this
case Cato's On Agriculture.
The recipe and translation from Giacosa are:
Globi
Globos sic facito. Caseum cum alica ad eundem modem misceto. Inde quantos
voles facere facito. In abenum caldum unguen indito. Singulos aut binos
coquito versatoque cerbro duabus rudibus, coctos eximito, eos melle unguito,
papaver infriato, ita ponito.
Make globes thus: Mix together equal amounts of cheese and alica. Then
shape (the globes) as large as you like. Drop them in hot fat in a copper
pan. Cook one or two at a time, turning them often with two paddles. When
they are cooked, remove, cover them with honey, sprinkle with poppy, and
serve thus.
Giacosa refers to globi as fritters, suggest making them of flour and
ricotta, and says that frying them in lard is the traditional method of
cooking. The glossary defines "alica" as semolina or coarsely ground spelt.
I suspect what we have here are cheesy hushpuppies made with wheat meal
rather than corn meal. Regular flour very likely makes the end product too
dense. Cooking in olive oil rather than lard likely makes them soggy. I
don't see any need for leavening if you are using coarse meal and hot fat.
If I have some time this weekend, I may grind up some wheat I have sitting
around and see what a coarse meal does for this recipe.
Oh yeah, the root of globi and globule is "globus," meaning ball or sphere.
Bear
> Decker, Terry D. wrote:
> > I would really want to see the original recipe for the "globi", before
> > committing, because this version of the must cakes leaves off the fat and
> > cheese found in the original recipe.