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Writings: Katira al-Maghrebiyya (aka Kay the Innocent of Bel Anjou)
Source: A recipe provided for the Twelfth Night Wooden Spoon cook-off (that I didn't get done in time to enter). From the Libre del Coch by Ruperto de Nola, 1520. Original: De Panades De Sucre Fi Note: I couldn't include the proper accent marks. If interested, see first page in black binder. I tried a translation using library copies of Spanish/English, French/English and Catalan/English dictionaries. This took me only so far. To see my work (in red) in the black binder. I then found a SCA feast menu that listed the original source and a picture of a modern "panada". I also found a translation of the entire source cookbook on the net (:-) thanks Stefan). This is at the first tab in the black binder, and page 2 describes the translation process used to produce the English version. English translation (#131, page 47): Pastries of Fine Sugar The translator left some words in Spanish/Catalan and they are in italics. Using this translation, I proceeded to make test batches of the recipe. My Notes on the filling: I used a food processor to grind blanched almonds and then added sugar. It was very dry. I added some Rose Water and ginger. It was still quite dry and the rose water flavor seemed fine as it was. So I added a little water to get a filling that would hold together enough to do the filling process. The first batch was too moist. The result was ok, but I couldn't taste the rose water at all so, I increased the rose water and reduced the water for the second batch and produced a much better texture. I used blanched almonds because the filling is basically a marzipan and a recipe for it (#135) in the cookbook specifies "well-peeled in boiling water". My Notes on the dough: I read the instructions and saw two ways to go. Make a flour based dough and add to it the egg and oil OR make a dough of flour, egg and oil. I queried the Cooks list and found both opinions there as well. Even the translator (see notes on page 71 marked with yellow clip), indicates that the exact type of pastry is unclear in many of the cookbook's recipes. I attempted a dough using the second option and it was workable so I proceeded. I used all purpose flour as white and whole wheat flours were used for various pastries in the cookbook and it was what I had. My Notes on the shaping: Given that several shapes are listed. I first tried to press out the dough into a small round that I filled, folded and sealed. I was a bit confused about the translation resulting in the word “tortilla”. A modern Spanish "tortilla" (egg and potato omelet) is not the same as the Mexican "tortilla". The only similarity is that they both are flat and round. But this produced a thick, rather tough container after frying. I then rolled out the dough quite thin and cut rounds. I put filling on one and sealed another one over it. This is the modern form of an empanada but I have no proof of it being the period form except for the name. My Notes on the oil: The recipe doesn't specify the source of the oil. The fritter recipes in the cookbook all specify lard for frying while this one says "good sweet oil". I have done some frying with olive oil but I chose canola as opposed to olive because it is better for frying in high heat and it was what I had. None the less, my place has smelled like a fry shop for the past few days. One last Note: I reduced the amounts but retained the proportion of almonds to sugar. My redaction: 8 oz. blanched almonds (2/3 C before grinding) Grind the almonds in a food processor and slowly add the sugar while processing. Add the ginger, the rose water and drops of water, mixing until a cohesive mixture is obtained. |
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Copper Spoon
Ametles pendras una liura e faras-les blanques e netes. E pica-les en exut sens metre-y gens de aygua ni brou de manera que tornen ben olioses, que, quant mes olioses son, mes valen. E apres pendras una liura e mija de sucre blanch ben polvorizat e mescal-u a les ametles ensemps. E quant sia tot picat e ben mesclat, si era massa dur ablaniras-ho ab una poco de aygua-ros. E com sia un poch albanit, salpica-u ab un poch de gingembre a ta coneguda, empero que sie picat. E apres pendras pasta que sie de farina e pasta-la ab bons ous e oli doce que sia fi. E apres de aquesta pasta fer-ne has algunes poques e umpla-les de la pasta de sucre e de les ametles. E apres pendras oli que sia fi e met-lo al foch en una cassola. E quant bullira, metras-hi dintre del oli de aquelles panades, e faras per manera que bullen alli tant que prenguen color de or. E quant les levaras del foch, met-hi damunt mel fusa. E apres sucre e canyella polvorizat damunt le mel e les panadas.