RENAISSANCE PLEASURE:
Dining in the Garden
Menu & Recipes
ANTIPASTI
BIANCOMANGIARE (White Dish)
PROSCIUTTO & MELONE (Raw Ham with Cantaloupe)
PRIMI PIATTI
MINESTRONE (Vegetable Soup)
VERMICELLI
SECONDI PIATTI
ASPARAGUS FRITTATA
FENNEL & LEEKS WITH SAFFRON
GALLINE AL LIMONE (Game Hens in Lemon Sauce)
INTERMEZZO
INSALATA MISTA DI ERBE E FIORI (Herb and Flower Salad)
DOLCI
CROSTATA DI MELE E PERE (Apple and Pear Pie)
ALMOND COOKIES
SALVIA FRITTA ~ SAGE FRITTERS
In Maestro Martino of Como’s cookbook, The Art of Cooking, he devotes an entire chapter, with some 20 recipes, to making fritters[1] ~ battered, pan-fried morsels of deliciousness. These range from savory to sweet and spicy, and contain such varied base ingredients as fish, nuts, cheese, fruit, vegetables or herbs. Among these is this easy appetizer that can be whipped up by dipping fresh sage leaves in a simple batter, frying them in hot oil and eating while piping hot. Martino suggests adding some saffron if you wish for your fritters to be yellow.
INGREDIENTS:
30 fresh sage leaves, stems left on
½ cup (2oz/60g) flour
1 egg, beaten
2 Tablespoons (1floz/30ml) milk
Pinch each (or to taste): cinnamon, sugar, salt
Olive oil for frying
Pinch of saffron threads, infused in tablespoon hot water (optional)
PROCEDURE:
1. Rinse sage leaves in fresh water; dry thoroughly, gently with paper towels. Set aside.
2. Place flour, egg, milk, seasonings in mixing bowl; whisk or stir well to blend evenly.
3. Coat bottom of frying pan with thin layer olive oil; heat until it begins to shimmer.
4. Dredge sage leaves in batter; fry in hot oil, a minute per side, turning when golden.
5. Remove when both sides are golden; drain on paper towels, dust with salt, serve at once.
Serves 6
[1] Ballerini, Luigi (ed.). The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book, 2005. Pg 92. Translation (by Jeremy Parzen) of De arte coquinaria by Maestro Martino of Como, 1465.
ASPARAGUS FRITTATA
Asparagus have been a delicacy throughout the Mediterranean area since ancient times. These graceful spears have always been a sign of elegance and have long been recognized for their medicinal and diuretic properties. Adding asparagus to Maestro Martino’s classic herb frittata [1] shows its adaptability to seasonal vegetables and renders this humble egg dish elegant enough for a banquet.
INGREDIENTS:
12 spears (about 1 pound/450g) green asparagus, each trimmed to 4-5” long
1 small bunch (5oz/140g) chard leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup (½oz/15g) each (or several sprigs): fresh parsley, mint, marjoram, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons (few sprigs) fresh sage, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons (1oz/25g) butter
6 eggs, beaten
½ cup (4floz/120ml) milk
¼ cup (1oz/20g) Parmesan cheese, grated
½ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons (1oz/30g) olive oil
PROCEDURE:
1. Pour ½ inch of water, some salt into a wide frying pan; bring to a boil.
2. Add asparagus in a single layer; lower heat, cover, blanch 5 minutes, or until barely soft.
3. Remove asparagus, plunge into ice water to halt cooking; dry on absorbent towel, set aside.
4. Heat butter in same frying pan; sauté chopped chard, herbs with a pinch of salt, until soft.
5. Meanwhile mix eggs in a large bowl with milk, Parmesan, salt, pepper; set aside.
6. Remove sautéed greens from pan with rubber spatula; when cooled, add to egg mixture.
7. Heat olive oil in frying pan until quite hot, making sure it is well distributed on pan’s surface.
8. Pour egg mixture evenly onto hot oil; arrange asparagus spears on top, like spokes of wheel.
9. Set heat at medium to low, cover pan to allow eggs to slowly cook completely through.
10. Check occasionally with spatula to make sure it is not burning or sticking.
11. When set, slide frittata onto large round serving plate; cut into wedges, one spear per slice.
12. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 6
[1] Ballerini, Luigi (ed.) The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book, by Maestro Martino of Como. (Pg 96.) Translation by Jeremy Parzen, 2005.
GALLINE AL LIMONE ~ GAME HENS IN LEMON SAUCE
The lemon tree is native to Asia but was known in southern Italy during Roman times. It then became more widely cultivated in the Middle East and Persia and eventually came to be known in Europe via Arab traders. By Renaissance time, citrus trees thrived in Naples and Genoa and were highly sought out by courts throughout Europe wanting to grow the delicate aromatic fruit in special enclosed spaces known as orangeries. Citrus trees grown in tubs and wintered under cover became a feature of Renaissance gardens even in colder climates.
Chef Cristoforo Messisbugo records having served the following dish at a banquet in 1550 he organized in Ferrara for the Duke of Chartres and Archbishop of Milan. It is simply described as “capon pieces fried with lemon juice and cut-up lemons, sprinkled with sugar and pepper.”[1] Game hens provide a suitable substitute for capon, considered highly appropriate for the refined taste of nobility.
INGREDIENTS:
2 (about 24oz/700g each) Cornish game hens (or same weight chicken parts)
4 lemons, divided
½ cup (4oz/120ml) chicken broth
2 Tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste.
PROCEDURE:
1. Rinse game hens, pat dry; cut each in half with kitchen shears, then each half in half.
2. Quarter 2 lemons lengthwise, then cut these into ¼” slices; juice the other 2 lemons.
3. Add lemon slices and juice to a pan with hen quarters; bring to a boil, lower heat, cover.
4. Simmer about 30 minutes, checking pan liquid, adding a little chicken broth as needed.
5. When lemons are soft, add sugar and pepper, adjusting salt to taste.
6. Cook 15 minutes more, adding broth as needed to keep the sauce moist.
7. Place with pan juices into warm serving bowl; serve with ladle for sauce.
Serves 4-8
[1] Mesisbugo, Cristoforo. Novo libro nel quale s’insegna il modo d’ordinar banchetti, 1564. From Lucio Spineda edition, Venice, 1610. (Pg. 33, recipe for capon with lemon and pepper.) Online access via Google Books.
CROSTATA DI MELE E PERE ~ APPLE AND PEAR PIE
Renaissance dieticians suggested that light fruits such as apple and pear be eaten at the end of the meal to aid in digestion and were rendered even more beneficial when cooked with sugar and spices.
This recipe comes from Book V (Pastry) of Bartolomeo Scappi’s Opera[1]. Scappi recommends “red” apples and “muscatel” pears, but any variety suitable for baking will do. The cheese he mentions is provatura, a fresh, stringy cheese similar to mozzarella, which is a fine alternative.
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CRUST:
2 cups (9oz/250g) flour
½ cup (3½oz/100g) sugar
1 cup (8oz/225g) butter
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons rosewater
Ice water as needed
FOR THE FILLING:
2-3 (1lb/450g) apples
2-3 (1lb/450g) pears
6 Tablespoons (3oz/85g) butter, divided
2 Tablespoons (1floz/30ml) white wine
½ cup (4oz/110g) shredded mozzarella
¼ cup (2oz/50g) sugar
½ teaspoon (pinch) ground cinnamon
½ cup (5oz/80g) raisins
PROCEDURE:
1. For crust: mix flour, sugar in large bowl, cut in butter; blend yolks with rosewater, add to mix.
2. Knead mixture, adding ice water as needed to make smooth dough ball; cover, refrigerate.
3. For filling: cut apples, pears in half; core and peel them, then cut into thin slices.
4. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in large skillet; add wine, fruit, sauté until soft. Set aside to cool.
5. Cut dough ball in half; roll out bottom crust on floured surface, gently place into a pie pan.
6. Mix mozzarella, sugar, cinnamon, raisins; sprinkle some of this on crust, add layer of fruit.
7. Continue alternate layers of fruit/cheese until filled; dot filling with remaining butter in bits.
8. Roll out remaining dough ball; seal to bottom crust with decorative edge, pierce top to vent.
9. Place in pre-heated 375F/190C degree oven; bake about 30 minutes, or until crust is golden.
Serves 12
[1] Scully, Terence (ed.trans.). The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi (1570): The Art and Craft of a Master Cook. University of Toronto Press, 2008. Recipe for apple pie, Opera Book V.61. (Pg. 465.)