Asparagus season is here! This time I decided to do two different recipes. The first recipe is Italian and from Libro della cocina, Anonimo Toscano (around the end of the 14th century and beginning of the 15th century). It is the classic Asparagus with Saffron dish that is very well known among living history geeks and one version can also be found in our cooking book Saffron, Eggs and Almond Milk. I have made some changes for the recipe (mainly spices and for the cooking instructions). The second one is from a Catalan source Sent Sovi (around middle of 14th century). It is dish that is easy to make and very tasty.

Later during 15th century Bartolomeo Platina, a famous italian writer and gastronomist of that time, wrote in his book “De honesta voluptate et valetudine” about health benefits of eating asparagus. He wrote that if asparagus was eaten during the first course it would combat flatulence of the stomach and soften the bowels. But also it would bring clearness of the eyes and that it is good for chest and spine pains and for ills of the intestines. He wrote that adding wine to asparagus would make the benefits more effective but eating too much asparagus will be dangerous for the health.

Source: Platina, On Right Pleasure and Good Health, Milham E.

Suomenkieliset reseptit löytyvät yläpalkista!

De li sparaci – Asparagus with saffron

Togli li sparaci e falli bollire; e quando sieno bulliti, ponli a cocere con oglio, cipolle, sale e zaffarano, espezie trite, o senza.

Serves 4

• about 450 g green asparagus
• 1,5 dl water
• olive oil
• 2 spring onions (or 1 common onion)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pinch of saffron
• pinch of ground spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves

Snap off the dry ends of asparagus and carefully peel the asparagus ends if needed (if they are very thick and woody, usually not necessary in my opinion). Place the asparagus on a large frying pan and add about 1,5 dl water and let it simmer for about 5 mins. Be careful not to overcook. Pour the reminding water away and add oil, chopped spring onions and spices. Fry 6-10 minutes or before they are done. Serve warm.

Comments: The original recipe tells to use onion which is most likely common onion. Scallions are mentioned twice in the source. In one recipe the scallions are mentioned with onions. So most likely the common onion is what was meant for this dish. I was rebellious and wanted to use spring onion because they were available.

The original recipe doesn’t specify what kind of ground spices to use. The recipe only suggest to use ground spices or not to use them. It is up to you. There is 184 recipes in the source and I quickly counted that there is about a bit over 70 recipes that does not specify what kind of ground spices (good spices, fine spices, some spices..) are used in the dish. Pepper and saffron were most commonly mentioned separately (sometimes with other “spices” and sometimes without). Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom were mentioned couple times. Also seeds like mustard, anise, fennel, cumin and coriander were mentioned. Some herbs too but those I did not count this time. I choose to use some most common spices.

Serve this dish for 4 people as an appetizer or with other main course dish.

Source:Libro della cocina, Anonimo Toscano around the end of the 14th century and beginning of the 15th century

Espàrrecs -Asparagus with white wine

Espàrrecs si vols fer; quan seran perbullits e sosengats mith-hi vin blanc e espècies comunes e un poc de bon sucre blanc.

Serves 4

• about 450 g green asparagus
• 1,5 dl water
• olive oil
• 0,5 dl white wine
• pinch of common spices: cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, salt
• pinch of sugar

Snap off the dry ends of asparagus and carefully peel the asparagus ends if needed (if they are very thick and woody, usually not necessary in my opinion). Place the asparagus on a large frying pan and add about 1,5 dl water and let it simmer for about 5 mins. Be careful not to overcook. Pour the remaining water away. Add oil and fry about 6 minutes and add white wine and spices. Boil well and serve hot.

Comments: The original recipe does not specify what kind of common spices were supposed to use for the dish. There is 87 recipes in Sent Sovi. Most common spices in the recipes are cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Also pepper (and saffron) were mentioned several times. Other spices like nutmeg, grains of paradise, cubebs, long pepper was mentioned.

Like in many other medieval dish there is sugar in ingredient list and the dish tastes sweet because of it. Sugar enhance other flavors in the dish. Serve this dish for 4 people as an appetizer or with other main course dish.

Source: The book of Sent Sovi: Santanach, Vogelzang. 14th century